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APRA releases life insurance statistics for December 2021

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) today released its Quarterly Life Insurance Performance Statistics publication for the December 2021 quarter.

The Quarterly Life Insurance Performance Statistics publication provides industry aggregate summaries of financial performance, financial position, capital adequacy and key ratios.

Key performance statistics for the life insurance industry for the year ended 31 December:

 

Year ended Dec-20 

($bn)

Year ended Dec-21

($bn)

Yearly Change

   Net policy revenue

14.4

14.8

2.8%

   Investment revenue

-2.3

3.8

Significant

Total revenue

13.3

19.5

46.4%

   Net policy expenses

9.7

9.1

-5.9%

   Operating expenses

7.4

7.1

-2.8%

   Effective movement in net policy liabilities

-3.1

1.1

Significant

Total expenses

14.1

17.7

25.5%

Net profit after tax

-0.1

1.2

Significant

Total assets

130.2

132.0

1.3%

Key performance statistics for the life insurance industry for the quarter ended 31 December:

 

Sep 2021 Quarter

($bn)

Dec 2021 Quarter

($bn)

Quarterly change

   Net policy revenue

3.8

3.7

-4.5%

   Investment revenue

0.7

0.8

13.3%

Total revenue

4.8

4.8

-1.0%

   Net policy expenses

2.3

2.3

0.6%

   Operating expenses

1.8

1.9

4.5%

   Effective movement in net policy liabilities

0.2

-0.03

Significant

Total expenses

4.4

4.3

-1.1%

Net profit after tax

371.8m

212.0m

-43.0%

Total assets

134.2

132.0

-1.6%

The overall performance of the life insurance industry is improving. The net profit after tax for the industry was $1.2 billion for the year ended December 2021, a significant improvement from the previous year primarily owing to improved market performance and to a lesser extent, growth in premium revenue. 

Collectively, risk products returned an improved result for the year ended December 2021, recording a profit of $752.9m. This result was predominantly driven by Individual Disability Income Insurance which recorded a profit of $546.4m, a $1.3bn increase from the previous year. Individual Lump Sum returned a profit of $375.3m, a result lower than the previous period. Furthermore, Group Lump Sum and Group Disability Income Insurance reported improved results in comparison to the prior year, however, both products continued to return losses of $165.2m and $3.6m respectively.

Net profit after tax by product for the life insurance industry for the year ended 31 December:

Risk product

Year ended Dec 2020

($m)

Year ended Dec 2021

($m)

Dec 2021 quarter only

($m)

Individual lump sum

548.3

375.3

22.2

Individual disability income insurance

-740.4

546.4

329.5

Group lump sum

-183.7

-165.2

-85.6

Group disability income insurance

-136.1

-3.6

-110.7

Total

-511.9

752.9

155.3

Key ratios for the life insurance industry for the year ended 31 December:

 

Year ended Dec 2020

Year ended Dec 2021

Sep 2021 Quarter

Dec 2021 Quarter

Return on net assets

-0.4%

4.4%

5.7%

3.2%

Prescribed capital amount coverage ratio

1.79x

2.00x

1.95x

2.00x

The December 2021 Quarterly Life Insurance Performance Statistics publication is available on APRA’s website at: Quarterly Life Insurance Performance Statistics

 

Statistics

For more information

Email dataanalytics@apra.gov.au or mail to

Manager, External Data Reporting
Australian Prudential Regulation Authority
GPO Box 9836, Sydney NSW 2001

Looking for discontinued publications?

Search historical snapshots of APRA's website on the Australian Government web archive.