More and more people are being cremated after their death: in Flanders, the cremation rate has risen above 80 per cent for the first time this year. As a result visits to the cemetery on 1 November, All Saints’ Day, increasingly take on a different form. In Brussels and Wallonia, people are still far more often opting for burial.
Home News
Most Flemings opting for cremation, significant differences with Brussels and Wallonia
Published:
“The number of cremations is rising for various reasons,” says Tom Wustenberghs, chair of the Flemish Association of Crematoria. “On the one hand, there is the practical aspect: a cremation offers the bereaved or the funeral director flexibility when planning the funeral. Cremations are also increasingly taking place well ahead of the ceremony,” he notes.
In addition, there is the matter of aftercare. “For most people who opt for a cremation, the ashes are subsequently scattered. Usually in a garden of rest, but they can also be scattered at sea or, for example, in the River Scheldt in a biodegradable urn. In such cases, there is no longer a physical grave that needs to be maintained afterwards,” explains Wustenberghs.
Cost can also be a factor, but whether cremation is always cheaper than a burial “depends on individual choices”. “The most recent studies I’ve seen on this estimate the cost of a funeral at around 6,500 euros, whether it’s a burial or a cremation. In the case of a cremation, this includes the costs of the funeral director, collection and preparation, the coffin and the urn, the cremation itself, and the ceremony, excluding catering.”
Major differences with Brussels
There are major differences between the regions. Whilst 81 per cent of people in Flanders now opt for cremation, the figure in Brussels is 63 per cent. However, the figures for Brussels are not entirely accurate. Anyone living in Brussels, but who is cremated in Flanders will, in fact, be counted in the Flemish figures.
According to Wustenberghs, the difference in Brussels can be explained by the large number of different religious communities. “According to Islamic rules, it is forbidden to cremate a body,” says Mustapha Ouriaghli, a Muslim funeral director from Schaarbeek in Brussels.
“Nevertheless, we are also seeing many changes here. The first generation, who moved to Brussels in the 1960s, often still opted for repatriation and a burial in their country of origin,” he explains. “But with the second and third generations, it’s completely different. Since the coronavirus pandemic, we’ve really seen a shift in that regard.”
"People are much more likely to choose to be buried in a Muslim plot here in Belgium, so that their families can easily pay their respects afterwards. As a result, the demand for plots is also increasing. Not every municipality in Brussels is doing enough to anticipate these growing needs," says Ouriaghli.
Even lower in Wallonia
In Wallonia, the ‘cremation rate’ (the number of cremations as a proportion of the total number of deaths) is even lower. “Wallonia is a lot more traditional in that respect,” explains Wustenberghs. “But the distance to the crematorium, which is greater in Wallonia, also plays a role.”
“In any case, we are seeing that cremation is chosen much more frequently in cities. In Ghent and Antwerp, the cremation rate is sometimes higher than 90 per cent,” he says. “In Limburg and West Flanders, however, it is somewhat lower. And in Wallonia, too, the number of cremations is particularly lower in rural areas.”