Aviva posts improved premiums and COR in Q1 results despite ‘challenging’ commercial conditions

Insurer Aviva has seen its general insurance premium income grow and combined operating ratio (COR) fall in its Q1 2026 results, released today (14 May 2026).

The results – which cover the period of 1 January to 31 March 2026 – revealed that general insurance premiums climbed by 19% in the past year, up to £3.4bn from £2.9bn in Q1 2025.

Group undiscounted COR also improved between periods, falling by 2.5 percentage points to 94.1% in the most recent quarter.

The improved results came despite what chief executive of UK and Ireland general insurance at Aviva, Jason Storah, called “challenging market conditions” for commercial lines, with revenue from the segment falling by 7% year-on-year.

Indeed, the improved general insurance premiums were largely driven by 59% growth in personal lines revenue, supported by the purchase of Direct Line in July 2025.

Strong trading performance

Amanda Blanc, group chief executive at Aviva, said: “We have delivered another quarter of strong trading, building momentum in 2026. We delivered profitable growth across Aviva despite global market volatility, demonstrating yet again the advantages of our market leading positions and diverse business model.

“We made excellent progress in general insurance, growing premiums by 19% and improving profitability significantly in the UK, Ireland and Canada. 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.

“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.”