Insurance premiums written by the Austrian insurers amounted to EUR 17.34 billion, marking an increase of 1.55% on 2014, shows a recent report of the Financial Market Authority (FMA). Premium volumes increased in the individual insurance sectors in 2015: non-life/accident was up by 1.8% to EUR 8.69 billion, life by 0.48% to 6.7 billion and health by 4.20 % to EUR 1.96 billion.

Yet, the last quarter of the year saw a y-o-y reduction of 1.18% in GWP, to EUR 3.93 billion. In terms of the different insurance sectors, premiums dropped in Q4 2015 in the non-life/accident insurance sector (-0.07% to EUR 1.78 billion) and in the life insurance sector (-3.72% to EUR 1.66 billion) and rose in the health insurance sector (+3.96% to EUR 489 million).

The technical account balance in the Austrian insurance market decreased by 0.4% in 2015. The financial result increased slightly by 0.16% compared with the previous year, while the result from ordinary activities fell by 4.70% to EUR 1.35 billion during the same period.

The total carrying amount of all assets (assets excluding deposits retained, investments in the area of unit-linked and index-linked life insurance, pro rata interest) decreased slightly by 0.1% to EUR 107.93 billion as at the end of 2015.

The core share ratio (listed shares, equity funds, equity risk in mixed funds) rose in Q4 2015, climbing to 3.73% from the previous quarter's value of 3.58%. The extended share ratio, i.e. with the addition of unlisted shares (including holdings), structured debt securities without capital guarantee and loans without capital guarantee, remained unchanged at 16.46%.

The full Quarterly Report can be found (in German) on the FMA website at www.fma.gv.at.