After a slowdown in 2025, the bancassurance channel clearly returned to a growth trajectory. In Q1 2026, gross written premiums totalled PLN 1.8 billion, representing a 40.6% increase year-over-year. Particularly strong growth was recorded in Division I, where premiums rose to PLN 1.1 billion. As a result, the share of bancassurance in the life insurance market increased to 16.4%.
The results for Q1 2026 should be interpreted in light of the low-base effect from Q1 2025. Last year’s results were significantly affected by the implementation of changes resulting from the new Recommendation of the Polish Financial Supervision Authority that required adjustments to distribution models, sales processes, and the structure of products offered by banks and insurance companies.
As a result, some institutions reduced sales or temporarily suspended the offering of certain products, leading to a temporary decline in the performance of the bancassurance channel. Thus, the strong growth in Q1 2026 is partly due to the market’s recovery following a transitional period.
“The results for the first quarter of 2026 show that the bancassurance market is regaining momentum after a period of adjustments related to the implementation of regulatory changes. We are particularly pleased with the recovery in the sales of protective products, which confirms that,
with properly designed distribution processes, the bancassurance channel can effectively combine the offering of insurance products that provide high value to the customer with their availability. We hope the market is entering a phase of stable growth,” said Piotr Wrzesiński, Vice President of the Management Board of the Polish Chamber of Insurance.
Division I
Special attention should be paid to the increase in sales of protective products. Gross written premiums in this segment exceeded PLN 0.6 billion and were nearly three times higher than a year earlier. At the same time, premiums from investment products totalled just under PLN 0.5 billion, keeping this segment at a stable level.
These results may indicate a gradual recovery in bancassurance potential following a period of adjustment to new regulations. At the same time, they confirm the growing importance of products that meet customers’ basic needs as regards
life and health insurance and security for financial obligations.
Division II
In Division II, gross written premiums totalled PLN 0.7 billion, and the share of the bancassurance market grew to 4.2%. The number of active insurance policies remains very high at approximately 18 million.
These figures confirm that banks remain one of the most important distribution channels for simple, mass-market insurance products. This applies primarily to insurance related to loans, payment cards, and customers’ everyday needs.
