Between July and October 2020, the number of people in Guatemala exploring options for life insurance online increased by 3%, and the number of Panamanian consumers seeking auto insurance increased by 39%.
CentralAmericaData's interactive platform, Consumer Insights, monitors in real time changes in consumer habits in all markets in the region and in other Latin American countries, with fundamental information to understand their behavior, new trends and anticipate eventual changes in their purchase patterns.
Last year, premiums of Ch$1,567 million were written in the country, a figure that did not change significantly from the Ch$1,569 million reported in 2018.
Figures from the General Comptroller of the Republic detail that between 2018 and 2019 premiums in the branch of fire and multi-risk insurance registered a 5% increase.
On the other hand, automobile premiums decreased 2% for the years in question, and in the case of personal accidents the increase reported was 8%.
Customers who are guided by immediacy and technology, who are also more focused on travel than buying health or life insurance, force insurers to reinvent their processes to continue increasing their sales.
Because the population group known as the "millennials," which is made up of customers who like to keep up with the buying process and are not willing to wait, companies must transform to keep up with their sales pace.
Between January and June 2019, premiums increased 4% compared to the same period in 2018, partly because of a 5% increase in health policies and 6% in group life insurance.
The latest data published by the General Comptroller of the Republic indicate that between the first half of 2018 and the same period of 2019 the premiums of the branch of fire and multi-risk insurance registered a 12% increase.
During the first five months of the year, premiums of $643 million were written, 4% higher than the $619 million reported for the same period in 2018.
Statistics from the Superintendence of Insurance show that from January to May 2019, the three insurance companies subscribing the highest proportion of market premiums were Assa Compañía de Seguros, Compañía Internacional de Seguros and Mapfre Panamá, with 26%, 16% and 15% respectively.
The Public Ministry of Panama tenders collective health insurance for employees of the Attorney General's Office.
Panama Government Purchase 2019-0-35-0-08-LV-021667:
"The execution term of the service shall be one thousand ninety-five (1,095) calendar days, from the date established in the Order to Proceed, which shall be notified in accordance with the provisions.
Because of vehicle and health insurance performance, premiums paid in Panama last year totaled $1.562 million, 6% more than in 2017.
Preliminary figures from the Superintendence of Insurance and Reinsurance detail that last year income from vehicle insurance totaled $321 million and increased 9% with respect to 2017.
During 2018, premiums paid for health insurance totaled $312 million, 7.8% more than reported in 2017.
In the first eleven months of 2018, premiums of $1.378 million were underwritten in Panama, exceeding by 6% the value reported in the same period of 2017.
The latest data from the Superintendence of Insurance and Reinsurance, detail that between the first eleven months of 2017 and the same period of 2018, the value of premiums underwritten went from $1.301 million to $1.378 million.
The Public Ministry of Panama tender for a collective health insurance for the workers of the Procuraduría General de la Nación, for a term of 24 months.
Panama Government Purchase 2018-0-35-0-08-LV-020577:
"A collective health policy or insurance will be contracted for 4,251 collaborators, which will cover medical services required for the prevention of illnesses and accidents, the care and maintenance of health or its recovery in case of suffering a guaranteed event, up to the amount stipulated in the Insurance Contract.
In the first nine months of this year, premiums of $1,115 million were written in Panama, exceeding by 4.9% the value reported in the same period of 2017.
The latest data from the Insurance and Reinsurance Superintendence, between the first nine months of 2017 and the same period in 2018, the value of premiums written went from $1.063 million to $1.115 million.
In Panama during the first three months of the year $367 million was written in premiums, which is 2% more than the $360 million reported in the same period in 2017.
During the first quarter of 2018, the three insurance companies that wrote the largest proportion of these premiums were Assa Compañía de Seguros, Compañía Internacional de Seguros and Mapfre Panamá, with $70 million, $62 million and $56 million, respectively.
Three insurers distributed 52% of the premiums generated in January of this year, which in total amounted to $129 million.
In the first month of 2018, the three insurance companies that subscribed the largest proportion of the premiums were Assa Compañía de Seguros, Compañía Internacional de Seguros and Mapfre Panamá, with $32 million, $19 million and $16 million, respectively.
Explained by the behavior of the Costa Rican market, in 2017 Central American insurers received $5.02 billion in premiums, 7% more than in 2016.
According to a report drawn up by Revista Desempeño Asegurador, in 2017 "... insurance sales in the region expressed an absolute increase of US $334.7 million, an amount that represented a rise of 7.1% compared to sales in 2016."
Projections are that this year growth of the Central American insurance sector will be driven by activities in the markets of Costa Rica and Guatemala.
From the report "Prospects 2018: Insurance Sector in Central America" by Fitch Ratings:
Stable Rating Perspective:The rating outlook for the Central Americaninsurancesectoris stable for 2018, given that most of the rated companies maintain a stable outlook on an individual basis.Fitch Ratings believes that the sector shows stable fundamentals, as a result of good profitability levels and high liquidity and capitalization indicators in all countries, which it expects to continue to be reflected in solid balance sheets in companies.