Cost of dying in Malaga will be more expensive with cemetery rates set to rise this year: this is what the new prices will be

Dying will be more expensive in 2025 in Malaga, as was made clear on Monday at a meeting of the full environment committee of city council. The rates that had been frozen since 2012 will rise by 5.7%. The increase was announced by the city hall in 2024 but was impossible to implement until now due to bureaucratic procedures requiring fee changes to be made with ample notice as required by the law on public sector contracts. What was approved on Monday at committee level must pass through this month's scheduled, ordinary meeting of the full council. It then goes on public view for 30 days, returning to the next available full council meeting for final approval, which is expected to be the one in March.

The price increase has only been approved directly by the PP government team, with the PSOE councillors voting against and an abstention by Vox. The objection is largely because "a market study has not been carried out which is in line with market prices". With the increase in prices, Parcemasa (Malaga's municipal cemetery) wants to better handle the rise in inflation, which has amounted to 24% over the last 13 years. As a result of this increase a niche burial will now cost 263.29 euros and a tomb will cost 360.89 euros. Keeping a niche for five years will be 249.30 euros and for 25 years 738.35 euros. The annual maintenance of a niche will now cost 14.71 euros and a grave 19.53 euros. As for cremations, which are becoming more and more common as opposed to burials, it will be 548 euros and the service of depositing ashes will be 123.94 euros.

If the family wants a pantheon plot for 50 years, the cost is now 1,251.10 per square metre. To these prices must be added the cost of the burial service, which ranges from 263.39 for a niche burial to 360.86 if it is a grave, 415.67 for a family grave or 533.18 for a pantheon. The rental of the funeral parlours will cost between 156.75 and 400 euros depending on the type of burial, and for a period of 24 hours (extra hours will be paid separately).

What is the current situation at Parcemasa regarding cremations and burials? Parcemasa is the cemetery in Spain with the highest number of cremations per year, currently 80%, leaving only 20% as burials. It is important to mention that it is still very common practice in Spain to have a funeral insurance policy. Some 80% of the population has such a policy.

Nevertheless, why is there such a high percentage of cremations over burials in Malaga city? On this particular matter no serious study has been carried out to ascertain the reasons for family preferences when it comes to their deceased loved ones. What is known is that, since the local brotherhood groups ('hermandades') started to build columbarium pavilions in their brotherhood headquarters, cremation has been the maxim for many families because they have wanted the ashes of their loved ones to rest with their own brotherhood, most of which are also in the city centre. Similarly, there has also been an increase in the number of ashes being buried in the 'Garden of Memories', where they are placed in biodegradable containers among ornamental and native trees.

At Monday's meeting the environment committee also approved the modification of Parcemasa's statute to bring it up to date, as it still stated that it is a mixed company - both public and private - as explained by councillor for the environment Penélope Gómez. The company has been entirely under municipal ownership since 2000.