How much ash is left after cremation and what size urn do I need? | Legendurn.com (2024)

Table of Contents

How much ashes are left after the cremation? What factors influence the amount of ash? What size urn do I need? General speaking How much do ashes weigh after cremation? FAQs References

How much ashes are left after the cremation?

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 for ashes, cremation ash keepsake urn or piece of memorial jewelry like an ashes pendant.

What factors influence the amount of ash?

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.

What size urn do I need?

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.

General speaking

1 cubic inch is 0,0164 litres and 1 litre is 61 cubic inches.
1 pound is 1 cubic inch (cu)

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.

Baby- and infant urns	Age	Boy Kg	Boy Lbs	Girl Kg	Girl Lbs	Volume liter	Volume cu in
Adult urns	Volume liter	Volume cu in
	3.0 - 3.5 liter	183 - 213 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
>>>

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.

FAQs

What size urn do I need for ashes? ›

Determine the approximate weight of the deceased person or pet before cremation. The industry standard indicates that one cubic inch of urn capacity is required for one pound of body weight. That means, for example, that a person weighing approximately 150 pounds will need a cremation urn of at least 150 cubic inches.

Get More Info Here ›

When a body is cremated, how much ash is left? ›

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.

How much dust do you need after cremation? ›

How much ashes are left after the cremation? 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.

Show Me More ›

What is the average volume of ashes after cremation? ›

The average amount of ash which will remain after the cremation of an adult is between 183 to 213 Cubic Inches, which is about 3 to 3.5 Litres.

Know More ›

How long do cremated ashes last in an urn? ›

In Conclusion

If we have the ashes of any loved ones, they will remain intact for as long as we live. This is wonderful news; it gives us time to grieve and heal as we need, in our own timeframe. If a cremation diamond is what your heart is set on, all that is needed is ½ cup of ashes or hair.

Read The Full Story ›

Do you leave ashes in bag when putting in urn? ›

Keep the original sealed container intact and transfer the ashes yourself. Simply take the plastic bag containing the ashes out of the cardboard box and place the entire bag inside a cremation urn, box or memorial chest of suitable size.

Read On ›

How much does a 200 lb person weigh after cremation? ›

Weight of a man's cremation ashes

A man's ashes will weight in the 4 lb to 9 lb (1.8 to 4 kg) range. Cremation ashes for a 175 lbs man weighs about 4.5 lbs or ~2 kg. Cremation ashes for a 200 lbs man weighs about 7 lbs or ~3.1 kg. Cremation ashes for a 250 lbs man weighs about 8.75 lbs or ~4 kg.

Learn More Now ›

Should you split up ashes after cremation? ›

As you can see, dividing ashes after cremation is actually a fairly common practice. It can be a way to help each family member grieve, remember, and honor their loved one in a special way.

Read The Full Story ›

What happens if ashes don't fit in an urn? ›

If there are additional ashes that don't fit in the urns, you may receive an additional container with the remainder. Special Note About Urns: You do not have to buy an urn from the funeral home or crematorium in order for them to fill it.

Do you get all of person ashes after cremation? ›

Reputable crematoriums will ensure that 99% of the ashes are returned to the family, but there will always be some isolated particles that become lost during the cremation process. However, that amount is usually negligible.

Discover More Details ›

Do bigger people have more ashes when cremated? ›

The Height of the Person

Since cremains are ground up bone, the height is actually one of the best indicators for whether there will be more or less cremains than average. The taller a person is over the average height, the more cremains there will likely be.

Get More Info Here ›

What happens if ashes don't fit in urn? ›

If the bag doesn't fit, there are three options:

A funnel may be used to fill the urn directly with ashes. If you wish to keep the ashes in the bag, a new bag will first need to be inserted into the urn with the opening of the bag on the outside.

Learn More Now ›

Do you need a special urn for ashes? ›

No, but a final container for the remains is required, although it can be anything from a plastic bag to an elaborate urn.

Know More ›

Is it OK to mix ashes in urn? ›

The short answer is yes. It is possible to have the ashes of two people placed in the same urn. However, there are some considerations to keep in mind. Firstly, it is important to check the size of the urn.

View Details ›