A Firm Foundation: How Insurance Supports the Economy

Contribution To Gross Domestic Product

Gross domestic product (GDP) is the total value of all final goods and services produced in the economy. The GDP growth rate is the primary indicator of the state of the economy. On an annual basis, the insurance industry’s value added to the GDP exceeded that of banks for the first time in 2015 and has remained above banks. In 2018 the insurance industry’s value-added to GDP stood at 2.8 percent. 

Insurance Sector's Share Of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 2014-2018

($ billions)

    Insurance carriers and
related activities
Year Total GDP GDP Percent of
total GDP
2014 $17,521.7 $485.2 2.8%
2015 18,219.3 542.2 3.0
2016 18,707.2 557.5 3.0
2017 19,485.4 540.8 2.8
2018 20,494.1 564.5 2.8

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis.

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