The average Australian funeral now costs $14,000 — and GoFundMe donations to cover them have surged 70 per cent in five years

By Duncan Murray

As the average cost of a funeral soars to new heights, Australians are increasingly reaching out for financial help to farewell their loved ones.

Between a burial, casket, funeral director fees, flowers and everything else, the median cost of a funeral has now risen to around $14,000 – something many are underprepared for when the moment comes.

It is increasingly common for Australians to ask, in lieu of flowers, for donations towards the cost of the funeral, according to fundraising platform GoFundMe.

Australians raised more than $28 million to help pay for funerals through the online crowdfunding platform in 2025, the company revealed on Wednesday.

Data from GoFundMe shows a 70 per cent increase in funeral fundraisers over the past five years.

When Jye Campbell died suddenly in late 2025, the costs for his funeral quickly ticked up to around $20,000.

While cheaper options were available, such as a cremation rather than burial, Mr Campbell’s family – who come from Albury in NSW – wanted to put him to rest in their chosen way.

“My sister didn’t want to cremate her son; she wanted him buried where everyone else would be buried,” Mr Campbell’s aunt, Emma Campbell, said.

“There’s just things that you can’t really not do.”

Ms Campbell described the funeral as relatively basic with few additions, but says the cost of a burial plot alone was around $9000.

The Campbell family were able to raise almost $10,000 to cover Jye’s funeral costs.

Without help from the community, they would have been forced to make uncomfortable decisions.

With the funeral industry valued at around $2 billion a year, more and more Australians are finding themselves in a similar situation.

A funeral by premium service provider White Lady Funerals costs almost $9000 for the most basic single service and cremation option, with the price of a burial and optional extras such as a headstone and flowers easily costing many thousands more.

Budget provider Bare charges more than $3000 dollars for an unattended cremation with no funeral service.

End-of-life consultant Annetta Mallon says while funerals can be vital to the grieving process, they shouldn’t be placing people under financial stress.

“It makes me really angry, not that people are crowdfunding, but that funeral expenses are so high that people are forced to crowdfund,” Dr Mallon said.

She said the best way to keep funeral costs down was planning.

For example, Dr Mallon recommends spending a night with friends writing down clear instructions so loved ones aren’t left guessing when someone passes.

“If you are very clear with your wishes, that means people who are grieving can stick to them,” she said.

“It is the greatest gift you can give the people you love and care about.”