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Efficiency Of Insurance Companies In Croatia

Author

Listed:
  • Dean Uckar

    (Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Faculty of Economics and Tourism “Dr. Mijo Mirkovićâ€)

  • Danijel Petrovic

    (Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Faculty of Economics and Tourism “Dr. Mijo Mirkovićâ€)

Abstract

Insurance companies have an important role in the stability and growth of the financial market and the economy as a whole. Therefore, it is crucial that insurance companies operate efficiently. Due to financial consolidation that overtook the Croatian financial market, the number of insurance companies dicreased from 24 in 2015, at the start of the observed period, to 15 in 2020. Following the financial consolidation, a number of large insurance companies that dominate the Croatian insurance market was set up. The main goal of this paper is to estimate and compare the efficiency of Croatian insurance companies using traditional financial indicators and nonparametric DEA methodology in the period from 2015 until 2020. Furthermore, the paper aims to determine whether large insurers are more efficient than the medium and small insurers. The results indicate that large insurers in general achieve above-average the ROI, ROE, and ROA values and below-average the claims, expense, and debt ratios. They achieve above-average or full efficiency according to the DEA methodology. In addition, some small insurance companies tend to be efficient, while for medium insurance companies the results are more complicated. Finally, the average efficiency of insurance companies improved in the observed period, while the gap between large, medium and small insurers keeps widening.

Suggested Citation

  • Dean Uckar & Danijel Petrovic, 2022. "Efficiency Of Insurance Companies In Croatia," Economic Thought and Practice, Department of Economics and Business, University of Dubrovnik, vol. 31(1), pages 49-79, june.
    • Handle: RePEc:avo:emipdu:v:31:y:2022:i:1:p:49-79
    DOI: 10.17818/EMIP/2022/1.3
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Eling, Martin & Luhnen, Michael, 2010. "Efficiency in the international insurance industry: A cross-country comparison," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(7), pages 1497-1509, July.
    2. Wanke, Peter & Barros, Carlos Pestana, 2016. "Efficiency drivers in Brazilian insurance: A two-stage DEA meta frontier-data mining approach," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 8-22.
    3. Fukuyama, Hirofumi, 1997. "Investigating productive efficiency and productivity changes of Japanese life insurance companies," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 5(4), pages 481-509, September.
    4. Maria Rosa Borges & Milton Nektarios & Carlos Pestana Barros, 2008. "Analysing The Efficiency Of The Greek Life Insurance Industry," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(3), pages 35-52.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Insurance companies; DEA methodology; Croatian insurance market; insurance and risk;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G22 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Insurance; Insurance Companies; Actuarial Studies
    • C61 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Optimization Techniques; Programming Models; Dynamic Analysis
    • C67 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods; Programming Models; Mathematical and Simulation Modeling - - - Input-Output Models

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