Researchers looked at 38 million obituaries. What they discovered about life was surprising

Thirty years’ worth of obituaries have revealed the traits the people celebrate in the lives of the deceased, and how major crises reshape them.

A Michigan State University study researched 38 million obituaries dating back to 1994, looking at how events including 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis and the Covid pandemic influence the traits people associate with a life well lived.

Professor David Markowitz, the lead author of the study, said: “Obituaries serve as a unique source of information about how societies value different kinds of lives.

“They reveal broader patterns of remembrance by showing who is remembered, for what contributions, and how cultural values are expressed through these acts of memory.”

It found that during the Covid pandemic, references to benevolence and caring for others dropped.

Prof Markowitz added: “During a time when communities were making extraordinary sacrifices for the collective good, obituaries became less likely to emphasise caring for others.”

Since the pandemic, mentions of tradition, often linked to religion, have risen. It found a strong association between Covid-related deaths and the praise of tradition.

Researchers used 10 universal guiding principles, defined by social psychologist Shalom H. Schwartz, to categorise values appearing in obituaries. They included tradition, conformity, security, power, achievement, and hedonism.

Overall, tradition was the most frequently praised, showing in 80 per cent of obituaries. Closely behind was benevolence, which appeared in 76 per cent.

Following the 9/11 attacks, obituaries for victims in New York contained more references to benevolence than those outside the state. At the same time, mentions of values that were tied to security decreased.

Prof Markowitz said: “These findings suggest that traumatic events affect not only how people react in the moment, but also how they later make sense of meaning and memory. This impact can look different depending on where people live and die.”

After the 2008 financial crisis, obituaries saw a drop in mentions of achievement. A year later, they saw a brief rise in hedonism.

He added: “Perhaps this reversal reflects a psychological improvement where people began focusing on values related to satisfaction instead of personal survival over the long term.”

The study also identified differences between age and gender, with men more typically remembered for power, achievement and conformity, and women for benevolence and enjoyment of life. The obituaries of older people had more of an emphasis on tradition and conformity, appearing less often among young people.