The National Funeral Directors’ Association (NFDA) is one of the primary data collectors in the death care industry. So when they released information from their 2025 Consumer Awareness & Preferences Study not long ago it had some interesting findings that are sure to make waves in the funeral industry this coming year.
Let’s take a look at the biggest takeaways and what they mean for death care consumers.
Going All-Online is Going Mainstream
One of the major topics of discussion in the funeral industry in 2025 was how things are going digital. Consumers want to be able to search for funeral homes, find prices and schedule services online. And last year 30% of families scheduled the entire funeral online.
But another key observation was that 15% of people in this group felt that doing everything completely online was too impersonal. The convenience factor is a plus, but going all online can make it feel like an everyday occurrence rather than a major life event.
The Takeaway: Consumers and the funeral industry are still trying to figure out the right balance of DIY online services that still feel personal and meaningful.
Many Funeral Homes Are Being Found on Facebook
One of the most astounding findings from the NFDA’s 2025 survey is that 40% of families enlisted the help of a funeral home they found on Facebook. To put it in perspective, in 2023 21% of survey respondents said the same.
The Takeaway: This is a clear indicator of how many people are researching and finding funeral homes online. With each passing year, online presence is outweighing past in-person experiences in terms of which funeral home is selected.
Despite Digital Services People Still Want the Help of a Funeral Director
Based on the stats above it may seem counterintuitive that more people in 2025 said they don’t feel confident planning a funeral without a funeral director involved. Even though 30% of people arranged their funeral services completely online, 44.4% said they wouldn’t feel comfortable without a funeral director helping. That’s a 7.1% increase from the year before.
And guess what? Nearly half of the people who arranged things online still needed and wanted the help of a funeral director.
The Takeaway: Arranging funeral services online is convenient, but it isn’t a sole endeavor and it doesn’t replace funeral directors. The funeral director can still be involved and in many ways that’s preferable for most people.
Livestreaming Funeral Services is Here to Stay
Several years after the pandemic calmed down, the vast majority of people are still opting to livestream funeral services. It’s one of the major disruptions that seem to have forever changed the way we honor the dead.
For consumers, livestreaming funeral services is a matter of practicality. With people being more migratory and more conscious about avoiding in-person events when they’re sick, it makes sense that 64% of people are interested in livestreaming funeral services. It’s especially beneficial now that there are dedicated livestreaming companies that make setup and streaming extremely easy.
The Takeaway: Livestreaming may have started out of necessity during the pandemic, but it’s opened the door for expanding viewings and memorials that are more inclusive.
Religion is Still Influential
Even though more people identify as irreligious, over three fourths of consumers base their funeral decisions at least partially on religious beliefs. Religion is still highly relevant in the realm of funeral services, which speaks to the strong connection that’s felt between the two.
The Takeaway: Religious beliefs may not be the primary factor for funeral planning, but it is still highly influential.
Pre-Planning is Popular From a Price Perspective
Just a few years ago pre-planning your funeral meant specifying wishes in a last will and testament. Today, there are complete funeral service plans that can be purchased in advance to cover every aspect of disposition so there’s no financial burden for descendants. Nearly 20% of the people also prepay for funeral services in order to lock in the current rates. It’s pricing security for services that historically increase year-over-year.
However, time has revealed that prepaid funeral plans can be risky. Consumers have to be very cautious to ensure the services that are paid for in advance are actually received. Regulating prepaid funeral services falls on state agencies that have been slow to provide proper oversight, but now it has become a priority in many states.
The Takeaway – People who are the most concerned about funeral costs are the ones most likely to pre-plan their funeral, sometimes decades in advance. However, using a prepaid option still requires a lot of research and precaution.
Green Funeral Services Are the Future
It comes as no surprise that the 2025 Consumer Awareness & Preferences Study found even more people are interested in green funeral services. If you’ve explored our blog you already know that interest in eco-friendly disposition began years ago and has only gotten more prevalent with each passing year.
This is largely a result of consumer awareness. Just five or so years ago, there wasn’t much discussion about the environmental impact of funeral services. But as information got out to consumers and more was learned by the general public, the more the interest grew. In 2025, 61.4% of the people surveyed said they wanted to explore green funeral services.
The Takeaway: Green funeral services aren’t a fad. It’s a top priority for the majority of consumers and can be a determining factor in the type of disposition that is selected.
Cremation.Green has been at the forefront of funeral service trends and transitions for many years because we focus on the needs of families and providing the best services possible. Our goal has always been to provide funeral services that are better for people, the community and the environment. We’ve offered online arrangements and eco-friendly disposition options long before they became mainstream.
If you need assistance arranging funeral services in the Austin, TX area give us a call, text or email at any time to speak with one of our experts.
