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APRA releases general insurance statistics for June 2019

22 August 2019

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has released its Quarterly General Insurance Performance Statistics and Quarterly General Insurance Institution Level Statistics publications for the June 2019 quarter.

The Quarterly General Insurance Performance Statistics publication provides industry aggregate summaries of financial performance, financial position, capital adequacy and key ratios. The publication also includes detailed statistics at a class-of-business level, a breakdown of operating income and expenses, and more granular solvency information.

Key performance statistics for the general insurance industry in the year ended 30 June 2019:

 June 2018June 2019Change
Net earned premium$32.9 billion$35.1 billion+6.7%
Net incurred claims expense$20.6 billion$24.2 billion+17.5%
Underwriting result$4.2 billion$2.3 billion-44.7%
Investment income$2.3 billion$3.6 billion+53.3%
Net profit after tax$3.8 billion$3.5 billion-8.6%

Key ratios for the general insurance industry in the year ended 30 June 2019:

 June 2018June 2019Change
Net loss ratio62%69%+7pp
Return on net assets13.5%12.4%-1.1pp
Prescribed capital amount coverage ratio 1.82x1.80x-0.02x

Industry underwriting profit for the year to 30 June 2019 was $2.3 billion (2018: $4.2 billion). This result was negatively impacted by claims costs from the Sydney Hailstorm and Townsville Flood events, and a strengthening of claims reserves in most of the long tail classes of business. This was largely offset by a significant increase in investment income primarily due to unrealised gains on fixed interest investments which resulted from falling bond yields.

The Quarterly General Insurance Institution-level Statistics publications contain individual insurer information about financial performance, financial position, capital adequacy and key ratios. The quarterly performance statistics of insurers may be impacted by factors outside of their control, such as natural catastrophe events, as well as those driven by their internal processes, such as the timing of actuarial valuations. Users should take these factors into account when interpreting the statistics.

Copies of the 30 June 2019 quarterly publications are available on APRA’s website at: Quarterly general insurance statistics

Statistics

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) is the prudential regulator of the financial services industry. It oversees banks, mutuals, general insurance and reinsurance companies, life insurance, private health insurers, friendly societies, and most members of the superannuation industry. APRA currently supervises institutions holding around $9 trillion in assets for Australian depositors, policyholders and superannuation fund members.