IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/pal/gpprii/v49y2024i1d10.1057_s41288-022-00278-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Institutional determinants of insurance penetration in Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Mamadou Bah

    (African Development Bank Group (AfDB))

  • Nelson Abila

    (African Development Bank Group (AfDB))

Abstract

This paper investigates the institutional determinants of insurance demand in Africa. We used a panel of 42 countries over the period 1996–2017. A system GMM approach was used for the estimations. Consistent with previous results, we find that institutional quality has positive and significant effects on insurance penetration in Africa. Specifically, regulatory quality, rule of law, control of corruption, political stability and absence of violence, and government effectiveness are the five institutional quality indicators that have positive and significant effects on the demand for total insurance and life insurance. However, only regulatory quality, control of corruption and government effectiveness are positively associated with non-life insurance demand. This indicates that governments should improve the business environment and strengthen the political environment to boost insurance development in Africa.

Suggested Citation

  • Mamadou Bah & Nelson Abila, 2024. "Institutional determinants of insurance penetration in Africa," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 49(1), pages 138-179, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:gpprii:v:49:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1057_s41288-022-00278-2
    DOI: 10.1057/s41288-022-00278-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41288-022-00278-2
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1057/s41288-022-00278-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mamadou Bah & Henri Atangana Ondoa & Koffi Délali Kpognon, 2021. "Effects of governance quality on exports in Sub-Saharan Africa," International Economics, CEPII research center, issue 167, pages 1-14.
    2. Subir Sen & S Madheswaran, 2013. "Regional determinants of life insurance consumption: evidence from selected Asian economies," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 27(2), pages 86-103, November.
    3. Arellano, Manuel & Bover, Olympia, 1995. "Another look at the instrumental variable estimation of error-components models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 29-51, July.
    4. Dani Rodrik & Arvind Subramanian & Francesco Trebbi, 2004. "Institutions Rule: The Primacy of Institutions Over Geography and Integration in Economic Development," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 9(2), pages 131-165, June.
    5. Donghui Li & Fariborz Moshirian & Pascal Nguyen & Timothy Wee, 2007. "The Demand for Life Insurance in OECD Countries," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 74(3), pages 637-652, September.
    6. David Roodman, 2009. "How to do xtabond2: An introduction to difference and system GMM in Stata," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 9(1), pages 86-136, March.
    7. Nicholas Bloom, 2009. "The Impact of Uncertainty Shocks," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 77(3), pages 623-685, May.
    8. Ross Levine & Norman Loayza & Thorsten Beck, 2002. "Financial Intermediation and Growth: Causality and Causes," Central Banking, Analysis, and Economic Policies Book Series, in: Leonardo Hernández & Klaus Schmidt-Hebbel & Norman Loayza (Series Editor) & Klaus Schmidt-Hebbel (Se (ed.),Banking, Financial Integration, and International Crises, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 2, pages 031-084, Central Bank of Chile.
    9. Daron Acemoglu & Simon Johnson & James A. Robinson, 2002. "Reversal of Fortune: Geography and Institutions in the Making of the Modern World Income Distribution," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 117(4), pages 1231-1294.
    10. Andrei A. Levchenko, 2007. "Institutional Quality and International Trade," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 74(3), pages 791-819.
    11. Blundell, Richard & Bond, Stephen, 1998. "Initial conditions and moment restrictions in dynamic panel data models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 115-143, August.
    12. Keefer, Philip & Knack, Stephen, 2002. "Polarization, Politics and Property Rights: Links between Inequality and Growth," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 111(1-2), pages 127-154, March.
    13. Park, Sojung Carol & Lemaire, Jean, 2012. "The Impact of Culture on the Demand for Non-Life Insurance," ASTIN Bulletin, Cambridge University Press, vol. 42(2), pages 501-527, November.
    14. Menahem E. Yaari, 1965. "Uncertain Lifetime, Life Insurance, and the Theory of the Consumer," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 32(2), pages 137-150.
    15. Tam Trinh & Xuan Nguyen & Pasquale Sgro, 2016. "Determinants of non-life insurance expenditure in developed and developing countries: an empirical investigation," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 48(58), pages 5639-5653, December.
