Market Guide: Life Insurance and Pensions in Ireland 2006

This report is most appropriate for companies looking for an overview of the life insurance and pensions markets in order to assess the level of market opportunity (using our market data and forecasts), regulatory barriers and opportunities, and level of competition in the market. For more detailed market data please refer to Datamonitor's European Life and Pensions Interactive Database 2006.



Report Highlights
Following compound annual growth in premium income of 8% in the last five years, between 2006 and 2010, growth in the Irish life and pensions market is set to slow to 5.7%. The market currently reflects a high rate of concentration compared to other European states, with the top five firms accounting for 75% of premium income.

In 2005, brokers continued to dominate distribution of single and annual premium new business, although their share of single premium business, in particular, suffered a decline of 16 percentage points, when compared to 2004. This decline was largely offset by an increase of 14% in new single premium business generated through direct sales.

Irish Life is the largest life and pensions insurance provider in Ireland, measured by premium income as at December 2005. The company reaches its customers through independent brokers, bancassurance (via permanent tsb), direct sales, franchises, institutional (other bank branch networks) and telephone/internet channels.


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Overview 1
Catalyst 1
Summary 1
Executive Summary 2
Following compound annual growth of 8% in the last five years, between 2006 and 2010, growth in the Irish life and pensions market is set to slow to 5.7% 2
MARKET OVERVIEW 7
The Irish life and pensions market expanded by a compound annual rate of 8% between 2001 and 2005 7
MARKET FORECASTS 14
Slower growth in pensions will produce lower compound annual growth in the total market between 2006 and 2010 14
MARKET REGULATION 16
The market will continue to be shaped by EU legislation 16
COMPETITIVE MARKET STRUCTURE 19
The market is led by Irish firms 19
MARKET LEADERS 24
Among the market leaders, banking and insurance groups alike rely on distribution through bank networks and intermediaries 24
APPENDIX 26
Definitions 26
Further reading 27
Ask the analyst 29
Datamonitor consulting 29
Disclaimer 29


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Table 1: Life and pensions insurance premium income, segmented by product, EURm, 2001-2005 8
Table 2: Life and pensions insurance premium income, segmented by product, in percentages, 2001-2005 8
Table 3: Life and pensions insurance premium income, segmented by buyer, EURm, 2001-2005 9
Table 4: Life and pensions insurance premium income, segmented by buyer, in percentages, 2001-2005 10
Table 5: Life and pensions insurance premium income, segmented by investment risk, EURm, 2001-2005 11
Table 6: Life and pensions insurance premium income, segmented by investment risk, in percentages 11
Table 7: Investment assets of life and pensions insurance companies, EURm, 2001-2005 12
Table 8: Investment assets of life and pensions insurance companies, in percentages, 2001-2005 13
Table 9: Life and pensions insurance premium income, segmented by product, EURm, 2006-2010 15
Table 10: Life and pensions insurance premium income, segmented by product, in percentages, 2006-2010 15
Table 11: Number of life insurance providers segmented by type, as at Dec 2005 20
Table 12: Top 5 life and pensions insurers by gross premium income, as at Dec 2005 21
Table 13: Life insurance and pensions new business annual premium income, segmented by distribution channel, in percentages, Jan-Dec 2005 22
Table 14: Life insurance and pensions new business single premium income, segmented by distribution channel, in percentages, Jan-Dec 2005 23


Figure 1: Life premiums accounted for 56% of total premium income in 2005 7
Figure 2: Individual policies account for the majority of life and pensions premium income 9
Figure 3: Growth in non-unit linked premium income has been variable between 2001 and 2005, although the compound annual rate exceeded 19% 10
Figure 4: The proportion of investment assets held in linked assets has been increasing steadily 12
Figure 5: Pensions will continue to account for an increasing proportion of premium income between 2006 and 2010 14
Figure 6: 84% of all life and pensions providers are Irish firms 19
Figure 7: Irish Life leads the life and pensions sector in Ireland, by premium income 20
Figure 8: Tied agents, employees and company representatives accounted for 40% of annual premium new business 21
Figure 9: Direct sales represented just under one-quarter of new single premium business 22


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