Aviva said on 13 November its nine-month general insurance premiums rose 19% to £11.8bn, from £10.0bn, with Direct Line counted for nine months against three.
The figures cover the nine months to 30 September, and all premium movements are in constant currency (stripping out exchange-rate effects) unless stated otherwise.
Aviva completed the Direct Line purchase on 1 July 2025, so the comparator holds only the final quarter of that business’s premiums.
In the UK and Ireland, premiums rose 27% to £8.5bn from £6.7bn. Personal lines, where Direct Line sits, grew 54%, which Aviva attributed to the acquisition and to continued growth in intermediated (broker-sold) business.
The lines that Direct Line does not flatter were weaker. UK commercial lines premiums fell 5%, which Aviva said reflected underwriting discipline to focus on profitability in current market conditions.
Canada, the group’s other large general insurance market, grew 2% in constant currency to £3.3bn, level with the £3.3bn of the previous period. Personal lines rose 4% on pricing actions across auto and property, while commercial lines were flat.
Aviva said larger scheme wins in its Global Corporate and Specialty unit were partly offset by what it called a competitive rating environment in Canada.
Amanda Blanc, group chief executive, gave the acquisition credit for part of the UK result. In the UK, she said, premiums were up 28%, “boosted by our home insurance partnership with Nationwide and the great progress we are making with Direct Line.”
That is a point above the 27% reported for UK and Ireland general insurance premiums.
The half-year results on 14 August show how large the Direct Line effect was before the comparator caught up.
UK personal lines premiums grew 98% to £3,679m in the six months to 30 June, from £1,858m, when the comparator held no Direct Line premiums at all.
Over the same six months, UK commercial lines premiums fell 4% to £1,927m from £2,008m. Group general insurance premiums rose 29% to £8,093m from £6,290m.
Profitability moved the right way. The group undiscounted combined operating ratio, which measures claims and costs as a share of premiums, with anything below 100% indicating an underwriting profit, improved to 93.8% from 94.4%.
Aviva said strong rate adequacy and favourable prior-year reserve development were partly offset by elevated weather-related claims in Canada in the third quarter.
On the outlook, Aviva said it expects the softer rating environment in commercial lines to persist in the coming months and will keep prioritising underwriting discipline.
It said it is on track for a UK and Ireland combined ratio below 94% in 2026 and for Canada to approach 94%.
On Direct Line itself, Aviva expects cumulative run-rate cost synergies of about £130m by the end of 2026, plus more than £350m of remaining capital synergies out of a total above £500m.
It still expects 2026 operating earnings per share growth broadly in line with its 11% target.
The group’s estimated Solvency II shareholder cover ratio, a measure of capital against regulatory requirements, was 179%, from 176% at the half year.
Aviva is also reworking the Direct Line product range. It has introduced Silver, Gold and Platinum home insurance tiers for new customers, with existing customers moving across at renewal.
Dan Simson, head of Direct Line Home Insurance at Aviva, said: “Home insurance shouldn’t stand still.”
Aviva’s trading update said it expects to reach the end of 2026 with a solvency ratio in the high 180s, subject to market movements.
