Taiwan Stock Market Boom! Life Insurance Industry Records NT$767.3 Billion in New Contract Premiums in First Half, Investment-Linked Policies Double Sales

The Life Insurance Association announced today (16) the latest performance data for the life insurance industry in the first half of 2026. Benefiting from steady performance in domestic and international stock markets and positive investor sentiment, coupled with the promotion of high-value products under new regulatory frameworks, the life insurance sector delivered strong results in the first six months of the year. Including non-insurance contracts, first-year premiums (new contract premiums) reached NT$767.35 billion, a significant 51.6% increase compared to the same period last year. Investment-linked policies alone accounted for nearly NT$426.3 billion in new premiums, growing 110.3% year-on-year.

According to the latest data from the Life Insurance Association, first-year premiums for the first six months of 2026 totaled NT$767.35 billion, up 51.6% year-on-year. Renewal premiums reached NT$863.718 billion, up 6.4%, while total premium income hit NT$1.631068 trillion, a 23.7% annual increase.

By product category, life insurance remained the market leader with first-year premiums of NT$467.401 billion, accounting for 60.9% of the total and growing 33.6% year-on-year. Annuity insurance showed the strongest performance, with first-year premiums reaching NT$267.823 billion, representing 34.9% of the total and soaring 111.6% year-on-year. Health insurance premiums reached NT$24.061 billion, up 11.6%, while accident insurance totaled NT$8.064 billion.

In terms of product performance, investment-linked policies were undoubtedly the growth engine of the first half, with total first-year premiums reaching NT$426.268 billion, a remarkable 110.3% year-on-year increase. Investment-linked life insurance grew 101.3% to NT$160.025 billion, while investment-linked annuities surged 116.2% to NT$266.243 billion.

The association attributed the strong momentum in investment-linked products to stable global equity markets and rising public demand for investment-oriented insurance. Additionally, life insurers maintained close cooperation with banks and asset management distributors, leveraging diversified sales channels to successfully boost overall sales performance.

Meanwhile, traditional insurance products also maintained stable sales, with first-year premiums totaling NT$341.082 billion in the first half, up 12.4% year-on-year. Traditional life insurance reached NT$307.377 billion, up 13.7%, while traditional annuity insurance declined 53.6% to NT$1.58 billion due to market adjustments.

The association identified three key drivers behind the growth of traditional policies. First, although the U.S. Federal Reserve held interest rates steady, some insurers raised the declared interest rates on variable-rate policies, enhancing product appeal. Second, in preparation for the full implementation of IFRS 17 and the next-generation solvency regime starting in 2026, member companies actively promoted protection-oriented and premium-paying products with higher Contract Service Margin (CSM) and better capital efficiency.

Third, with an aging society increasing demand for retirement planning and wealth succession, insurers timely launched dividend and variable-rate new products and expanded distribution through bank channels, successfully driving traditional product sales.

In terms of sales channels, based on first-year premiums including non-insurance contracts, insurers’ own marketing systems led with NT$348.442 billion (45.41% share), followed by bank and agency channels at NT$291.366 billion (37.97% share), while traditional agency channels accounted for NT$127.542 billion (16.62% share).

Further analysis of product-channel dynamics revealed that for investment-linked insurance, the sales ratio between bank-agency channels and insurers’ own marketing systems was approximately 0.46:1. In contrast, for traditional health and accident insurance, insurers’ own sales forces remained the dominant channel.