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TOP 30 Largest Insurance Companies in Europe 2025

TOP 25 Largest Insurance Companies in Europe

Largest European Insurers — 2025 were ranked by gross premiums written and capital is based on global rating agency A.M. Best data and research, analized by Beinsure Media.

There were more than 9,000 insurance companies operating in Europe. In terms of domestic companies, only around 300 companies were operating inside Europe.

The European insurance industry is a significant contributor to the region’s economy, providing financial protection to individuals, businesses, and governments against various risks.

According to Insurance Europe, every year, European insurers pay out an impressive amount of over €1,000 bn in claims, which translates to approximately €2.8 bn per day. They also play a significant role in the job market, as they employ over 920,000 people.

TOP 30 European Insurance Companies

The European insurance industry is dominated by a few large multinational companies, such as Allianz, AXA, Assicurazioni Generali, and Zurich Insurance Group, but there are also many smaller regional or niche insurers operating in the market. The largest insurance markets in Europe are Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Switzerland.

TOP 30 European Insurance Companies by Gross Premiums Written

Ranking the largest insurance companies and groups by gross premiums written, along with their respective countries. Top 30 insurers’ premiums totaled $1.1 trillion.

Insurance Company / GroupCountriesGross Premiums, $mn
1AXAFrance106,147
2AllianzGermany100,569
3Assicurazioni GeneraliItaly85,169
4Munich Reins CoGermany71,679
5Zurich Ins GroupSwitzerland58,848
6Lloyd’sUnited Kingdom56,334
7HDIGermany56,053
8ChubbSwitzerland51,978
9Swiss ReSwitzerland47,889
10CNP AssurancesFrance38,491
11Crédit Agricole AssurancesFrance37,720
12BNP Paribas CardifFrance26,983
13MAPFRESpain26,202
14Société de Groupe d’Assur Mut CovéaFrance23,511
15PrudentialUnited Kingdom23,344
16AvivaUnited Kingdom22,819
17AchmeaNetherlands22,516
18SCOR SEFrance21,068
19R+V VersicherungGermany19,931
20Poste ItalianeItaly18,725
21Aéma GroupeFrance17,223
22Groupama Assurances MutuellesFrance16,785
23Legal & Gen GroupUnited Kingdom16,514
24SogécapFrance15,778
25Swiss Life HldgSwitzerland15,290
26BPCE AssurancesFrance14,990
27NN Group N.V.Netherlands14,565
28Coöperatie VGZ U.A.Netherlands14,200
29Groupe des Assurances du Crédit MutuelFrance14,182
30VIENNA INSURANCE GROUPAustria13,410
TOTAL1,068,913
© A.M. Best Company, Inc. — used by permission

This table ranks the top 30 insurersance companies/groups based on their gross premiums, providing a clear view of the market size and geographical distribution of these leading insurers.

Insurers in Europe by premiums

TOP Insurers in Europe by gross premiums written
Infographic Source: Beinsure.com

A bar chart illustrating the insurance companies by their gross premiums written. Each bar represents a different insurance company or group, with the length of the bar indicating the scale of their gross premiums.

Gross Premiums by Country

CountryGross Premiums ($mn)
France388,878
Germany248,232
Italy103,894
Switzerland174,005
United Kingdom119,011
Spain26,202
Netherlands51,281
Austria13,410
Source: Beinsure.com
Gross Premiums by Country
Source: Beinsure.com

Life insurance sectors that have significant holdings of traditional life policies supported by assets with shorter durations compared to their liabilities would benefit from rising interest rates. This is particularly true for the French and German life sectors.

At that time, Germany had the highest value of total motor claims expenditure paid on the insurance market in Europe, with claims paid amounting to about 25 bn euros.

TOP 30 European Insurance Companies by Capital

Insurance Company / GroupCapital & Surplus, $ mn
1Allianz54,960
2Chubb50,519
3Lloyd’s47,766
4AXA42,334
5Zurich Ins Group26,635
6Munich Reins Co22,489
7Société de Groupe d’Assur Mut Covéa19,599
8NN Group N.V.18,972
9CNP Assurances18,280
10Assicurazioni Generali17,298
11Prudential16,960
12Aviva15,180
13Legal & Gen Group14,677
14Swiss Re12,699
15Swiss Life Hldg11,007
16Achmea9,904
17Groupe des Assurances du Crédit Mutuel9,616
18Poste Italiane9,495
19HDI V.a.G.8,962
20Crédit Agricole Assurances8,653
21Groupama Assurances Mutuelles8,009
22MAPFRE7,783
23Aéma Groupe5,480
24SCOR SE5,444
25VIENNA INSURANCE GROUP4,510
26R+V Versicherung4,356
27BNP Paribas Cardif3,435
28Sogécap3,130
29Coöperatie VGZ U.A.2,620
30BPCE Assurances2,133
TOTAL482,905
© A.M. Best Company, Inc. — used by permission

Insurers in Europe by capital & surplus

TOP 20 Insurers in Europe by capital & surplus
Infographic Source: Beinsure.com

A bar chart showing the insurance companies ranked by capital & surplus. Each bar represents a different insurance company or group, with the length of the bar indicating the size of their capital & surplus.

This chart offers a visual comparison of the financial strength and stability of these insurance companies as indicated by their capital and surplus amounts.

Insurance companies in Europe are increasingly using digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and the Internet of Things (IoT) to improve their products, services, and operations.

The European insurance industry is focused on integrating ESG factors into its operations and investment decisions aimed towards expansion.

