The giant emerging markets of China and India will drive global life premium growth in the coming years, forecasts Swiss Re Institute in its sigma report titled “World insurance in 2016: the China growth engine steams ahead”.
The life market in advanced markets will grow moderately, with growth likely be highest in advanced Asia, says the report.
Premium growth in global non-life business is expected to improve in advanced Asia and North America, but remain flat in Western Europe and Oceania. Emerging markets are likely to grow robustly but at a slower pace than in the recent past. There will be healthy growth in China and to a lesser extent in India.
Emerging Asia
Life premiums in emerging Asia are expected to increase by double digits this year and next. The rise of digital distribution channels, the expansion of bancassurance and the promotion of protection products will be key growth drivers.
In China, premium growth is expected to slow from the exceptionally high level in 2016 due to increased regulatory pressure to curtail the sales of short-term wealth management-type products.
Non-life premium growth in emerging Asia is expected to remain stable in 2017. Fiscal expansion and solid foreign direct investment should boost infrastructure and construction-related lines in Southeast Asia. Initiatives by the Chinese and Indian governments to develop speciality lines will support agriculture, liability and credit insurance, and rising household disposable income will likely boost demand for personal lines.
Advanced Asia
The outlook for advanced Asia life premium growth remains challenging, as low interest rates are dampening insurers’ ability to offer attractive returns to consumers. In Hong Kong, the recent tightening of capital controls by China could reduce the number of Chinese visitors acquiring life insurance in the territory.
The outlook for investment income remains uninspiring given that most central banks in advanced Asia are expected to maintain interest rates at current lows, despite rising US rates.
Forward-looking indicators point to improving economic growth in the advanced Asian markets, which should support non-life premiums. However, pressures on rates are likely to remain and, at the same time, insurers have to deal with impending regulatory changes. Overall, the pace of premium growth in 2017 is expected to be much the same as in 2016. Advanced Asia includes Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan. A