Rush for Coverage Boosts Insurers in Earthquake-Struck Croatia
- Industry group sees jump in demand after major quakes in 2020
- Damage payouts minimal as few held policies, insurers say
Photographer: Damir Sencar/AFP/Getty Images
Croatian insurers are reaping a windfall as residents rush to sign up for protection after two destructive earthquakes last year left them to rebuild without private coverage, the head of the country’s industry association said.
After escaping billions of kuna in payouts because most property owners lacked earthquake insurance, companies like Croatia Osiguranje d.d. and Euroherc Osiguranje d.d., Allianz SE and Vienna Insurance Group AG now see demand for premiums soaring following a March quake in Zagreb and a Dec. 29 temblor further south, said insurers’ association President Robert Vuckovic. In January, coverage is estimated to have doubled from a year earlier. Premiums for earthquake damage jumped 30% last year, spurred by the March tremor. Exact figures will be released later this month, he said.