What Affects Profit Margins in the Insurance Sector?

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Mary Hall
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Mary Hall is a freelance editor for Investopedia's Advisor Insights, in addition to being the editor of several books and doctoral papers. Mary received her bachelor's in English from Kent State University with a business minor and writing concentration.
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Updated August 30, 2023
Reviewed by Andy Smith
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Suzanne Kvilhaug
Suzanne Kvilhaug
Fact checked by Suzanne Kvilhaug
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Suzanne is a content marketer, writer, and fact-checker. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance degree from Bridgewater State University and helps develop content strategies for financial brands.
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An insurance company's profit depends on the number of policies it writes, the premiums it charges, the return on its investments, business costs, and claims. Net profit margin (NPM) can help define a company's overall financial health and measure how much net income is generated as a percentage of revenue.

As of Q2 2023, life insurance companies had a net profit margin of 3.22% for the trailing 12 months (TTM). Property and casualty insurance companies had an NPM of 16.33% TTM. Accident and health insurance companies showed a net profit margin of 4.99% TTM. 

Key Takeaways

  • Insurance companies generate revenue through the insurance policies they write and through returns generated by investment activities.
  • Insurance companies incur typical business costs including losses due to insurance claims.
  • The net profit margins for the insurance industry vary depending on the type of insurance provided.

Net Profit Margins

Individual insurance companies can have varying profitability ratios based on company strategies in marketing, sales, operations, and risk models. In June 2023, net profit margins differed among top providers.

  • Progressive: 3.12%
  • Allstate: -4.8%
  • Chubb: 12.58%
  • Travelers: 5.77%

Insurance Company Expenses

Companies in the insurance sector incur costs and sell products and must find a profitable balance between operating costs and the prices the market will bear. 

Costs for firms in the insurance business include the money the insurer pays to service providers. For health insurers, this would be payments made to hospitals or doctors. In the case of automotive insurance, this includes payments made to repair shops or medical costs if injuries were involved.

Review our choices for Best Health Insurance Providers.

Changes in the costs of services rendered, policy price changes, and the number of claims received are all factors that can cause an insurance company’s net margin to change annually. For the purposes of long-term evaluations of companies in the insurance business, analysts usually consider annualized net profit margin data.

Factors That Influence Insurance Company's Health

Investopedia / Ellen Lindner

Insurers and Profit Margins 

The calculation of net margins is significant to companies in the insurance sector because the values are so low. Many insurance firms operate on low margins, such as 2% to 3%. Smaller profit margins mean even the slightest changes in an insurance company's cost structure or pricing can mean drastic changes in the company's ability to generate profit and remain solvent. 

What Are the Different Types of Profit Margin?

The different types of profit margin are gross profit margin, operating profit margin, and net profit margin. Gross profit margin compares net sales minus the cost of goods sold to net sales. Operating profit margin compares operating income to revenue. Net profit margin looks at net profits to net sales.

What Is a Good Profit Margin?

No specific number is considered to be a good profit margin. Each industry and sector operates differently. Companies in different sectors have different costs. A technology company won't have the same costs as an airline, so their profit margins would drastically differ. When comparing profit margins, analysts look at companies in the same industry to gauge acceptable levels.

Do Insurance Companies Require Oversight of Their Financial Performance?

The U.S. Department of the Treasury issues an annual report on the insurance industry. The report is required under Title V of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and is an overview of the financial performance and condition of the insurance industry.

The Bottom Line

Insurance companies earn revenue from the insurance policies they write and the insurance premiums they collect. Insurance companies have a variety of costs, including overhead and claims. Regardless of company size, the net profit margin differs across the industry, depending on how the insurer does business and manages its expenses.

Article Sources
Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy.

  1. CSI Market. "Accident & Health Insurance Industry Profitability."

  2. CSI Market. "Life Insurance Industry Profitability."

  3. CSI Market. "Property & Casualty Insurance Industry Profitability."

  4. Macrotrends. "Progressive Profit Margin 2010-2023 | PGR."

  5. Macrotrends. "Allstate Profit Margin 2010-2023 | ALL."

  6. Macrotrends. "Chubb Profit Margin 2010-2023 | CB."

  7. Macrotrends. "Travelers Profit Margin 2010-2023 | TRV."

  8. U.S. Department of the Treasury. "Annual Report on the Insurance Industry."

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