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.

In the fourth quarter of 2019, the Group entered into an agreement to sell its subsidiary ReAssure Group plc, currently within the Life Capital business segment, to Phoenix Group Holdings plc. For more details on the transaction, please refer to Note 11 “Assets held for sale“.

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

2018
USD millions

Property & Casualty Reinsurance

Life & Health Reinsurance

Corporate Solutions

Life Capital

Group items

Consolidation

Total

1

Management expense ratio is calculated as ”Operating expenses” divided by ”Total revenues” excluding ”Net realised investment gains/losses – non-participating business” and ”Net investment result – unit-linked and with-profit business”.

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

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/losses – 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 ratio¹ in %

 

5.4

 

 

 

 

 

Net operating margin2 in %

4.3

9.4

–11.1

3.9

 

 

2.9

Business segments – income statement

For the year ended 31 December

2019
USD millions

Property & Casualty Reinsurance

Life & Health Reinsurance

Corporate Solutions

Life Capital

Group items

Consolidation

Total

1

Management expense ratio is calculated as ”Operating expenses” divided by ”Total revenues” excluding ”Net realised investment gains/losses – non-participating business” and ”Net investment result – unit-linked and with-profit business”.

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

21 562

14 452

4 974

2 831

 

–1 591

42 228

Net premiums written

20 882

12 734

4 253

1 780

 

 

39 649

Change in unearned premiums

–1 607

101

–87

–82

 

 

–1 675

Premiums earned

19 275

12 835

4 166

1 698

 

 

37 974

Fee income from policyholders

 

169

 

451

 

 

620

Net investment income – non-participating business

1 419

1 207

234

1 193

552

–434

4 171

Net realised investment gains – non-participating business

883

628

162

18

–111

 

1 580

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

 

118

 

4 821

 

 

4 939

Other revenues

18

4

5

1

414

–412

30

Total revenues

21 595

14 961

4 567

8 182

855

–846

49 314

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Claims and claim adjustment expenses

–14 783

 

–3 900

 

 

 

–18 683

Life and health benefits

 

–10 587

 

–2 500

 

 

–13 087

Return credited to policyholders

 

–162

 

–4 471

 

 

–4 633

Acquisition costs

–4 810

–1 975

–640

–409

 

 

–7 834

Operating expenses

–1 189

–746

–788

–721

–547

412

–3 579

Total expenses before interest expenses

–20 782

–13 470

–5 328

–8 101

–547

412

–47 816

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income/loss before interest and income tax expense/benefit

813

1 491

–761

81

308

–434

1 498

Interest expenses

–352

–445

–40

–72

–114

434

–589

Income/loss before income tax expense/benefit

461

1 046

–801

9

194

0

909

Income tax expense/benefit

–65

–147

143

–133

62

 

–140

Net income/loss before attribution of non-controlling interests

396

899

–658

–124

256

0

769

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income/loss attributable to non-controlling interests

 

 

11

–53

 

 

–42

Net income/loss after attribution of non-controlling interests

396

899

–647

–177

256

0

727

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest on contingent capital instruments, net of tax

 

 

 

 

 

 

0

Net income/loss attributable to common shareholders

396

899

–647

–177

256

0

727

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Claims ratio in %

76.7

 

93.6

 

 

 

79.7

Expense ratio in %

31.1

 

34.3

 

 

 

31.7

Combined ratio in %

107.8

 

127.9

 

 

 

111.4

Management expense ratio¹ in %

 

5.2

 

 

 

 

 

Net operating margin2 in %

3.8

10.0

–16.7

2.4

 

 

3.4

Business segments – balance sheet

As of 31 December

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

Business segments – balance sheet

As of 31 December

2019
USD millions

Property & Casualty Reinsurance

Life & Health Reinsurance

Corporate Solutions

Life Capital

Group items

Consolidation

Total

1

Please refer to Note 11 “Assets held for sale” for more details.

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fixed income securities

38 877

32 008

7 473

3 088

127

 

81 573

Equity securities

1 749

620

172

57

395

 

2 993

Other investments

14 606

4 871

147

865

5 009

–12 606

12 892

Short-term investments

3 283

1 678

380

377

50

 

5 768

Investments for unit-linked and with-profit business

 

520

 

 

 

 

520

Cash and cash equivalents

3 674

1 694

1 698

494

2

 

7 562

Deferred acquisition costs

2 613

4 529

483

213

 

 

7 838

Acquired present value of future profits

 

577

 

465

 

 

1 042

Reinsurance recoverable

2 325

4 887

7 058

3 111

 

–11 483

5 898

Other reinsurance assets

12 524

8 471

2 667

5 951

3

–4 873

24 743

Goodwill

1 895

1 846

204

 

 

 

3 945

Other

7 723

5 325

2 342

658

2 256

–8 950

9 354

Assets held for sale¹

 

 

 

74 983

 

–544

74 439

Total assets

89 269

67 026

22 624

90 262

7 842

–38 456

238 567

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses

49 963

13 094

12 881

2 489

 

