Cremation facts

A BBC Magazine article on recovering metal implants from cremated bodies:

indicates we will increasingly not have a marker to rely on for genealogical evidence.

• Relatively few people are cremated in the US by international standards - the figure currently stands at 40%, though the trend is upwards and there are some big geographical variations.
• Recent figures show Hawaii and Nevada up near 70%, but Mississippi at less than 10%. That could be a mark of socio-economic status. Statistics tend to show poorer people prefer in-ground burials
• In Holland, some 57% of all bodies are cremated. 
• Britain is the biggest cremator in Europe with 73%. 
• Since the Catholic church eased its opposition to cremation, (there has been) growth in places such as Italy and Spain. 
• A traditional burial can cost four times as much as cremation. And regarding space, one survey showed 750 burials taking up an acre of ground.