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 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.
Atlántida Vida insurance company started operations in the local market and will be focused on the life and health sector.
The new participant, which will start with a capitalization of $6.2 million and is projected to reach $10 million in premium income, belongs to the Honduran business group Inversiones Atlántida.
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.
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.
The Superintendence of Competition has authorized the purchase of Davivienda Vida Seguros by the Honduran company Inversiones Atlántida.
A statement issued by the Superintendence of Competition (SC) indicates that the purchase of the insurer Davivienda Vida Seguros, S.A., Seguros de Personas (Davivienda Vida), was made through the Salvadoran subsidiary of Grupo Atlántida,Inversiones Financieras Atlántida, S.A.
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.
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.
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.
According to Fitch Ratings growth in the insurance sector in Central America in 2017 will be driven by the markets of Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
From the report "Outlook 2017: Insurance in Central America" by Fitch Ratings:
Rating Outlook Stable:Fitch Ratings´outlook for insurance ratings in Central America is stable. The agency believes that there is a limited probability of rating adjustments in the next 12 to 18 months, which could lead to significant changes in the risk profile or the weighted support in some cases.
Panama stands out as the country with the highest penetration rate in the region, and at the other end is Honduras, with the lowest rate, and below the average in Latin America.
From a report by MAPFRE: "Trends of growth in insurance markets in Latin America":
The Salvadoran Investment Corporation is putting out to tender a supply of insurance policies for property, life insurance, group medical-hospital, and fidelity policies for the 2016 period.
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