Cayman Reinsurance Assets Reach $101B in 2025

Reinsurance assets in the Cayman Islands reached $101 billion at year-end 2025, up from $23 billion in 2020, according to a public statement published by Cayman Finance citing 2025 insurance statistics from the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA).

The statement, authored by Henry Conner, reports that total reinsurance assets increased 341 percent over the 5-year period. The number of licensed reinsurance companies rose from 58 at the end of 2020 to 113 at the end of 2025. Reinsurance premiums increased to $30.2 billion from $9.3 billion 6 years earlier.

Approximately 90 percent of Cayman's reinsurance business originates from the US and Canada, according to the statement. Cayman Finance said growth has been driven in part by capital demand in the US life and annuity markets, where insurers have used offshore reinsurance structures to support long-duration liabilities and manage balance sheet exposure.

"The latest figures reinforce the rapid growth we're seeing across the reinsurance sector in Cayman," said Brittany MacVicar, associate director for insurance and reinsurance at Cayman Finance.

"The jurisdiction has become a domicile of choice for international reinsurers seeking an efficient, well-regulated jurisdiction with English common law certainty and a deep bench of specialist expertise," Ms. MacVicar said.

The statement said the jurisdiction has seen increased activity from reinsurance platforms sponsored by global asset managers and private equity firms, many of which maintain fund operations in Cayman. Cayman is home to more than 30,000 funds representing approximately $16 trillion in assets, Cayman Finance said.

According to the statement, CIMA operates a principles-based, risk-sensitive regulatory framework aligned with International Association of Insurance Supervisors standards. Reinsurers are subject to minimum capital requirements and a risk-based prescribed capital requirement calculated using either a standard formula or an approved internal model. Internal capital models must be calibrated to a 99.5 percent confidence level, equivalent to a 1-in-200-year loss event.

The statement also outlines requirements for US reinsurance transactions. US statutory reserves arising from reinsurance agreements between US cedents and Cayman reinsurers must be held in the US on an asset-withheld basis or in regulated reinsurance trust accounts. All such agreements must comply with National Association of Insurance Commissioners model laws governing coinsurance arrangements.

"As the global insurance protection gap continues to widen, Cayman is well positioned to play an increasingly important role in channeling international capital to meet growing demand for insurance and reinsurance capacity. Cayman combines regulatory flexibility with robust oversight, tax neutrality, and proximity to the US market with access to global capital," Ms. MacVicar said.