2 Information on business segments

The Group provides reinsurance and insurance throughout the world through its business segments. The business segments are determined by the organisational structure and by the way in which management reviews the operating performance of the Group.

The Group presents four core operating business segments: Property & Casualty Reinsurance, Life & Health Reinsurance, Corporate Solutions and Life Capital. The presentation of each segment’s balance sheet is closely aligned to the segment legal entity structure. The assignment of assets and liabilities for entities that span more than one segment is determined by considering local statutory requirements, legal and other constraints, the economic view of duration and currency requirements of the reinsurance business written and the capacity of the segments to absorb risks. Interest expense is based on the segment’s capital funding position. The tax impact of a segment is derived from the legal entity tax obligations and the segmentation of the pre-tax result. While most of the tax items can be directly attributed to individual segments, the tax which impacts two or more segments is allocated to the segments on a reasonable basis. Property & Casualty Reinsurance and Life & Health Reinsurance share the same year-to-date effective tax rate as both business segments belong to the Reinsurance Business Unit.

Accounting policies applied by the business segments are in line with those described in the summary of significant accounting policies (please refer to Note 1).

The Group operating segments are outlined below.

Property & Casualty Reinsurance and Life & Health Reinsurance

Reinsurance consists of two segments, Property & Casualty and Life & Health. The Reinsurance Business Unit operates globally, both through brokers and directly with clients, and provides a large range of solutions for risk and capital management. Clients include stock and mutual insurance companies as well as public sector and governmental entities. In addition to traditional reinsurance solutions, Reinsurance offers insurance-linked securities and other insurance-related capital market products in both Property & Casualty and Life & Health.

Property & Casualty includes the business lines property, casualty (including motor) and specialty. Life & Health includes the life and health lines of business.

Corporate Solutions

Corporate Solutions offers innovative insurance capacity to mid-sized and large multinational corporations across the globe. Offerings range from standard risk transfer covers and multi-line programmes to customised solutions tailored to the needs of clients. Corporate Solutions serves customers from over 50 offices worldwide.

Life Capital

Life Capital manages Swiss Re’s primary life and health business. It encompasses the closed and open life and health insurance books, including the ReAssure business and the primary life and health insurance business comprising elipsLife and iptiQ. Through ReAssure, Swiss Re acquires closed blocks of inforce life and health insurance business, either through reinsurance or corporate acquisition, and typically assumes responsibility for administering the underlying policies. The administration of the business may be managed directly or, where appropriate, in partnership with a third party. In the open books business, elipsLife, the Group life and health insurance business, offers solutions to pension funds, corporates and affinity groups through an intermediated business to business (“B2B”) model. The iptiQ business, primarily the individual life and health business, partners with distributors and enables individuals to address their protection needs on a white labelled basis.

Group items

Items not allocated to the business segments are included in the “Group items” column, which encompasses Swiss Re Ltd, the Group’s ultimate parent company, the former Legacy business in run-off, Principal Investments and certain Treasury units. Swiss Re Ltd charges trademark licence fees to the business segments which are reported as other revenues. Certain administrative expenses of the corporate centre functions that are not recharged to the operating segments are reported as Group items.

Consolidation

Segment information is presented net of external and internal retrocession and other intra-group arrangements. The Group total is obtained after elimination of intra-group transactions in the “Consolidation” column. This includes significant intra-group reinsurance arrangements, recharge of trademark licence fees and intersegmental funding.

a) Business segments – income statement

For the year ended 31 December

Download

2016
USD millions

Property & Casualty Reinsurance

Life & Health Reinsurance

Corporate Solutions

Life Capital

Group items

Consol­idation

Total

Revenues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gross premiums written

18 149

12 801

4 155

1 489

 

–972

35 622

Net premiums written

17 768

11 459

3 662

681

 

 

33 570

Change in unearned premiums

–760

27

–159

13

 

 

–879

Premiums earned

17 008

11 486

3 503

694

 

 

