Despite the impact of the crisis caused by the covid-19 outbreak, between January and June 2020, income generated by net premium sales in El Salvador increased by 2%.
Data provided by directors of the Salvadoran Association of Insurance Companies (ASES), highlights that in the first half of the year net premiums were sold in the country for $345 million, an amount that is 2.3% higher than that reported for the same period in 2019.
Last year in El Salvador, net premium income totaled $702 million, 6.8% higher than in 2018.
Directors of the Salvadoran Association of Insurance Companies (ASES) explained that between 2018 and 2019 net premium income increased by $44 million, from $658 million to $702 million.
During the first six months of this year, net premium income totaled $395 million, 9% more than reported in the same period in 2018, an increase explained by life and fire policies.2
According to data from the Salvadoran Association of Insurance Companies (ASES), between the first half of 2018 and the same period in 2019, net premium income grew by $34 million, from $361 million to $395 million.
In 2016, only 22% of the population had insurance in the event of a claim, and that proportion is now 26 %.
A study on the perception and penetration of insurance in the country, carried out by the Salvadoran Association of Insurance Companies (ASES), states that 23% of people who do not have insurance are for lack of knowledge or interest in this service.
Last year, net premium income in El Salvador totaled $658 million, 5% more than reported in 2017, a rise explained by accident and health insurance.
According to data from the Salvadoran Association of Insurance Companies (ASES), during 2018 the area of accident and health insurance recorded sales of premiums of $128 million, which is equivalent to a 14% increase over what was reported in 2017.
Between the first semester of last year and the same period in 2018 the value of premiums written in El Salvador saw almost no change, following the line of the weak growth of 1% reported between 2016 and 2017.
According to the Salvadoran Association of Insurance Companies (ASES), insurers reported premiums of $306.5 million in June of this year, which is equivalent to an increase of just 0.11% compared to the $306.2 million recorded up to the same month in 2017.
According to the union of insurers in El Salvador, between January and March net premiums totalled $149 million, 2% less than the $152 million reported in the same period in 2017.
After registering a modest 2% growth between 2016 and 2017, representatives of the Salvadoran Insurance Association (ASES) reported that during the first quarter of the year a 2% drop in contracted premiums was reported, compared to the months from January to March 2017.
With the aim of boosting the insurance market in El Salvador, business leaders in the sector are proposing changes to the legislation that would allow for expanding marketing channels for policies.
After the Salvadoran insurance market recorded growth of 1% in 2017, bills have been prepared that have been submitted to the Presidential House, which seek to reactivate the sector, through the commercialization of microinsurance focused on people with low incomes.
Representatives from the sector stated that in 2017 premiums totalled $627 million, which meant an increase of just 1% with respect to the figures reported in 2016.
According to the Salvadoran Association of Insurance Companies (Ases) last year's performance was associated with lower demand in some sectors, greater competition and a volume of risks that has not increased substantially.
In the first half of the year, net premiums totaled $306 million, and the insurance guild plans to close the year with a total growth of 5% compared to 2016.
Figures from the Salvadoran Association of Companies (ASES) show that 2016 closed with a total of $621 million in registered net premiums, and for this year the projection is to increase them by approximately $30 million.
In the last five years penetration of the insurance market did not reach even 2% of GDP because people see insurance as an unnecessary expense.
According to Richard Cohen, executive president of the Salvadoran Association of Insurance Companies (ASES), penetration of this market has the potential to grow up to four times in the next few years. However, this depends on intermediaries applying the best strategies to introduce the product, because they will be the ones to negotiate the best options for a policy with clients.
In the first five months of the year, the insurance market recorded an increase of 8% compared to the same period in 2011.
Raul Betancourt, legal advisor to the Salvadoran Association of Insurance Companies (ASES), noted that total industry premiums amounted to $205 million. "This growth is attributed to the pension insurance and life insurance contracts", he said.
The insurance industry has expressed concern about the new compulsory insurance for traffic accidents in the absence of information about the project.
Raul Betancourt, director of the Salvadoran Association of Insurance Companies (ACES in Spanish), said that since they submitted a draft to the Deputy Minister of Transport (which defined coverage, scope, limitations and benefits), about six months ago, there has not been any further contact with the entity.
The rating agency Fitch Ratings highlighted the benefits and cautioned about the risks of introducing compulsory insurance for traffic accidents.
An insurance analyst from the rating agency Eduardo Recinos, argues that the new product range, which will be accessible on a massive scale, will impact positively on the growth of the sector.
Under the new law, about 80% of vehicles will have to pay between $ 30 and $ 40 worth of insurance.
Raul Betancourt, executive director of the Salvadoran Association of Insurance Companies (ASES), said that according to preliminary analysis about 556 thousand vehicles would pay this premium.
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