APAC may be the fastest-growing insurance region globally, yet growth is uneven.
“Platforms like Alipay and WeChat are embedding insurance into everyday transactions, creating scale, but also new governance challenges,” said Actuarial Society of Hong Kong Council Member Orchis Li, at the Asia Life Insurance Summit 2026, with the theme ‘The 2030 Life Insurer: Capital Strength, Customer Depth, Digital Edge’, during her opening remarks.
“And at the same time, in Vietnam, bancassurance scandals have reminded us that growth without governance can collapse trust overnight.”
Liberalisation and the Insurance for All by 2047 in India is also driving double digit growth at the same time, expanding protection to millions of new customers, Ms Li added, while in Hong Kong, the Insurance Authority’s reforms and solvency enhancements “are reshaping distribution and product strategies”, even as the city continues to serve as Asia's capital and innovation hub.
Life insurance moving to the centre
Overarching these developments, is the move of life insurance increasingly towards the centre of financial planning conversations.
“Its value is being recognised not only as protection against unfortunate events, but as powerful propositions that are multifaceted, relevant and capable of shaping, and also shielding, futures,” said HSBC, Co-CEO, Insurance, Daisy Tsang, at her keynote address.
“This is because in the face of increasing volatility and an accelerating pace of change, we have been reinventing ourselves, reflecting on our role for customers, for communities and societies.”
Ms Tsang said, “This is something we must continue doing as our mission and purpose to face uncertainty head on.”
The dynamics
Research has projected that more than half of the global life insurance premiums expected over the next 10 years will come from wider Asia, according to Ms Tsang.
“That is compelling evidence of the opportunity Asia holds, attracting investment and reinforcing the region’s capital strength even further,” she said.
From a customer perspective, she noted that across Asia, momentum is growing towards retirement and legacy planning, saying, “For decades, we have talked about ageing in the West, but the faster rate of ageing is in Asia.
“By the end of this decade, the average age in North Asia is expected to be 48, as compared with 44 in Western Europe. China’s shift is even more pronounced: the average age was 29 at the turn of the millennium, but now it is 40.”
Ms Tsang said, “What does it mean? An older Asia is driving demand for retirement solutions as people live longer beyond their working age, increasing the need for multiple things like annuities, protection and safe haven planning.
“On top of that, Asia’s unique social dynamics, coupled with strong GDP growth, means that people have more to protect their way of life, families, homes, assets, retirement and legacies. This is where insurance can play a vital role Asian society.”
The Asia Life Insurance Summit 2026, organised by Asia Insurance Review, was held on 9 and 10 September 2026, at the Marco Polo Hongkong Hotel, in Hong Kong.