32 691

Fee income from policyholders

 

41

 

499

 

 

540

Net investment income – non-participating business

985

1 279

138

1 256

101

–98

3 661

Net realised investment gains/losses – non-participating business

770

232

51

503

–72

 

1 484

Net investment result – unit-linked and with-profit business

 

15

 

5 367

 

 

5 382

Other revenues

37

5

5

1

346

–366

28

Total revenues

18 800

13 058

3 697

8 320

375

–464

43 786

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Claims and claim adjustment expenses

–10 301

 

–2 263

 

 

 

–12 564

Life and health benefits

 

–8 963

 

–1 896

 

 

–10 859

Return credited to policyholders

 

–39

 

–5 060

 

 

–5 099

Acquisition costs

–4 405

–1 943

–517

–63

 

 

–6 928

Operating expenses

–1 204

–763

–760

–503

–473

345

–3 358

Total expenses before interest expenses

–15 910

–11 708

–3 540

–7 522

–473

345

–38 808

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income/loss before interest and income tax expense/benefit

2 890

1 350

157

798

–98

–119

4 978

Interest expenses

–293

–301

–23

–29

–79

119

–606

Income/loss before income tax expense/benefit

2 597

1 049

134

769

–177

0

4 372

Income tax expense/benefit

–479

–193

–1

–131

55

 

–749

Net income/loss before attribution of non-controlling interests

2 118

856

133

638

–122

0

3 623

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income/loss attributable to non-controlling interests

1

 

2

 

 

 

3

Net income/loss after attribution of non-controlling interests

2 119

856

135

638

–122

0

3 626

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest on contingent capital instruments, net of tax

–19

–49

 

 

 

 

–68

Net income/loss attributable to common shareholders

2 100

807

135

638

–122

0

3 558

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Claims ratio in %

60.5

 

64.6

 

 

 

61.2

Expense ratio in %

33.0

 

36.5

 

 

 

33.6

Combined ratio in %

93.5

 

101.1

 

 

 

94.8

Management expense ratio in %

 

6.0

 

 

 

 

 

Net operating margin in %

15.4

10.4

4.2

27.0

–26.1

 

13.0

Download

2017
USD millions

Property & Casualty Reinsurance

Life & Health Reinsurance

Corporate Solutions

Life Capital

Group items

Consol­idation

Total

Revenues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gross premiums written

16 544

13 313

4 193

1 761

 

–1 036

34 775

Net premiums written

16 031

11 826

3 600

859

 

 

32 316

Change in unearned premiums

636

25

51

91

 

 

803

Premiums earned

16 667

11 851

3 651

950

 

 

33 119

Fee income from policyholders

 

129

 

457

 

 

586

Net investment income – non-participating business

1 017

1 308

161

1 193

184

–155

3 708

Net realised investment gains – non-participating business

613

591

128

133

262

 

1 727

Net investment result – unit-linked and with-profit business

 

81

 

3 234

 

 

3 315

Other revenues

48

3

5

2

359

–385

32

Total revenues

18 345

13 963

3 945

5 969

805

–540

42 487

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Claims and claim adjustment expenses

–13 172

 

–3 558

 

 

 

–16 730

Life and health benefits

 

–9 211

 

–1 872

 

 

–11 083

Return credited to policyholders

 

–119

 

–3 179

 

 

–3 298

Acquisition costs

–4 253

–2 064

–554

–106

 

 

–6 977

Operating expenses

–1 159

–754

–759

–514

–474

352

–3 308

Total expenses before interest expenses

–18 584

–12 148

–4 871

–5 671

–474

352

–41 396

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income/loss before interest and income tax expense/benefit

–239

1 815

–926

298

331

–188

1 091

Interest expenses

–280

–315

–23

–35

–101

188

–566

Income/loss before income tax expense/benefit

–519

1 500

–949

263

230

0

525

Income tax expense/benefit

125

–360

203

–102

2

 