    16. Qing Liu & Ruosi Lu & Xiangjun Ma, 2015. "Corruption, Financial Resources and Exports," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(5), pages 1023-1043, November.
    17. David Roodman, 2009. "A Note on the Theme of Too Many Instruments," Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, Department of Economics, University of Oxford, vol. 71(1), pages 135-158, February.
    18. Odunayo Olarewaju & Thabiso Msomi, 2021. "Determinants of Insurance Penetration in West African Countries: A Panel Auto Regressive Distributed Lag Approach," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-15, July.
    19. Beck, Thorsten & Levine, Ross & Loayza, Norman, 2000. "Finance and the sources of growth," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(1-2), pages 261-300.
    20. Asongu, Simplice A. & Biekpe, Nicholas, 2018. "ICT, information asymmetry and market power in African banking industry," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 518-531.
    21. Park, H. & Borde, S. F. & Choi, Y., 2002. "Determinants of insurance pervasiveness: a cross-national analysis," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 11(1), pages 79-96, February.
    22. Avinash Dixit, 2009. "Governance Institutions and Economic Activity," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 99(1), pages 5-24, March.
    23. Gine,Xavier & Barboza Ribeiro,Bernardo & Wrede,Peter Friedrich Wilhelm, 2019. "Beyond the S-curve : Insurance Penetration, Institutional Quality and Financial Market Development," Policy Research Working Paper Series 8925, The World Bank.
    24. Simona Laura Dragos & Codruta Mare & Ingrid-Mihaela Dragota & Cristian Mihai Dragos & Gabriela Mihaela Muresan, 2017. "The nexus between the demand for life insurance and institutional factors in Europe: new evidence from a panel data approach," Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(1), pages 1477-1496, January.
    25. Rangan Gupta & Amine Lahiani & Chi-Chuan Lee & Chien-Chiang Lee, 2019. "Asymmetric dynamics of insurance premium: the impacts of output and economic policy uncertainty," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 57(6), pages 1959-1978, December.
    26. Thorsten Beck & Ian Webb, 2003. "Economic, Demographic, and Institutional Determinants of Life Insurance Consumption across Countries," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 17(1), pages 51-88, June.
    27. Chi-Hung Chang & Chien-Chiang Lee, 2012. "Non-Linearity Between Life Insurance and Economic Development: A Revisited Approach," The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 37(2), pages 223-257, September.
    28. Feyen, Erik & Lester, Rodney & Rocha, Roberto, 2013. "What Drives the Development of the Insurance Sector? An Empirical Analysis Based on a Panel of Developed and Developing Countries," Journal of Financial Perspectives, EY Global FS Institute, vol. 1(1), pages 117-139.
    29. Mr. Arvind Subramanian & Mr. Francesco Trebbi & Mr. Dani Rodrik, 2002. "Institutions Rule: The Primacy of Institutions over Integration and Geography in Economic Development," IMF Working Papers 2002/189, International Monetary Fund.
    30. Wen, Guanzhong James & Zhang, Chu, 1993. "Investment under risk in property rights," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 4(1), pages 49-53.
    31. J. Francois Outreville, 2018. "Culture and Life Insurance Ownership: Is It an Issue?," Journal of Insurance Issues, Western Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 41(2), pages 168-192.
    32. Mouna Zerriaa & Mohamed Marouen Amiri & Hedi Noubbigh & Kamel Naoui, 2017. "Determinants of Life Insurance Demand in Tunisia," African Development Review, African Development Bank, vol. 29(1), pages 69-80, March.
    33. Mumtaz, Haroon, 2018. "Does uncertainty affect real activity? Evidence from state-level data," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 127-130.
    34. Mehmet Balcilar & Godwin Oluseye Olasehinde-Williams & Muhammad Shahbaz, 2019. "Asymmetric dynamics of insurance premium: the impact of monetary policy uncertainty on insurance premiums in Japan," International Journal of Monetary Economics and Finance, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 12(3), pages 233-247.
    35. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Chiu, Yi-Bin & Chang, Chi-Hung, 2013. "Insurance demand and country risks: A nonlinear panel data analysis," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 68-85.
    36. Neil Esho & Anatoly Kirievsky & Damian Ward & Ralf Zurbruegg, 2004. "Law and the Determinants of Property‐Casualty Insurance," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 71(2), pages 265-283, June.
    37. D.O. Olayungbo & A.E. Akinlo, 2016. "Insurance penetration and economic growth in Africa: Dynamic effects analysis using Bayesian TVP-VAR approach," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 4(1), pages 1150390-115, December.
    38. Hakansson, Nils H, 1969. "Optimal Investment and Consumption Strategies under Risk, an Uncertain Lifetime, and Insurance," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 10(3), pages 443-466, October.
    39. Beck , Thorsten & Demirguc-Kunt, Asli & Levine, Ross, 2009. "Financial institutions and markets across countries and over time - data and analysis," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4943, The World Bank.