Home to one of the world’s leading insurance markets, Europe’s motor insurance industry is also quite extensive. Total motor premiums written on the European insurance market amounted to a value of over 100 bn euros.

TOP 30 Insurers in Europe by profit in 2025

Insurance Company / GroupProfit / Loss after tax, $ bn
1Allianz7.668
2AXA7.320
3Chubb5.246
4Zurich Ins Group4.923
5Munich Reins3.651
6Assicurazioni Generali3.405
7Legal & Gen Group2.762
8HDI2.671
9CNP Assurances2.415
10Crédit Agricole Assurances1.878
11NN Group N.V.1.672
12Poste Italiane1.613
13Swiss Life Hldg1.576
14Aviva-1.374
15MAPFRE1.157
16Lloyd’s-0.928
17Groupe des Assurances du Crédit Mutuel0.900
18Société de Groupe d’Assur Mut Covéa0.719
19BNP Paribas Cardif0.713
20Sogécap0.628
21VIENNA INSURANCE GROUP0.496
22Groupama Assurances Mutuelles0.485
23Swiss Re0.480
24BPCE Assurances0.344
25SCOR SE-0.322
26R+V Versicherung AG-0.263
27Coöperatie VGZ U.A.-0.209
28Achmea B.V.0.112
29Aéma Groupe0.055
30Prudential-0.011
© A.M. Best Company, Inc. — used by permission

This table ranks the top 30 insurance companies/groups based on their profit or loss after tax, providing a clear view of the financial performance of these leading insurers in 2025.

TOP 20 Insurers in Europe by profit

TOP 20 Insurers in Europe
Source: AM Best

According to Fitch, the non-life insurance sectors would be most vulnerable to the effects of high inflation, especially those with a significant portion of the long-tail business. The rising claims inflation could result in reserve shortfalls.

Additionally, in markets where there is an intense competition or societal pressure that restricts insurers’ ability to increase prices, high inflation could lead to margin constraints for short-tail businesses.

Total number of companies on the European insurance market

Total number of companies on the European insurance market
Source: Statista

Market penetration refers to the ratio of insurance premiums to GDP. Penetration on the European domestic insurance market generally increased between 2004 and 2023 albeit with some fluctuation. The ratio is used as an indicator of insurance sector development, and it peaked at 9.5% after 6 years of annual growth. The premiums ratio to GDP on the European market fell to 6.8%.

Total premiums to GDP ratio as insurance penetration measure on the domestic market in Europe

Total premiums to GDP ratio as insurance penetration measure on the domestic market in Europe
Source: Statista, Beinsure

According to the European Insurance and occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA) “Insurance undertakings are required by the Solvency II regulation to hold a certain amount of capital of sufficient quality in addition to the assets they hold to cover the contractual obligations towards policyholders.

The amount of capital (called eligible own funds) required is defined by the Minimum Capital Requirement (MCR) and the Solvency Capital Requirement (SCR), which depend on the risks to which the undertaking is exposed.”

Solvency Capital Requirement (SCR) ratio of insurance markets in Europe

Solvency Capital Requirement (SCR) ratio of insurance markets in Europe
Source: Statista, Beinsure

The German insurance industry had Solvency Capital Requirement (SCR) ratio of three. The United Kingdom (UK), which was the largest insurance market in Europe, had a SCR ratio of around half of that of the German insurance sector. In addition to the SCR ratio, insurers must also calculate minimum capital requirement (MCR).

The MRC is essentially a tipping point in which, if an insurer falls below, the authorization of an insurer could be withdrawn.

The combined ratio, which is the sum of claims and expenses incurred divided by premiums earned, is a measure of profitability used by insurance companies to see how efficiently they are running their business. The combined ratio can be displayed as a measure of 1 or as a percentage of 100.

Insurance markets with a ratio of over 1 means that companies are paying out more in claims than they are receiving through premiums earned. The expense ratio is another measure of profitability and is calculated as the sum of expenses divided by premiums earned.

FAQ

Which factors were used to rank the largest European insurers in 2025?

The ranking of the largest European insurers in 2025 is based on gross premiums written, using data from A.M. Best, as analyzed by Beinsure Media.

How many insurance companies operate in Europe, and how many are domestic?

Europe has over 9,000 insurance companies, with only around 300 operating domestically within European borders.

How significant is the European insurance industry to the region’s economy?

The European insurance industry is a key economic contributor, offering financial protection across various sectors and employing over 920,000 people. European insurers pay out more than €1,000 bn annually in claims, roughly €3 bn per day.

Which companies dominate the European insurance market?

The European insurance market is led by large multinational insurers such as Allianz, AXA, Assicurazioni Generali, and Zurich Insurance Group, alongside many regional and niche insurers.

What are the top five largest insurance markets in Europe?

The largest insurance markets in Europe by premium volume are Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Switzerland.

What role do digital technologies play in the European insurance industry?

European insurers increasingly adopt technologies like AI, blockchain, and IoT to enhance their products, services, and operational efficiency.

What are Solvency Capital Requirements (SCR) in the European insurance market?

The Solvency Capital Requirement (SCR) is the capital level insurers must hold to meet obligations to policyholders, defined by Solvency II regulation. This requirement varies by market, with Germany showing a higher SCR ratio than the UK.

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Edited & Fact-checked by Oleg Parashchak – CEO Finance Media & Editor-in-Chief at Beinsure Media and Insurance TOP Ratings (24+ years of professional experience in Rankings, Insurance & Media) by AM Best Data.