–132

Net income/loss before attribution of non-controlling interests

–394

1 140

–746

161

232

0

393

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income/loss attributable to non-controlling interests

 

 

5

 

 

 

5

Net income/loss after attribution of non-controlling interests

–394

1 140

–741

161

232

0

398

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest on contingent capital instruments, net of tax

–19

–48

 

 

 

 

–67

Net income/loss attributable to common shareholders

–413

1 092

–741

161

232

0

331

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Claims ratio in %

79.0

 

97.4

 

 

 

82.3

Expense ratio in %

32.5

 

36.0

 

 

 

33.1

Combined ratio in %

111.5

 

133.4

 

 

 

115.4

Management expense ratio in %

 

5.7

 

 

 

 

 

Net operating margin in %

–1.3

13.1

–23.5

10.9

41.1

 

2.8

Business segments – balance sheet

As of 31 December

Download

2016
USD millions

Property & Casualty Reinsurance

Life & Health Reinsurance

Corporate Solutions

Life Capital

Group items

Consol­idation

Total

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fixed income securities

31 574

29 980

6 361

25 350

11

 

93 276

Equity securities

1 292

867

539

 

737

 

3 435

Other investments

11 962

3 355

141

2 421

4 785

–7 446

15 218

Short-term investments

4 672

2 558

1 272

1 456

951

 

10 909

Investments for unit-linked and with-profit business

 

548

 

31 630

 

 

32 178

Cash and cash equivalents

4 922

410

472

2 636

571

 

9 011

Deferred acquisition costs

2 280

3 465

444

11

 

 

6 200

Acquired present value of future profits

 

966

 

1 037

 

 

2 003

Reinsurance recoverable

2 449

1 580

5 698

2 210

 

–4 476

7 461

Other reinsurance assets

9 620

6 369

2 616

3 949

4

–1 104

21 454

Goodwill

1 852

1 810

173

130

 

 

3 965

Other

8 640

4 049

1 279

1 470

1 181

–6 664

9 955

Total assets

79 263

55 957

18 995

72 300

8 240

–19 690

215 065

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses

39 753

10 288

10 271

1 498

 

–4 455

57 355

Liabilities for life and health policy benefits

 

15 431

268

25 499

 

–22

41 176

Policyholder account balances

 

1 566

 

32 788

 

 

34 354

Other reinsurance liabilities

10 816

1 709

4 310

684

2

–1 435

16 086

Short-term debt

1 202

5 221

 

80

431

–5 370

1 564

Long-term debt

3 307

5 074

497

1 465

80

–636

9 787

Other

11 124

9 106

1 370

3 014

2 183

–7 770

19 027

Total liabilities

66 202

48 395

16 716

65 028

2 696

–19 688

179 349

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shareholders’ equity

13 040

7 562

2 218

7 272

5 544

–2

35 634

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-controlling interests

21

 

61

 

 

 

82

Total equity

13 061

7 562

2 279

7 272

5 544

–2

35 716

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total liabilities and equity

79 263

55 957

18 995

72 300

8 240

–19 690

215 065

Download

2017
USD millions

Property & Casualty Reinsurance

Life & Health Reinsurance

Corporate Solutions

Life Capital

Group items

Consol­idation

Total

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fixed income securities

34 189

32 642

8 356

26 528

71

 

101 786

Equity securities

1 893

945

455

32

540

 

3 865

Other investments

14 460

3 212

191

2 697

5 530

–9 856

16 234

Short-term investments

1 608

996

482

1 711

49

 

4 846

Investments for unit-linked and with-profit business

 

585

 

34 581

 

 

35 166

Cash and cash equivalents

1 334

1 595

654

2 959

264

 

6 806

Deferred acquisition costs

2 146

4 234

454

37

 

 

6 871

Acquired present value of future profits

 

921

 

1 068

 

 

1 989

Reinsurance recoverable

2 541

4 638

5 737

5 200

 

–10 174

7 942

Other reinsurance assets

10 293

10 669

2 477

7 666

2

–8 118

22 989

Goodwill

1 944

1 873

213

142

 

