Aviva has reported a 19% increase in general insurance (GI) premiums in Q1, totalling £3.4bn, a figure up from £2.9bn in the opening quarter of last year.
The insurer’s GI premiums in the UK and Ireland climbed by 26% in the quarter to £2.5bn, with 59% growth in personal lines. Aviva said this figure had been supported by the integration of Direct Line following its acquisition last year, as well as growth in the intermediated channel.
Aviva reported that its commercial lines trading was 7% lower in the quarter, however, reflecting the impact of the rating environment partly offset by strong retention.
As part of its Q1 trading statement, the FTSE 100 company also revealed it is making “good progress” on its Direct Line integration and that it remains on track to deliver previously announced cost synergies and capital synergies. This includes capital synergies of over £350m by the end of the year, which would add seven percentage points to the shareholder cover ratio, in addition to the £150m delivered at the end of 2025.
Following the achievement of these Direct Line capital synergies, Aviva said it expects solvency to be above its target range of 160-180% by full year 2026.
Aviva CEO, Amanda Blanc, commented that the insurer had delivered profitable growth despite global market volatility.
“The integration of Direct Line is firmly on track with stronger profitability and policies sold through price comparison websites have nearly doubled since the start of the year,” Blanc said.
“We have made an excellent start to 2026. Our continued strong trading performance, high quality balance sheet, and diverse set of leading businesses, gives us confidence that we are well placed to meet our group targets, and deliver even more for our customers and shareholders this year.”
