Cemetery Fees on the Rise

Inflation does not spare even cemeteries. According to Statistics Austria, cemetery fees have risen by 44 percent over the past ten years - significantly more than the general consumer prices, which increased by 37 percent. In some communities, the costs for grave usage and burials have even more than doubled or tripled. Particularly affected are relatives without residence in the respective community, who often have to pay surcharges.

Cemetery administrations point to rising energy, personnel, and maintenance costs, as well as legal requirements for cost coverage. However, the differences between individual cities and communities are enormous - and comparability is hardly given. Each municipality sets its tariffs through the "cemetery fee ordinance" of the municipal council. For church or privately managed cemeteries, the respective cemetery operator determines the tariffs, each within the framework of state laws. The amounts therefore vary depending on the location and operator. The definitions and durations of the types of graves also vary. Some fees apply for ten years, others for 20 or 50.

Increase of 230 Percent

An example of particularly drastic price increases is provided by the Lower Austrian community of Großweikersdorf. There, the usage fee for a family crypt, which was 960 euros for ten years in 2015, has been raised to 3,170 euros this year - an increase of 230 percent, corresponding to an annual price increase of 12.7 percent. For comparison: the general inflation rate was an average of 3.2 percent per year over the same period.

The affected grave users were now faced with the choice of paying or abandoning the crypt - but that would also have been expensive. According to the community, the clearance and reburial of the remains would cost around 6,200 euros. "We felt trapped," said the relatives, who reluctantly decided to pay the significantly increased fee.

Residence as a Topic

The community also argued that the affected individuals were not residents of Großweikersdorf. They did not see why local residents should bear the costs of outsiders. A justification that is also found elsewhere: In Innsbruck, for example, the fee ordinance explicitly provides for a "non-resident surcharge" of 50 percent, which is added to grave and cemetery usage fees.

Critics consider this practice outdated. Families today are more mobile than in the past, many descendants no longer live in their original hometown. Nevertheless, they retain family graves there - and are penalized for their attachment with sometimes high surcharges.

The extent of the differences is shown by comparisons from state capitals: In Vienna, a classic family grave costs between 34.50 and 99 euros per year depending on the location, in Innsbruck a simple row grave is 632 euros for ten years, in Salzburg a family crypt costs up to 4,245 euros for ten years. In addition, there are often administrative and usage fees, which also vary greatly.

The pricing is confusing - and transparency remains scarce. Comparisons are difficult because the rates often apply to different periods (annually or 10/25-year flat rates), the included items vary (pure grave fee vs. additional usage/administrative fees), and the location classes and execution (cover plate/crypt-like) also strongly influence the price.

"Hardly Any Industry as Discreet as the Funeral Industry"

"Hardly any industry is as discreet as the funeral industry," consumer analyses say, and this also applies to cemeteries. Many municipalities only publish their fees in official gazettes, and relatives often only find out the amounts due when they receive the bill. While administrations point to increased operating expenses, critics complain about a lack of social gradation and too abrupt price jumps.

A clear trend is evident across Austria: Cemetery fees have risen above average - more than general inflation. And so, around All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, not only are the deceased remembered, but many also become aware that even commemorating the dead has become noticeably more expensive today.

(APA/Red)

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