 

4 172

Other

10 067

2 249

1 717

2 100

1 819

–8 092

9 860

Total assets

80 475

64 559

20 736

84 721

8 275

–36 240

222 526

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses

45 276

12 129

11 818

2 308

 

–4 736

66 795

Liabilities for life and health policy benefits

 

18 230

279

29 491

 

–5 439

42 561

Policyholder account balances

 

1 574

 

35 963

 

 

37 537

Other reinsurance liabilities

10 245

5 528

4 177

4 410

2

–8 448

15 914

Short-term debt

807

4 766

 

904

60

–6 104

433

Long-term debt

3 500

6 914

497

1 603

 

–2 366

10 148

Other

9 891

7 197

1 411

2 954

2 538

–9 147

14 844

Total liabilities

69 719

56 338

18 182

77 633

2 600

–36 240

188 232

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shareholders’ equity

10 755

8 221

2 385

7 088

5 675

0

34 124

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-controlling interests

1

 

169

 

 

 

170

Total equity

10 756

8 221

2 554

7 088

5 675

0

34 294

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total liabilities and equity

80 475

64 559

20 736

84 721

8 275

–36 240

222 526

b) Property & Casualty Reinsurance business segment – by line of business

For the year ended 31 December

Download

2016
USD millions

Property

Casualty

Specialty

Unallocated

Total

Revenues

 

 

 

 

 

Gross premiums written

6 794

8 874

2 481

 

18 149

Net premiums written

6 499

8 833

2 436

 

17 768

Change in unearned premiums

153

–830

–83

 

–760

Premiums earned

6 652

8 003

2 353

 

17 008

Net investment income

 

 

 

985

985

Net realised investment gains/losses

 

 

 

770

770

Other revenues

 

 

 

37

37

Total revenues

6 652

8 003

2 353

1 792

18 800

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

 

 

 

 

Claims and claim adjustment expenses

–3 745

–5 466

–1 090

 

–10 301

Acquisition costs

–1 351

–2 468

–586

 

–4 405

Operating expenses

–665

–385

–154

 

–1 204

Total expenses before interest expenses

–5 761

–8 319

–1 830

0

–15 910

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income/loss before interest and income tax expense

891

–316

523

1 792

2 890

Interest expenses

 

 

 

–293

–293

Income/loss before income tax expense

891

–316

523

1 499

2 597

 

 

 

 

 

 

Claims ratio in %

56.3

68.3

46.4

 

60.5

Expense ratio in %

30.3

35.6

31.4

 

33.0

Combined ratio in %

86.6

103.9

77.8

 

93.5

Download

2017
USD millions

Property

Casualty

Specialty

Unallocated

Total

Revenues

 

 

 

 

 

Gross premiums written

6 505

7 715

2 324

 

16 544

Net premiums written

6 115

7 665

2 251

 

16 031

Change in unearned premiums

140

435

61

 

636

Premiums earned

6 255

8 100

2 312

 

16 667

Net investment income

 

 

 

1 017

1 017

Net realised investment gains/losses

 

 

 

613

613

Other revenues

 

 

 

48

48

Total revenues

6 255

8 100

2 312

1 678

18 345

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

 

 

 

 

Claims and claim adjustment expenses

–5 635

–6 041

–1 496

 

–13 172

Acquisition costs

–1 228

–2 414

–611

 

–4 253

Operating expenses

–636

–356

–167

 

–1 159

Total expenses before interest expenses

–7 499

–8 811

–2 274

0

–18 584

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income/loss before interest and income tax expense

–1 244

–711

38

1 678

–239

Interest expenses

 

 

 

–280

–280

Income/loss before income tax expense

–1 244

–711

38

1 398

–519

 

 

 

 

 

 

Claims ratio in %

90.1

74.6

64.7

 

79.0

Expense ratio in %

29.8

34.2

33.7

 

32.5

Combined ratio in %

119.9

108.8

98.4

 

111.5

c) Life & Health Reinsurance business segment – by line of business

For the year ended 31 December

Download

2016
USD millions

Life

Health

Unallocated

Total

1

The Group revised the methodology for allocating investment return to lines of business. Comparative information for 2016 has been adjusted accordingly.