–6 054

72 373

Liabilities for life and health policy benefits

 

20 679

728

4 250

 

–5 821

19 836

Policyholder account balances

 

1 401

 

4 004

 

 

5 405

Other reinsurance liabilities

12 899

2 904

4 987

2 034

2

–5 051

17 775

Short-term debt

915

1 500

 

66

60

–2 356

185

Long-term debt

5 511

11 225

798

838

494

–8 728

10 138

Other

11 662

7 970

1 093

1 015

1 900

–10 408

13 232

Liabilities held for sale¹

 

 

 

68 624

 

–38

68 586

Total liabilities

80 950

58 773

20 487

83 320

2 456

–38 456

207 530

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shareholders’ equity

8 318

8 253

2 005

5 289

5 386

0

29 251

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-controlling interests

1

 

132

1 653

 

 

1 786

Total equity

8 319

8 253

2 137

6 942

5 386

0

31 037

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total liabilities and equity

89 269

67 026

22 624

90 262

7 842

–38 456

238 567

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

For the year ended 31 December

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

Property & Casualty Reinsurance business segment – by line of business

For the year ended 31 December

2019
USD millions

Property

Casualty

Specialty

Unallo­cated

Total

Revenues

 

 

 

 

 

Gross premiums written

7 927

10 497

3 138

 

21 562

Net premiums written

7 329

10 452

3 101

 

20 882

Change in unearned premiums

–122

–1 166

–319

 

–1 607

Premiums earned

7 207

9 286

2 782

 

19 275

Net investment income

 

 

 

1 419

1 419

Net realised investment gains/losses

 

 

 

883

883

Other revenues

 

 

 

18

18

Total revenues

7 207

9 286

2 782

2 320

21 595

 

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

 

 

 

 

Claims and claim adjustment expenses

–5 328

–7 675

–1 780

 

–14 783

Acquisition costs

–1 365

–2 758

–687

 

–4 810

Operating expenses

–610

–395

–184

 

–1 189

Total expenses before interest expenses

–7 303

–10 828

–2 651

0

–20 782

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income/loss before interest and income tax expense

–96

–1 542

131

2 320

813

Interest expenses

 

 

 

–352

–352

Income/loss before income tax expense

–96

–1 542

131

1 968

461

 

 

 

 

 

 

Claims ratio in %

73.9

82.6

64.0

 

76.7

Expense ratio in %

27.4

34.0

31.3

 

31.1

Combined ratio in %

101.3

116.6

95.3

 

107.8

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

For the year ended 31 December

2018
USD millions

Life

Health

Unallo­cated

Total

1

Management expense ratio is calculated as ”Operating expenses” divided by ”Total revenues” excluding ”Net realised investment gains/losses – non-participating business” and ”Net investment result – unit-linked and with-profit business”.

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

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 ratio1 in %

5.2

5.6

 

5.4

Net operating margin2 in %

7.3

8.2

 

9.4

Life & Health Reinsurance business segment – by line of business

For the year ended 31 December

2019
USD millions

Life

Health

Unallo­cated

Total

1

Management expense ratio is calculated as ”Operating expenses” divided by ”Total revenues” excluding ”Net realised investment gains/losses – non-participating business” and ”Net investment result – unit-linked and with-profit business”.

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

10 123

4 329

 

14 452

Net premiums written

8 522

4 212

 

12 734

Change in unearned premiums

126

–25

 

101

Premiums earned

8 648

4 187

 

12 835

Fee income from policyholders

169

 

 

169

Net investment income – non-participating business

912

295

 

1 207

Net realised investment gains/losses – non-participating business

–24

 

652

628

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

118

 

 

118

Other revenues

3

1

 

4

Total revenues

9 826

4 483

652

14 961

 

 

 

 

 

Expenses

 

 

 

 

Life and health benefits

–7 316

–3 271

 

–10 587

Return credited to policyholders

–162

 

 

–162

Acquisition costs

–1 295

–680

 

–1 975

Operating expenses

–472

–274

 

–746

Total expenses before interest expenses

–9 245

–4 225

0

–13 470

 

 

 

 

 

Income before interest and income tax expense

581

258

652

1 491

Interest expenses

 

 

–445

–445

Income before income tax expense

581

258

207

1 046

 

 

 

 

 

Management expense ratio1 in %

4.8

6.1

 

5.2

Net operating margin2 in %

6.0

5.8

 

10.0

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

USD millions

2018

2019

Americas

16 075

18 158

Europe (including Middle East and Africa)

11 044

12 017

Asia-Pacific

7 342

8 419

Total

34 461

38 594

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

USD millions

2018

2019

United States

13 519

15 804

United Kingdom

3 487

3 593

China

1 644

2 136

Australia

2 061

2 026

Japan

1 426

1 620

Germany

1 226

1 330

Canada

1 209

1 205

Switzerland

952

1 071

France

789

941

Netherlands

837

913

South Korea

558

731

Other

6 753

7 224

Total

34 461

38 594

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