Saturday, May 2 2026 15:08
Karina Melikyan

Armenian insurance companies continue to significantly increase  profits

Armenian insurance companies continue to significantly increase  profits

ArmInfo.  Armenia's insurance sector increased its net profit in Q1 2026 by 77.4% year-on-year (versus 82.3% growth a year ago), reaching AMD 1.4 billion ($3.8 million).  This is the result of the ongoing impact of tariff increases imposed  a year ago, which resulted in an increase in annual premium and claim  growth. This is evidenced by the Financial Rating of Armenian  Insurance Companies as of March 31, 2026, prepared by ArmInfo  Investment Company based on published financial reports and  additional data requested from insurance companies.

In particular, insurance premiums reversed their year-on-year trend  from a 7% decline to a 3% increase, reaching 21.5 billion drams ($57  million), while claims rose from a 0.2% decline to a double-digit  19.4% increase, reaching 12.6 billion drams ($33.5 million).

In terms of net profit for the first quarter of 2026, INGO Insurance  Company took the lead with 529.1 million drams (up from 7th place  last year). Nairi Insurance Company moved up to 2nd place, from 5th  place last year, with a profit of 346.7 million drams. Armenia  Insurance moved up to third place from fourth last year with a net  profit of 303.8 million drams. The top three companies from last  year-LIGA Insurance, REGO Insurance, and Efes-ranked fifth, fourth,  and seventh, respectively, in Q1 2026 with net profits of 42.7  million drams, 178.3 million drams, and 7.6 million drams. Sil  Insurance, meanwhile, managed to reverse its loss and achieve a net  profit of 24.1 million drams (6th place). The largest annual net  profit growth was reported by INGO (196-fold) and Nairi Insurance  (almost 10-fold), while REGO Insurance experienced the smallest  growth (15%), and Efes experienced the largest decline (95%, compared  to the highest growth of 10-fold a year ago). Armenia Insurance was  able to improve its net profit dynamics, turning a minor decline into  a significant 2.3-fold increase.

Efes Insurance Company retained its lead in insurance premiums with  4.2 billion drams, while falling from third to sixth in claims with  1.4 billion drams. Both indicators have declined year-on-year by  similar double-digit rates of 18.3-17.3%. A year ago, it demonstrated  significant growth in claims and a significantly weakened premium  growth. Nairi Insurance moved up from third to second in premiums  with 3.8 billion drams, maintaining its lead in claims with 2.4  billion drams. This pushed LIGA Insurance from second to third in  premiums and claims, with 3.4 billion drams and 1.97 billion drams,  respectively. INGO Insurance Company followed suit, moving up to 4th  place in premiums (from 5th a year ago) with 3.3 billion drams, while  jumping from 6th to 2nd in claims with 2.3 billion drams. Sil  Insurance Company climbed to 5th place in premiums (from 7th a year  ago) with 2.5 billion drams, while maintaining 4th place in claims  with 1.7 billion drams. REGO Insurance Company remained in 6th place  in premiums with 2.2 billion drams, while moving up from 7th to 5th  in claims with 1.7 billion drams. Armenia Insurance fell to 7th place  in both premiums and claims, with AMD 2.1 billion and AMD 1.3  billion, respectively.

Of the seven operating insurance companies, four saw annual premium  growth (10-58%, with INGO leading the way). Five insurance companies  saw annual growth in claims (5-98%, with INGO also leading the way).  It's worth noting that INGO saw a significant double-digit decline in  both premiums and claims a year ago. Of the seven insurance companies  operating in the Armenian market, three saw a decline in premiums  (Efes, Armenia Insurance, and LIGA Insurance, down 29.4-3.2%), while  two saw a decline in claims (Efes and Armenia Insurance, down  17.3-7.2%).

ArmInfo analysts believe it's appropriate to clarify that the change  in LIGA Insurance's position in the Armenian insurance market in 2025  was due to the ongoing transaction to transfer a controlling stake to  European companies. However, on February 3, 2026, this process was  completed and approved by the Central Bank of Armenia. As a result,  the Austrian financial group GRAWE Group and C-Quadrat Investment  Group acquired 100% of the shares of LIGA Insurance, which will  continue to operate in the Armenian market without changing its name,  but will indicate that it is a member of GRAWE Group. The  shareholders are LIGA GRAWE Group with a 75% stake and C-Quadrat  Investment Group with a 25% stake.

It is noteworthy that from this point on, life insurance will become  LIGA Insurance's strategic growth area in the coming years. In this  regard, the Central Bank has scheduled discussions in the National  Assembly of Armenia to amend the RA Law "On Insurance" to allow for  the use of a single license for life and non-life insurance.

The agency's analysts also note that the transition of insurance  companies' financial reporting to the new format is increasingly  contributing to the concealment of important indicators, hindering  market analysis. It is worth noting that, unlike the previous  reporting format, the new version lacks a unified approach to  financial reporting, allowing insurance companies to selectively  disclose certain balance sheet indicators.  ArmInfo Investment  Company is therefore requesting important data from insurance  companies that is missing from the new format, as it has become  difficult for them to independently analyze the market situation.

As a reminder, 18 of the 20 insurance classes currently in use in the  Armenian insurance market are excluding railway liability insurance  and legal and extra-judicial expenses. Only Armenia Insurance is  licensed for railway insurance. INGO and Armenia Insurance are  licensed for the largest number of classes, with 16 each, and LIGA  Insurance for 15. Efes is the only insurance company not licensed for  compulsory motor third-party liability insurance (OSAGO). (The dram  to dollar exchange rate as of March 31, 2026, was 377.16 drams per  dollar.)