2

Net operating margin is calculated as "Income before interest and income tax expense" divided by "Total revenues" excluding "Net investment result – unit-linked and with-profit business".

Revenues

 

 

 

 

Gross premiums written

9 026

3 775

 

12 801

Net premiums written

7 773

3 686

 

11 459

Change in unearned premiums

5

22

 

27

Premiums earned

7 778

3 708

 

11 486

Fee income from policyholders

41

 

 

41

Net investment income – non-participating business1

912

367

 

1 279

Net realised investment gains/losses – non-participating business

21

–4

215

232

Net investment result – unit-linked and with-profit business

15

 

 

15

Other revenues

5

 

 

5

Total revenues

8 772

4 071

215

13 058

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

 

 

 

Life and health benefits

–6 093

–2 870

 

–8 963

Return credited to policyholders

–39

 

 

–39

Acquisition costs

–1 237

–706

 

–1 943

Operating expenses

–536

–227

 

–763

Total expenses before interest expenses

–7 905

–3 803

0

–11 708

 

 

 

 

 

Income before interest and income tax expense

867

268

215

1 350

Interest expenses

 

 

–301

–301

Income/loss before income tax expense

867

268

–86

1 049

 

 

 

 

 

Management expense ratio in %

6.1

5.6

 

6.0

Net operating margin2 in %

9.9

6.6

 

10.4

Download

2017
USD millions

Life

Health

Unallocated

Total

1

Net operating margin is calculated as "Income before interest and income tax expense" divided by "Total revenues" excluding "Net investment result – unit-linked and with-profit business".

Revenues

 

 

 

 

Gross premiums written

9 525

3 788

 

13 313

Net premiums written

8 138

3 688

 

11 826

Change in unearned premiums

79

–54

 

25

Premiums earned

8 217

3 634

 

11 851

Fee income from policyholders

129

 

 

129

Net investment income – non-participating business

1 023

285

 

1 308

Net realised investment gains/losses – non-participating business

57

–1

535

591

Net investment result – unit-linked and with-profit business

81

 

 

81

Other revenues

3

 

 

3

Total revenues

9 510

3 918

535

13 963

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

 

 

 

Life and health benefits

–6 491

–2 720

 

–9 211

Return credited to policyholders

–119

 

 

–119

Acquisition costs

–1 432

–632

 

–2 064

Operating expenses

–533

–221

 

–754

Total expenses before interest expenses

–8 575

–3 573

0

–12 148

 

 

 

 

 

Income before interest and income tax expense

935

345

535

1 815

Interest expenses

 

 

–315

–315

Income before income tax expense

935

345

220

1 500

 

 

 

 

 

Management expense ratio in %

5.7

5.6

 

5.7

Net operating margin1 in %

9.9

8.8

 

13.1

d) Net premiums earned and fee income from policyholders by geography

Net premiums earned and fee income from policyholders by region for the years ended 31 December

Download

USD millions

2016

2017

Americas

15 102

16 101

Europe (including Middle East and Africa)

10 928

10 546

Asia-Pacific

7 201

7 058

Total

33 231

33 705

Net premiums earned and fee income from policyholders by country for the years ended 31 December

Download

USD millions

2016

2017

United States

12 401

13 509

United Kingdom

3 759

3 382

Australia

1 919

2 095

China

2 425

1 933

Germany

1 200

1 258

Japan

1 105

1 168

Canada

1 107

1 137

Switzerland

902

886

France

733

730

Ireland

754

673

Spain

472

524

Other

6 454

6 410

Total

33 231

33 705

Net premiums earned and fee income from policyholders are allocated by country, based on the underlying contract.