UK Insurance Market Statistics: Key Data by Vertical 2026

This page consolidates primary source data on the UK insurance market across six verticals: motor, home, life and protection, pet, travel and gadget insurance. All figures are drawn from the Association of British Insurers (ABI), GlobalData, IBISWorld, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) and Ofcom. Data is updated as new primary source releases become available. Each section carries a direct link to the full editorial guide on that vertical.

UK car insurance statistics

The UK motor insurance market generated £16.54 billion in gross written premiums in 2025, a 7.6% fall from a record high in 2024 as claims inflation eased, according to GlobalData UK Private Motor Insurance Market Analysis (January 2026). The average comprehensive premium fell from a peak of £621 in 2024 to £498 in 2025. Admiral Group holds 13.7% market share by GWP, Direct Line Group 13.1% (acquired by Aviva in 2025) and Aviva 11.2%. The top five insurers account for approximately 63% of the market.

Claims reported fell 8.2% from 2.51 million in 2023 to 2.31 million in 2024, reflecting stabilising loss trends after the post-pandemic repair and replacement cost spike. Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) is charged at 12% on all motor premiums (HMRC). Telematics policy volumes grew 13.4% in 2025, the fastest-growing motor insurance segment. Young drivers under 25 paid an average of £1,362 annually in 2025, approximately 2.7 times the market average.

Source: GlobalData, UK Private Motor Insurance Market Dynamics 2025, January 2026. ABI Motor Insurance Premium Tracker. HMRC, Insurance Premium Tax guidance. Full guide: Cheap car insurance UK

UK home insurance statistics

The ABI Property Insurance Premium Tracker - the most comprehensive UK measure, analysing 15.5 million policies based on actual prices paid rather than quotes - shows the average combined buildings and contents premium fell to £379 in Q4 2025, the third consecutive quarterly fall after a peak of £399 in Q3 2024. Buildings-only cover averaged £312 and contents-only £122 in Q4 2025.

Property claims reached a record £6.1 billion in 2025, driven by the UK's hottest summer on record (Met Office) and record subsidence payouts of £307 million. The average home insurance claim rose 15% year on year to £6,000. Approximately 5 million properties in England are at flood risk (Environment Agency). The Flood Re scheme, operational since April 2016, provides reinsurance support for high flood-risk properties.

Source: ABI, Property Insurance Premium Tracker Q4 2025, published February 2026. abi.org.uk. Full guide: Cheap home insurance UK

UK life and protection insurance statistics

UK protection insurers paid a record £8 billion in combined individual and group claims in 2024, equivalent to £21.9 million per day, according to ABI and Group Risk Development (GRiD) data published July 2025. Individual protection claims totalled £5.32 billion across 275,000 claims, up 10% on 2023. The average individual claim rose 10% to £18,700. Critical illness claims totalled £1.3 billion with an average payout of £67,600. Cancer was the most common cause of claim across all protection products.

Despite record claims volumes, the UK protection gap remains substantial. The self-employed population of approximately 4.2 million (ONS Labour Force Survey Q4 2025) has no employer sick pay entitlement and typically has lower income protection coverage than employed workers. The FCA Consumer Duty, in force since July 2023, requires insurers to demonstrate products deliver fair value for consumers.

Source: ABI and GRiD, "Record £8bn paid out in vital protection claims during 2024", July 2025. abi.org.uk. Full guide: Life insurance UK

UK pet insurance statistics

ABI members paid a record £1.23 billion in pet insurance claims in 2024, up 4% on 2023 and up 103% compared to ten years ago. 1.8 million claims were notified in 2024, an all-time high averaging 4,900 per day. The average claim rose 3% to £685. 4.6 million pets were insured with ABI members in 2024, a record representing a 33% increase on pre-pandemic 2019 levels. Dogs accounted for £933 million of the £1.23 billion total (76%), cats £232 million (19%) and other pets £61 million (5%).

The UK pet insurance market generated approximately £1.9 billion in gross written premiums in 2024 (IBISWorld). Average annual premium: £389 (ABI 2024). Market penetration remains relatively low: approximately 24% of UK dogs and 12% of cats are insured, indicating significant growth potential. Veterinary cost inflation - the primary driver of rising average claim values - has increased the average claim from approximately £410 in 2014 to £685 in 2024.

Source: ABI, "Insurance payouts for pawly pets top £1 billion for third year in a row", May 2025. abi.org.uk. IBISWorld, Pet Insurance in the UK, 2024. Full guide: Cheapest pet insurance UK

UK travel insurance statistics

UK travel insurance claims recovered to £412 million in 2024 following the COVID-19 travel restriction period when claims collapsed to £89 million in 2020. By claim type: accidental damage accounts for 44% of claims by value, cancellation and curtailment 28%, baggage and personal effects 11%, personal accident 4% and other causes 10% (ABI 2024). Medical expenses abroad remain the largest single claim category by value, reflecting the high cost of emergency overseas treatment particularly in the United States.

The FCDO advises that EHIC and GHIC cards do not replace travel insurance and do not cover repatriation costs. Annual multi-trip policies cover an unlimited number of trips within a policy year up to a maximum trip duration (typically 31-60 days per trip). Single-trip policies are generally cheaper for infrequent travellers making one or two overseas trips per year.

Source: ABI, travel insurance statistics 2024. abi.org.uk. FCDO, foreign travel insurance guidance: gov.uk/foreign-travel-insurance. Full guide: Best travel insurance UK

UK gadget insurance statistics

31% of UK smartphone owners have phone insurance, the highest penetration of any device category, compared to 18% of laptop owners, 12% of games console owners and 8% of smart home device owners (ABI/Ofcom Connected Nations 2024). By claim cause: accidental damage 44%, theft 23%, loss 18%, breakdown out of warranty 9%, water damage 6% (ABI technology insurance data 2024). The average smartphone claim is £285 and the average laptop claim £420.

The Financial Ombudsman Service upheld 45% of gadget insurance complaints in 2024/25, primarily on grounds of unfair claim refusals and policy interpretation disputes (FOS Annual Review 2025). Home contents insurance may already cover gadgets under an all-risks extension - check the single-item limit before purchasing standalone gadget cover. Multi-device policies covering 3-5 gadgets typically cost £10-£25 per month.

Source: ABI Technology Insurance Report 2024. Ofcom Connected Nations Report 2024. FOS Annual Review 2024/25. Full guide: Best gadget insurance UK

Frequently asked questions

How large is the UK insurance market?

The UK non-life insurance market generated £123.6 billion in gross written premiums in 2023 according to Bank of England Insurance Aggregate Data. Motor insurance (£16.54bn) and property insurance are the two largest personal lines markets. The life and long-term savings sector is substantially larger by assets under management. The UK is one of the largest insurance markets in Europe and globally.

Where does this data come from?

All data on this page is sourced from UK primary sources: the Association of British Insurers (ABI), GlobalData, IBISWorld, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), Ofcom and the Bank of England. No secondary aggregators, comparison sites or media outlets are used as data sources. Primary source links are provided in each section.

How often is this data updated?

Data is updated when primary sources publish new releases. The ABI publishes motor and home insurance premium tracker data quarterly. Pet insurance and protection claims data is published annually, typically May-July. The FCA publishes MLAR mortgage data quarterly. Page metadata carries a dateModified value reflecting the most recent data update.