Did you know?

• Insurance companies had total net investments of £1,010bn at the end of 2004, around 20% of the total net worth of the UK economy*.
• Insurance companies bought £15.3bn of UK government debt, helping fund public services*.
• Insurance companies bought £20.9bn of company securities, helping fund company investment*.
• The industry owns £236bn of overseas portfolio investments*.
• The industry's £6.4bn of net exports is equivalent to nearly two-thirds of total UK food, beverage and tobacco exports, or almost half of the value of UK oil exports*.
• Each day in 2004, insurance companies paid out £141m to pensioners and long-term savers, which is more than the UK government paid out in state pension provision*.
• 29% of all household saving is placed in the insurance industry. This compares with 26% in bank deposits, 1% in bonds, 16% in directly held stocks and shares, 23% in company pensions*.
• In total, insurers manage £1,085bn on behalf of their clients in life and pensions business. This amounts to over 30% of all funds under management in the UK and includes 17% of the stock market*.
• In 2005 the industry paid £969m to victims of crime.*
• The insurance industry has been at the forefront of helping to improve safety standards at work through research into improvements in machinery, protective equipment and clean production methods.
• Weather claims since 1990 have averaged more than £800m per year and have exceeded £1bn four times.* Private medical insurance pays out £6m a day.*

*Source: CII Knowledgepack 2006