Exchange rate drives increase in net premium income of top 10

Last year saw a further decline of the US dollar against other currencies, and this factor had a significant impact on the figures of companies that converted their results at year-end exchange rates. For example, Swiss Re Group posted a 3% rise in net written premiums in its reporting currency, but a 10% increase in US-dollar terms, and fifth-placed Hannover Re Group recorded a 6% decline in non-life net premiums on a Euro basis, but a 5% rise in US dollars

The world’s top 10 non-life reinsurers wrote around $75bn in net premiums in 2007, according to WIR ’s latest annual survey of the market.