Human Cost of Dying Report, 2024
Whilst all experiences of loss are deeply personal, it is widely accepted that the death of someone we’re close to is one of the most challenging parts of human existence.
In this report, we explored the wide-ranging human impacts of loss that so many of us have felt - from the practical hurdles that we encounter to the emotions of what we miss the most, and the role personal memories and mementos can play in the experience of grief.
A lot of research has gone into understanding the practical impact of loss, such as the Cost of Dying Report - which explores the financial fallout from loss. But little research has been done on the real human impact of loss in a more holistic sense.
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Nine in ten (91%) people surveyed had experienced the loss of someone close to them
Loss affects us all, at some time or another. 64% of these people also take on the huge administrative load that comes with loss - whether that’s organising a loved one’s funeral, registering their death, clearing or selling their home, or closing down their accounts.
The emotional weight of loss is significantly harder than any other of its other challenges
HMRC and other government agencies were voted the least helpful individual, organisation or institution that people interacted with after loss
Friends were said to be the most helpful.
It’s the simple things we miss the most
When asked what people miss the most common answers were:
57% their presence
31% their voice
26% their advice and wisdom
What you leave behind matters
When asked what the best gift the person who died had left them, 74% said something that had no monetary value. With memories, photos and letters being the most common answers.
86% of people said that these gifts helped them process their grief.
Yet up to 61% of people haven’t put any thought into their plan for when they die.
Despite 34% saying there is nothing in particular holding them back.
