Non-Linear Effects of Life and Non-Life Insurance Penetration Rates on Economic Growth in Iran

The main objective of this study is to investigate the effects of life and non-life insurance on economic growth in Iran. To this end, the smooth transition regression (STR) model was used by gathering data on life and non-life insurance penetration, active population and gross fixed capital formation during 1947-2014. The results confirmed the non-linear effects of life and non-life insurance penetration rates on economic growth in Iran. Also, the logistic transfer function with two regime changes (LSTR2) was identified for both variables, and the life insurance penetration rate was selected as the appropriate transition variable. Thus, the regime has changed twice in the Iranian insurance industry. At %1 level of significance, the effectiveness of life insurance penetration rate in linear and non-linear parts of the model was -0.13 and -0.39, respectively. In addition, the effectiveness of non-life insurance penetration rate in the linear part of the model was 0.08 at %10 level of significance, while its effectiveness in the non-linear part was 0.52 in %1 level of significance. Since 2009, when the second regime change occurred for the total insurance industry, the negative effectiveness of life insurance penetration rate and positive effectiveness of non-life insurance penetration rate have been decreasing 3 times and 6 times, respectively. Therefore, the planning of the Iranian insurance industry is improving towards the global average performance, which means the increasing demand for life insurance. In addition, at %1 level of significance, the linear effectiveness of active population and gross fixed capital formation are estimated 1.02 and 0.24, respectively.