Optimized printing

Annual Report 2018

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 to consumer (“B2B2C”) 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

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/losses – 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

 

 

2.8

Download

2018
USD millions

Property & Casualty Reinsurance

Life & Health Reinsurance

Corporate Solutions

Life Capital

Group items

Consoli­dation

Total

Revenues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gross premiums written

16 545

14 527

4 694

2 739

 

–2 099

36 406

Net premiums written

16 098

12 647

4 122

1 175

 

 

34 042

Change in unearned premiums

–3

36

–197

–3

 

 

–167

Premiums earned

16 095

12 683

3 925

1 172

 

 

33 875

Fee income from policyholders

 

152

 

434

 

 

586

Net investment income – non-participating business

1 380

1 305

207

1 256

262

–335

4 075

Net realised investment gains – non-participating business

–16

347

16

66

–348

 

65

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

 

–33

 

–1 560

 

 

–1 593

Other revenues

36

1

3

 

353

–354

39

Total revenues

17 495

14 455

4 151

1 368

267

–689

37 047

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Claims and claim adjustment expenses

–11 614

 

–3 241

 

 

 

–14 855

Life and health benefits

 

–10 280

 

–1 489

 

 

–11 769

Return credited to policyholders

 

–5

 

1 038

 

 

1 033

Acquisition costs

–4 012

–2 045

–607

–255

 

 

–6 919

Operating expenses

–1 114

–758

–763

–549

–599

351

–3 432

Total expenses before interest expenses

–16 740

–13 088

–4 611

–1 255

–599

351

–35 942

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income/loss before interest and income tax expense/benefit

755

1 367

–460

113

–332

–338

1 105

Interest expenses

–313

–410

–24

–41

–105

338

–555

Income/loss before income tax expense/benefit

442

957

–484

72

–437

0

550

Income tax expense/benefit

–72

–155

75

–26

109

 

–69

Net income/loss before attribution of non-controlling interests

370

802

–409

46

–328

0

481

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income/loss attributable to non-controlling interests

 

 

4

–23

 

 

–19

Net income/loss after attribution of non-controlling interests

370

802

–405

23

–328

0

462

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest on contingent capital instruments, net of tax

 

–41

 

 

 

 

–41

Net income/loss attributable to common shareholders

370

761

–405

23

–328

0

421

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Claims ratio in %

72.2

 

82.6

 

 

 

74.2

Expense ratio in %

31.8

 

34.9

 

 

 

32.4

Combined ratio in %

104.0

 

117.5

 

 

 

106.6

Management expense ratio in %

 

5.4

 

 

 

 

 

Net operating margin in %

4.3

9.4

–11.1

3.9

 

 

2.9

Business segments – balance sheet

As of 31 December

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

Download

2018
USD millions

Property & Casualty Reinsurance

Life & Health Reinsurance

Corporate Solutions

Life Capital

Group items

Consoli­dation

Total

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fixed income securities

35 968

29 158

8 157

22 637

32

 

95 952

Equity securities

1 776

670

180

69

341

 

3 036

Other investments

13 298

3 200

132

2 550

6 447

–12 276

13 351

Short-term investments

2 547

1 174

451

1 207

38

 

5 417

Investments for unit-linked and with-profit business

 

424

 

29 122

 

 

29 546

Cash and cash equivalents

1 651

1 705

796

1 605

228

 

5 985

Deferred acquisition costs

2 156

4 784

488

789

 

 

8 217

Acquired present value of future profits

 

804

 

1 014

 

 

1 818

Reinsurance recoverable

2 345

4 359

5 486

4 914

 

–10 046

7 058

Other reinsurance assets

9 715

9 304

2 461

6 859

 

–5 541

22 798

Goodwill

1 908

1 823

206

134

 

 

4 071

Other

8 798

4 169

2 108

1 823

1 752

–8 329

10 321

Total assets

80 162

61 574

20 465

72 723

8 838

–36 192

207 570

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses

45 659

12 192

11 929

2 601

1

–4 936

67 446

Liabilities for life and health policy benefits

 

