How much cremation ashes is left after cremation?
The amount of ashes released after the cremation
If you are planning to use cremation services, it’s important to have a general idea of the amount of ashes remaining after human remains are cremated. The expected volume of the ashes can help you choose an appropriate urn for your loved one and make plans with family members, such as spreading the ashes, sharing urns for loved one’s, or interment in a columbarium at a cemetery.
The average amount of ash left over after the cremation of an adult is about 3 to 3.5 liters or 183 to 213 cubic inches. For a child this will be 0.8 to 2 liters or 54 to 122 cubic inches and for a (premature) baby 0.3 to 0.7 liters or 18 to 43 cubic inches. Your crematorium will always know the exact volume. It is possible to disperse part of the ashes and keep the rest in an urn, cremation ash keepsake urn or piece of memorial jewelry like an ashes pendant.
The industry guide is that for every pound of body weight, allow one cubic inch of cremated remains. Standard size adult urns have approximately 213 cubic inches or 3,5 Liters of internal volume and are suitable for an average adult. 1 cubic inch is 0,0164 litres and 1 litre is 61 cubic inches.
The amount of ash depends on the wood type of the coffin, the size of the coffin, the size (length / width) of the deceased, the bone structure of a deceased person and whether one or more objects such as a soft toy or book has been placed in the coffin.
The table below is based on averages. If you are not sure of the exact volume of ash please contact your crematorium or funeral director. We apologize in advance for this table because it may be inconvenient, but we find it very important to inform you as good as possible.
| Adult urns | Volume liter | Volume cu in | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0 - 3.5 liter | 183 - 213 cu in | ||||||
| Baby- and infant urns | Age | Boy Kg | Boy Lbs | Girl Kg | Girl Lbs | Volume liter | Volume cu in |
| 22 weeks | up to 1 kg | up to 2 lbs | up to 1 kg | up to 2 lbs | 0.15 liter | 10 cu in | |
| 40 weeks | up to 8.5 kg | up to 19 lbs | up to 8.5 kg | up to 19 lbs | 0.65 liter | 40 cu in | |
| 1 year | 10 kg | 22 lbs | 10 kg | 22 lbs | 0.80 liter | 49 cu in | |
| 2 year | 12 kg | 26 lbs | 12 kg | 26 lbs | 1.00 liter | 61 cu in | |
| 3 year | 15 kg | 33 lbs | 15 kg | 33 lbs | 1.25 liter | 76 cu in | |
| 4 year | 17 kg | 37 lbs | 17 kg | 37 lbs | 1.35 liter | 82 cu in | |
| 5 year | 19 kg | 42 lbs | 18 kg | 40 lbs | 1.45 liter | 89 cu in | |
| 6 year | 22 kg | 49 lbs | 21 kg | 46 lbs | 1.55 liter | 95 cu in | |
| 7 year | 24 kg | 52 lbs | 24 kg | 52 lbs | 1.60 liter | 98 cu in | |
| 8 year | 26 kg | 57 lbs | 26 kg | 57 lbs | 1.65 liter | 101 cu in | |
| 9 year | 28 kg | 62 lbs | 28 kg | 62 lbs | 1.75 liter | 107 cu in | |
| 10 year | 31 kg | 68 lbs | 35 kg | 77 lbs | 1.85 liter | 113 cu in | |
| 11 year | 35 kg | 77 lbs | 39 kg | 86 lbs | 2.00 liter | 122 cu in | |
| 12 year | 39 kg | 86 lbs | 43 kg | 95 lbs | 2.25 liter | 137 cu in | |
| 13 year | 45 kg | 99 lbs | 48 kg | 106 lbs | 2.40 liter | 146 cu in | |
| 14 year | 52 kg | 115 lbs | 52 kg | 115 lbs | 2.60 liter | 159 cu in | |
| 15 year | 57 kg | 126 lbs | 55 kg | 121 lbs | 2.80 liter | 171 cu in | |
| 16 year | 61 kg | 135 lbs | 57 kg | 126 lbs | 3.00 liter | 183 cu in | |
| Pet urns | Weight Kg | Weight Lbs | Volume liter | Volume cu in | |||
| up to 1 kg | up to 2 lbs | 0.15 liter | 9 cu in | ||||
| up to 8 kg | up to 17 lbs | 0.5 liter | 31 cu in | ||||
| up to 12 kg | up to 26 lbs | 1.0 liter | 61 cu in | ||||
| up to 20 kg | up to 44 lbs | 1.5 liter | 92 cu in | ||||
| up to 40 kg | up to 88 lbs | 2.0 liter | 123 cu in | ||||
| up to 60 kg | up to 132 lbs | 3.0 liter | 183 cu in | ||||
| > 60 kg | > 132 lbs | 4.0 liter+ | 244 cu in | ||||
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How much do ashes weigh after cremation?
As a general rule, ashes following cremation will weigh between 4 to 6 pounds, or around 3.5% of the person’s original weight. In the case of children, ashes weigh about 2.5% of the original body weight. Fat and muscle do not affect the mass of cremated ashes, which means height and gender (which predict skeletal weight) can be used to accurately predict the weight of the remains. Cremated remains of adult men tend to weigh more, or about six pounds, while the cremated remains of adult women are about 4 pounds on average. For choosing a cremation ash urn you need to concentrate on volume not on weight.
How to fill a cremation ash urn?
The filling of a funeral urn is considered to be a ritual by many people. It is the last step of the funeral where the relatives bring their deceased loved one’s to the final resting place. The filling of an urn requires a certain degree of accuracy. You are free to choose whether you want to fill the urn yourself or have it done by, for example:
Your funeral director or funeral attendant
Cremated remains usually come from the funeral home contained in a thick polyethylene bag that is inside a sturdy cardboard tube or plastic temporary urn (ash container). The temporary urn will be labeled for proper identification, holds a refractory cremation stone and – depending on the country - accompanied by a certificate of cremation that is required to remain with the ashes. You can consult with your funeral director at any time whether it is possible that they do this. This is often associated with costs.
The crematorium
You can contact your crematorium to discuss whether they want to fill the urn. Again, there are usually costs involved.
Fill the cremation urn yourself
It is fairly easy to fill the urn yourself or have it filled by a family member. In the following link you will find instructions on how to fill your cremation urn and jewelry.
