ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses how economic analysis helps to gain some insights into the variety of personal relationships and social issues surrounding death in our society. It defines economics and its relationship to death, and deals with the quantitative description of death in society. The chapter focuses on the structure and role of the funeral services industry, and cemetery land, a disappearing resource. Interestingly, death rates in Canada are low compared to those in other countries. In 1991, the lowest estimated death rate is that of Mexico, followed by Japan, and then Australia. Funerals are essentially a private matter in the sense that they have their primary impact on the individuals or immediate family. The legislation governing funerals in Ontario was also extensively revised in 1990. The funeral services industry has been criticized on the grounds that, to the extent that services are becoming more elaborate, the marketing techniques of the industry are blamed for this growth of demand.
