May 14, 2025 Reinsurance

Best’s Market Segment Report: AM Best Maintains Outlook on Philippine Non-Life Insurance Segment at Stable

Business Wire

SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
AM Best has maintained its market segment outlook on the Philippine non-life insurance market at stable, citing factors that include robust growth prospects, driven by economic development and rising insurance demand, along with stabilised reinsurance capacity.

In its Best’s Market Segment Report, “Market Segment Outlook: Philippines Non-Life Insurance,” AM Best states that price corrections in the property insurance segment and prudent risk selection will support premium rate adequacy going forward. In addition, insurers’ investment income is expected to be bolstered by a robust interest rate environment.

However, AM Best notes offsetting factors such as increasingly volatile weather conditions that could challenge the non-life insurance segment and generate volatility in underwriting results. AM Best also considers regulatory and disclosure requirements as beneficial in the long term, but these may increase short-term operational costs. Uncertainties in global trade policies—particularly with the United States, the Philippines’ largest export partner—could pose significant risks as well.

Gross premiums written in the non-life segment increased by 10% in 2024 to reach PHP 140 billion (USD 2.4 billion), according to the country’s insurance industry regulator, the Insurance Commission. “During the next 12 months, we expect Philippine’s non-life insurance market to continue its growth, driven by the country’s economic development and increasing insurance demand across various segments such as property, motor, and casualty,” said Susan Tan, senior financial analyst, AM Best. “This is anticipated to drive up insurance penetration in the medium term.”

The availability of reinsurance capacity in the Philippine non-life insurance market is steadily increasing, particularly for gross excess of loss programmes, although reinsurers remain cautious and continue to maintain pricing and underwriting discipline, particularly in high-risk, catastrophe exposed areas. “The increased availability of reinsurance capacity is expected to ease the heightened catastrophe risk faced by non-life insurers,” said Victoria Ohorodnyk, director, AM Best. “This favourable development should help reduce their growing risk retention while maintaining market share.”

To access the full copy of this special report, please visit http://www3.ambest.com/bestweek/purchase.asp?record_code=353815.

Tan will deliver a presentation on this market segment outlook at the Philippine Insurance Summit 2025. The event takes place 20 May 2025, at Space at One Ayala in Makati City, Philippines. To learn more about the Philippine Insurance Summit 2025, please visit the event overview.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.