Dealing With the Never-ending Demand for Burial Space

Source: Wikimedia Commons

As urban populations grow and land becomes increasingly scarce, burial grounds worldwide are facing a crisis: they are running out of space. With traditional burials requiring large plots of land, the sustainability of cemeteries is being questioned. How do cemeteries manage this issue, and what are the potential solutions for creating more room for burials?

The Issue of Limited Cemetery Space

Historically, cemeteries were designed with the assumption that land would always be available for expansion. However, in densely populated cities and regions with high burial rates, that assumption no longer holds. Many urban cemeteries have been operating for centuries, leaving little room for new graves. Some cemeteries have reached capacity, meaning they can no longer offer traditional in-ground burials.

The issue is particularly pronounced in cities like London, New York and Tokyo, where land for development is scarce and expensive. In places such as Singapore and Hong Kong, where land is at an absolute premium, governments have had to take drastic steps to address the cemetery space crunch.

Strategies to Create More Burial Space

Cemeteries and governments have implemented various strategies to maximize space and continue offering burial options. Some of the most common methods include:

1. Grave Recycling and Reuse
   Many countries, particularly in Europe, have adopted a system where graves are leased rather than owned in perpetuity. After a certain number of years (often between 25 and 100), remains may be exhumed and moved to an ossuary or reinterred in a smaller space, allowing the grave to be reused for new burials. This is a common practice in countries like Germany, France and Greece.
2. Vertical Burials
   Some cemeteries have started constructing mausoleums and columbariums — multi-story structures that house caskets or urns — to make better use of limited land. In Brazil and Japan, vertical cemeteries have been built to accommodate thousands of remains in high-rise structures, preserving valuable land for other uses. Norway has even built a “cemetery skyscraper.”
   

   A vertical cemetery in Brazil.
   Source: Wikimedia Commons

3. Stacked Burials
   In many cemeteries, double-depth or triple-depth burials are allowed, where family members are interred in the same grave at different levels. This allows multiple burials within a single plot, effectively reducing the amount of land needed.
4. Green and Natural Burials
   An increasing number of people are opting for green burials, which use biodegradable caskets or shrouds to return remains to the earth naturally. Some green cemeteries allow remains to be buried without a traditional headstone, reducing land use. Others incorporate burial sites into natural landscapes, creating multi-use spaces for conservation and recreation.
5. Encouraging Cremation
   Cremation has gained popularity in recent decades as an alternative to traditional burials. Ashes require significantly less space than a full-sized grave and can be stored in columbariums, scattered or buried in smaller plots. In some places, governments actively promote cremation to alleviate space constraints.
6. Repurposing Old Cemeteries
   In extreme cases, cemeteries that have long been abandoned or fallen into disrepair are repurposed. In China, for instance, authorities have relocated cemeteries to make way for urban expansion, while in parts of Europe, old cemeteries have been transformed into parks or cultural spaces.

The Future of Cemeteries

As global populations continue to rise and urbanization expands, cemeteries must innovate to remain viable. Sustainable practices, alternative burial methods and creative land use will be critical in ensuring that burial spaces remain accessible for future generations. While space issues persist, cemeteries continue to adapt, reflecting humanity’s enduring need to honor the dead while managing the challenges of the living world.