Hong Kong's insurance industry saw total gross premiums rise 35.5% year-on-year to HK$573.6 billion in the first half.

The Hong Kong Insurance Authority published provisional statistics for the first half of 2026, during which total gross premiums of Hong Kong's insurance industry reached HK$573.6 billion, up 35.5% year-on-year. Among these, new office premiums for long term business (excluding retirement scheme business) amounted to HK$275.2 billion, up 58.4% year-on-year. Within new office premiums, premiums for non-linked individual business were HK$262.9 billion, up 57.8% year-on-year; of this, premiums for participating business reached HK$245.4 billion, up 63.7%, while premiums for other business were HK$17.5 billion, up 4.9%. Premiums for linked individual business were HK$12 billion, up 73.7% year-on-year. During the period, insurers issued a total of approximately 33,000 qualifying deferred annuity policies, involving premiums of HK$2.1 billion, accounting for 0.8% of total new office premiums for individual business. In the first half, total premium income for long term in-force business reached HK$509.9 billion, up 39.7% year-on-year. Among these, premiums for non-linked individual business were HK$465.8 billion, up 44.8%; premiums for linked individual business were HK$17.8 billion, up 40%; and premiums for retirement scheme business were HK$22.2 billion, down 16.7% year-on-year. In general business, gross premiums for the first half reached HK$63.7 billion, up 9.1% year-on-year. By line of business, gross premiums for direct onshore business were HK$28.6 billion, up 2%; direct offshore business was HK$3 billion, up 13.1%; reinsurance inward onshore business was HK$4.5 billion, up 2.4%; and reinsurance inward offshore business was HK$27.5 billion, up 18.4%. During the period, net premiums for general business were HK$42.1 billion, up 5.7% year-on-year; gross claims paid totalled HK$31.3 billion, up 22.2%. Overall operating profit reached HK$9.6 billion, up 48.1% year-on-year, of which underwriting profit was HK$5.8 billion, surging 253.1%.