Surge in Single Premium Payments Secured Stable Revenues for Private Insurance Business in 2014

Strongly increasing revenues from single premium payments allowed life insurance companies to return to growth. Non-life and accident insurance business, however, weakened considerably. Despite an increase in the number of contracts, premium intakes declined. In private health insurance, the industry expanded its risk pool while price increases were moderate even though the number of claims increased in line with additional hospital treatments. Preparations for the changeover to Solvency II, to be carried out at the start of 2016, still keep the industry busy, because the new supervisory regime also calls for adjustments in the organisational structure of insurance companies. The regulation in pillars 1 and 2 of Solvency II will raise the fixed cost component in the insurance industry and thereby increase returns to scale.