Mutual and cooperative insurers significantly outperformed their counterparts in the total UK insurance market in 2021, according to the International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation’s (ICMIF) latest UK Market Insights.
The sector saw annual growth of 17.1% in 2021, compared to total UK insurance market growth of 8.9%.
This figure represents the eighth year of positive growth for the sector in the last decade.
Ben Telfer, ICMIF senior vice-president, membership, said: “The UK market has displayed great resilience in rebounding from the challenges of 2020 thanks to the diligent, innovative work of mutual and cooperative insurance companies in the UK sector today.
“The fact that 33.8 million policyholders are served by UK mutual and cooperative insurers today- a record high- is a testament to mutualism and the trust held between the sector and its member-policyholders.”
Furthermore, the market insight report found that UK mutuals wrote a combined GBP 22.8bn in insurance premiums in 2021.
The sector also saw £14.2bn in life business (2020: £11.1bn) and £8.6bn in non-life business (2020: GBP £8.4bn).
As well as this, total assets held by UK mutuals amounted to £202.1bn in value.
Martin Shaw, chief executive of Association of Financial Mutuals, added: “This very valuable report reinforces the continued – and now growing – presence of mutuals in the UK insurance marketplace.
“More important perhaps than the bottom-line growth figures and market share though is that friendly societies and mutual insurers in the UK serve over 33 million policyholders.
“Many of these policies are held by people poorly served by mainstream insurers, or who have limited financial resources, or who are vulnerable, and our sector takes great pride in being open to everybody.”
The UK Market Insights 2022 report also includes further life and non-life analyses, past premium totals and market shares, and a breakdown of assets/ investments held by the sector since 2007.
