Catastrophes force $31bn global payouts in H1
Insurers paid out $31bn (£23.5bn) in the first half of the year as a result of catastrophes, an increase of 51% over last year.
Wildfires in Canada, storms in Europe and the US and earthquakes in Japan meant that total economic losses for H1 reached $71bn (£54.1bn), according to research by Swiss Re.
The insurance industry
Only users who have a paid subscription or are part of a corporate subscription are able to print or copy content.
To access these options, along with all other subscription benefits, please contact info@postonline.co.uk or view our subscription options here: https://subscriptions.postonline.co.uk/subscribe
You are currently unable to print this content. Please contact info@postonline.co.uk to find out more.
You are currently unable to copy this content. Please contact info@postonline.co.uk to find out more.
Copyright Infopro Digital Limited. All rights reserved.
As outlined in our terms and conditions, https://www.infopro-digital.com/terms-and-conditions/subscriptions/ (point 2.4), printing is limited to a single copy.
If you would like to purchase additional rights please email info@postonline.co.uk
Copyright Infopro Digital Limited. All rights reserved.
You may share this content using our article tools. As outlined in our terms and conditions, https://www.infopro-digital.com/terms-and-conditions/subscriptions/ (clause 2.4), an Authorised User may only make one copy of the materials for their own personal use. You must also comply with the restrictions in clause 2.5.
If you would like to purchase additional rights please email info@postonline.co.uk
More on Claims
Winners of British Insurance Technology Awards 2026 revealed
Domestic & General, Mind Your Business Group (InsureTec.com) and DynaRisk were all two time winners at the British Insurance Technology Awards held last night (24 September) at The Brewery in London.
QuestGates’ Laker on designing the future of work
Greg Laker, CEO of QuestGates, argues artificial intelligence should remove routine work, not human judgement, enabling claims professionals to focus on the expertise and empathy that matter most.
Criterion’s Evans on neurodiversity as a competitive edge in claims
Helena Evans, managing director at Criterion, observes the skills many neurodivergent people bring - from pattern recognition to calm under pressure - make them ideally suited to modern claims handling.
Insurance Post Census exposes employment progress and problems
While insurance may have more women reaching CEO and C-suite roles than ever before, Insurance Post’s 2026 Census exposes how progress is not being experienced evenly across the workforce.
Are insurers ready for autonomous vehicle crashes?
William Balfry, member of the motor sector focus team at the Forum of Insurance Lawyers and senior associate at DWF, examines the increasing rollout of automated passenger services and insurers will soon have to handle claims resulting from collisions.
Policy Expert’s Hardy on pricing home insurance for new risk reality
As extreme weather, rising repair costs and geopolitical instability reshape the risk landscape, Steve Hardy, CEO of Policy Expert, argues the home insurance market must price for long-term resilience rather than chase short-term affordability.
Allianz’s Fletcher on blurred insurance fraud boundaries
Ben Fletcher, director of fraud and financial crime at Allianz, has highlighted the blurring lines between insurance claims fraud and other forms of criminal activity.
Big Interview: Chris Knight, Financial Conduct Authority
The Financial Conduct Authority’s new director of insurance, Chris Knight, speaks exclusively to Insurance Post about premium finance, why enforcement action against firms that fail to comply with the Consumer Duty is looming plus whether the watchdog could soon scrutinise ChatGPT.