    40. Roe, Mark J. & Siegel, Jordan I., 2011. "Political instability: Effects on financial development, roots in the severity of economic inequality," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 279-309, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nguyen Phuc Canh & Udomsak Wongchoti & Su Dinh Thanh, 2021. "Does economic policy uncertainty matter for insurance development? Evidence from 16 OECD countries," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 46(4), pages 614-648, October.
    2. Lee, Chien-Chiang & Chang, Chi-Hung & Arouri, Mohamed & Lee, Chi-Chuan, 2016. "Economic growth and insurance development: The role of institutional environments," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 361-369.
    3. Cong Tam Trinh & Minh-Tri Ha & Nhut Quang Ho & Tho Alang, 2023. "National culture, public health spending and life insurance consumption: an international comparison," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-14, December.
    4. Lee, Hui Shan & Cheng, Fan Fah & Chong, Shyue Chuan & Sia, Bik Kai, 2018. "Influence of Macroeconomics Factors and Legal Stability to the Insurance Growth in the ASEAN-5 Countries," Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, vol. 52(2), pages 219-229.
    5. Trinh, Cong Tam & Nguyen, Xuan & Sgro, Pasquale & Pham, Cong S., 2020. "Culture, financial crisis and the demand for property, accident and health insurance in the OECD countries," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 480-498.
    6. Bojan Srbinoski & Klime Poposki & Patricia H. Born & Valter Lazzari, 2021. "Life insurance demand and borrowing constraints," Risk Management and Insurance Review, American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 24(1), pages 37-69, March.
    7. Effiong, Ekpeno, 2015. "Financial Development, Institutions and Economic Growth: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa," MPRA Paper 66085, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Bah, Mamadou & Atangana Ondoa, Henri & Kpognon, Koffi Délali, 2021. "Effects of governance quality on exports in Sub-Saharan Africa," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 1-14.
    9. Alhassan, Abdul Latif & Biekpe, Nicholas, 2016. "Determinants of life insurance consumption in Africa," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 17-27.
    10. Simona Laura Dragoş & Codruţa Mare & Cristian Mihai Dragoş, 2019. "Institutional drivers of life insurance consumption: a dynamic panel approach for European countries," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 44(1), pages 36-66, January.
    11. Cong Tam Trinh & Xuan Nguyen & Pasquale Sgro, 2021. "Culture and the demand for non‐life insurance: Empirical evidences from middle‐income and high‐income economies," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(3), pages 431-458, July.
    12. Balcilar, Mehmet & Gupta, Rangan & Lee, Chien-Chiang & Olasehinde-Williams, Godwin, 2018. "The synergistic effect of insurance and banking sector activities on economic growth in Africa," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 42(4), pages 637-648.
    13. Stephanie Hussels & Damian Ward & Ralf Zurbruegg, 2005. "Stimulating the Demand for Insurance," Risk Management and Insurance Review, American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 8(2), pages 257-278, September.
    14. J. François Outreville, 2015. "The Relationship Between Relative Risk Aversion And The Level Of Education: A Survey And Implications For The Demand For Life Insurance," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 97-111, February.
    15. Vu, Khuong M & Asongu, Simplice, 2020. "Backwardness advantage and economic growth in the information age: A cross-country empirical study," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    16. Rangan Gupta & Amine Lahiani & Chi-Chuan Lee & Chien-Chiang Lee, 2019. "Asymmetric dynamics of insurance premium: the impacts of output and economic policy uncertainty," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 57(6), pages 1959-1978, December.
    17. Siong Law & W. Azman-Saini, 2012. "Institutional quality, governance, and financial development," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 13(3), pages 217-236, September.
    18. J. François Outreville, 2011. "The relationship between insurance growth and economic development - 80 empirical papers for a review of the literature," ICER Working Papers 12-2011, ICER - International Centre for Economic Research.
    19. Miletkov, Mihail & Wintoki, M. Babajide, 2012. "Financial development and the evolution of property rights and legal institutions," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 650-673.
    20. Pradhan, Rudra P. & Arvin, Mak B. & Norman, Neville R., 2015. "Insurance development and the finance-growth nexus: Evidence from 34 OECD countries," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 1-22.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pal:gpprii:v:49:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1057_s41288-022-00278-2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.palgrave-journals.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.