Suche nach PublikationenErweiterte Suche

The decline in premium intakes in life insurance and non-life and accident insurance reduced revenues in the Austrian private insurance industry. A more positive development in health insurance was not able to compensate the overall decline: the total premium volume in 2017 was down by 2.7 percent. Although the labour market provided a positive impulse to disposable household income, lower real after tax per-capita wages and falling interest income dampened the demand for private insurance products. Additionally, continued low levels of interest rates kept the preference for liquidity at elevated levels. At the same time, the low interest rate environment and a higher regulatory burden reduced the supply of guaranteed interest products in life insurance. Consequently, the insurance penetration declined further to 4.6 percent of gross domestic product. The results from the WIFO autumn survey among Austrian insurers for 2018 and 2019 indicate improved expectations for premium intakes in non-life and accident insurance and continued positive dynamics in health insurance. The downward trend in life insurance may abate over the forecast horizon.