17 888

501

26 314

 

–5 110

39 593

Policyholder account balances

 

1 356

 

30 582

 

 

31 938

Other reinsurance liabilities

10 331

4 162

3 816

3 365

3

–5 812

15 865

Short-term debt

2 735

5 075

 

238

 

–6 415

1 633

Long-term debt

2 402

7 749

798

1 515

552

–4 514

8 502

Other

9 551

6 878

1 483

2 342

3 017

–9 405

13 866

Total liabilities

70 678

55 300

18 527

66 957

3 573

–36 192

178 843

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shareholders’ equity

9 483

6 274

1 795

5 113

5 265

0

27 930

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-controlling interests

1

 

143

653

 

 

797

Total equity

9 484

6 274

1 938

5 766

5 265

0

28 727

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total liabilities and equity

80 162

61 574

20 465

72 723

8 838

–36 192

207 570

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

For the year ended 31 December

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

Download

2018
USD millions

Property

Casualty

Specialty

Unallo­cated

Total

Revenues

 

 

 

 

 

Gross premiums written

6 403

7 595

2 547

 

16 545

Net premiums written

6 047

7 548

2 503

 

16 098

Change in unearned premiums

–18

116

–101

 

–3

Premiums earned

6 029

7 664

2 402

 

16 095

Net investment income

 

 

 

1 380

1 380

Net realised investment gains/losses

 

 

 

–16

–16

Other revenues

 

 

 

36

36

Total revenues

6 029

7 664

2 402

1 400

17 495

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

 

 

 

 

Claims and claim adjustment expenses

–4 284

–5 860

–1 470

 

–11 614

Acquisition costs

–1 189

–2 228

–595

 

–4 012

Operating expenses

–547

–388

–179

 

–1 114

Total expenses before interest expenses

–6 020

–8 476

–2 244

0

–16 740

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income/loss before interest and income tax expense

9

–812

158

1 400

755

Interest expenses

 

 

 

–313

–313

Income/loss before income tax expense

9

–812

158

1 087

442

 

 

 

 

 

 

Claims ratio in %

71.1

76.5

61.2

 

72.2

Expense ratio in %

28.8

34.1

32.2

 

31.8

Combined ratio in %

99.9

110.6

93.4

 

104.0

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

For the year ended 31 December

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

Download

2018
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

10 356

4 171

 

14 527

Net premiums written

8 606

4 041

 

12 647

Change in unearned premiums

29

7

 

36

Premiums earned

8 635

4 048

 

12 683

Fee income from policyholders

152

 

 

152

Net investment income – non-participating business

1 001

304

 

1 305

Net realised investment gains/losses – non-participating business

59

–4

292

347

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

–33

 

 

–33

Other revenues

1

 

 

1

Total revenues

9 815

4 348

292

14 455

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

 

 

 

Life and health benefits

–7 128

–3 152

 

–10 280

Return credited to policyholders

–5

 

 

–5

Acquisition costs

–1 449

–596

 

–2 045

Operating expenses

–513

–245

 

–758

Total expenses before interest expenses

–9 095

–3 993

0

–13 088

 

 

 

 

 

Income before interest and income tax expense

720

355

292

1 367

Interest expenses

 

 

–410

–410

Income/loss before income tax expense

720

355

–118

957

 

 

 

 

 

Management expense ratio in %

5.2

5.6

 

5.4

Net operating margin1 in %

7.3

8.2

 

9.4

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

2017

2018

Americas

16 101

16 075

Europe (including Middle East and Africa)

10 546

11 044

Asia-Pacific

7 058

7 342

Total

33 705

34 461

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

Download

USD millions

2017

2018

United States

13 509

13 519

United Kingdom

3 382

3 487

Australia

2 095

2 061

China

1 933

1 644

Japan

1 168

1 426

Germany

1 258

1 226

Canada

1 137

1 209

Switzerland

886

952

Netherlands

502

837

France

730

789

Ireland

673

685

Other

6 432

6 626

Total

33 705

34 461

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