Global insurance market report [gimar]

4.2 RISK TRANSFER BETWEEN REGIONS 
Table 4.2a shows gross reinsurance premiums 
transferred between reporting entities, grouped 
by the region where the reporting entity is 
domiciled. For example, $3,013.95 million 
of European insurance business is ceded to 
reporting companies based in North America. In 
2018, companies in North America assumed the 
majority of the risk, especially from companies 
within North America. The European region 
assumed most of the premiums ceded by Asia 
Figure 4.1d:
Gross proportional reinsurance premiums assumed by class of business (USD billion, 2016–2018)
Source: 2019 IAIS survey
Figure 4.1e:
Gross non-proportional reinsurance premiums assumed by class of business
(USD billion, 2016–2018)
Source: 2019 IAIS survey

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Ceding region
Assuming region
TOTAL
North America
Europe
Asia
Europe
3,013.95
53,855.76
810.38
57,680.08
North America
141,626.21
26,595.78
629.56
168,851.54
Asia and Australia
4,813.23
24,379.44
2,264.51
31,457.18
Africa, Near and Middle East
105.00
3,752.06
21.99
3,879.05
Latin America
1,959.00
7,277.15
29.94
9,266.10
Worldwide premiums
1,483.10
5,742.43
0.00
7,225.53
Total
153,000.48
121,602.62
3,756.39
278,359.48
Table 4.2a:
Risk transfers between regions, ceding and assumed amounts (USD million, year-end 2018)
Source: 2019 IAIS survey
Figure 4.2a:
Gross premiums assumed by region (year-end 2003–2018)
Source: 2019 IAIS survey
and Australia; Africa and the Near and Middle 
East; and Latin America. Worldwide premiums 
were first captured in the 2019 survey to record 
any premiums not classified in any of the other 
regions (for example, when the exposure spans 
multiple geographic areas).
Figure 4.2a presents gross reinsurance premiums 
assumed according to the region of the ceding 
insurer. In 2018, North America accounted for 
60.7% (slightly more than 59.8% in 2017) of the 
global reinsurance market, followed by Europe 
with 20.7% (two percentage points less than
the figure observed in 2017), and Asia and 
Australia with 11.3% (slightly less than the 12.1% 
reported in 2017). The risks assumed in Latin 
America and Africa and the Near and Middle 
East remained relatively stable, cumulatively 
accounting for 4.7% (similar to 2017, when they 
accounted for 5.4%) of global risks. Worldwide 
premiums accounted for 2.6%.

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