God, this was all that was left…Death is expensive in Pakistan! Funerals have to be done with loans, from the shroud to the grave…

• Death is expensive in Pakistan!
• Last rites have to be done with a loan
• Prices rose from the shroud to the grave

One remembers some words from Nana Patekar’s film Natsamrat, ‘Jagaon Ki Marawan Ha Echha Saval’. The situation in Pakistan is getting worse. In Pakistan, which is already struggling with debt and financial problems, people are now scared to death. Inflation has created a situation where not only living but also dying has become expensive. The price of everything from the shroud to the grave has skyrocketed. The total cost of burying a dead body has risen to nearly 60,000 Pakistani rupees.

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According to reports from Rawalpindi and other cities in Pakistan, the cost of shrouds, burials and funerals has soared that poor and middle-class families are forced to take on huge debts. Although the government makes claims of economic reform and stability, the real life of ordinary people is in chaos.

Funeral expenses have increased enormously

According to a report in ‘The Express Tribune’, inflation in Rawalpindi has increased the cost of all funerals, big and small. In the past, neighbors and local volunteers used to dig graves for free, but now the practice has almost stopped. Now a huge amount is charged for each job.

How much does it cost?

Shroud: 3,000 to 4,000
Funeral materials (rose water, camphor, incense sticks, flowers): 2,000 to 2,500
Burial site, excavation and brick making: 40,000 to 45,000
Cost of bathing the dead body: 1,000 to 1,500
Paved graves (bricks and cement): Starting from around 15,000
Marble Finishing: 25,000 to 30,000 or more

Lack of burial space

Families have to spend at least 50,000 to 60,000 Pakistani rupees for a single funeral. In many places, burial grounds have become so depleted that old graves are forced to be removed or filled with new graves.

Has inflation slowed?

During the financial crisis of 2023, Pakistan’s inflation rate reached a record high of nearly 40%. But according to the latest government data for June 2026, consumer inflation has eased to 11.1%. But even this 11% rate does not give relief to common people. Food, electricity, fuel and house rents have already gone up a lot due to rising prices over the past few years. Sudden emergency expenses like funerals are dragging families into the debt pit.

Pakistani budget and strict conditions of IMF

The Pakistani government has presented a grand budget of Rs 18.77 trillion for the financial year 2026-27. Defense expenditure has been increased by 18 percent to 3 trillion Pakistani rupees, while only 1 trillion Pakistani rupees has been earmarked for development projects. The International Monetary Fund’s $7 billion loan program has put enormous pressure on the Pakistani government to maintain fiscal discipline and tax collection. The government is mandated to maintain a primary budget surplus of 2% of its GDP. This means that the government will not have the funds to provide relief to the common people through subsidies or large-scale welfare schemes.

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