Market data: Life insurers rake in Sh32 billion

Only a quarter of companies trading in life insurance control more than two-thirds of premiums in the segment, new industry data shows.

According to latest data from the Insurance Regulatory Authority (IRA), seven out of the 27 firms operating in the segment pocketed 77.6 per cent of the Gross Premium Income (GPI) in the six months to June 31, 2018.

The total reported GPI was Sh41.4 billion in the period under review, meaning the seven top firms in the life assurance segment pocketed Sh32 billion, leaving the remaining Sh9.4 billion for scramble by the other 20 firms.

The seven firms are Jubilee, Britam, ICEA Lion, CIC Life, Kenindia Assurance, Liberty Assurance, and Sanlam.

“The seven insurers’ combined market share declined to 77.6 per cent from 79 per cent recorded in quarter two of 2017. The remaining 20 companies controlled 22.4 per cent of the market,” said IRA in its quarterly report.

The report also showed that Britam Insurance has overtaken Jubilee Insurance in the life insurance segment.

According to the regulator, Jubilee lost the biggest share of the market in the six months to June this year in both general and life insurance segments.

The insurer shed 6.3 per cent of its market share in the life business, while Britam gained 4.2 per cent.

Jubilee, however, maintained the lead in the general insurance segment despite registering a one per cent drop in market share to 9.3 per cent, down from 10.3 per cent recorded in a similar period last year.

According to the new figures, Britam now commands 25.4 per cent of the market share in the life segment, up from 22.1 per cent previously.

Jubilee, on the other hand, now commands 14.5 per cent of the market in the second position followed by ICEA Lion at 13.2 per cent. IRA base its ranking by calculating how much of the industry’s gross premium income that an insurer pockets.