The Effect of Country Risk on Life Insurance Penetration in Selected Countries

Risk aversion, the main reason is the demand for life insurance. Because, life insurance transferring the risk of people to insurance companies, damage caused by its risk more tolerable and more manageable. So, is expected in countries with higher risks higher, life insurance penetration is higher. But, empirical evidence shows that interest on life insurance in countries with high and medium risk is minimal. While in countries with very low risk, embracing the life insurance is very impressive. Therefore, the present study tried the effect of country risk (political, economic and financial) on life insurance penetration in two groups of selected countries with high and medium risk and selected countries very low risk during the period 2002-2015 analyzed. The research model using panel data and the generalized method of moments estimated. The results showed that the effect of political risk, economic risk and financial risk on the life insurance penetration in both groups from the selected countries is negative and meaningful. The effect of Control variables including per capita income, education of level and life expectancy on life insurance penetration in both groups of selected countries has a positive and meaningful. The effect of misery index on life insurance penetration in both groups of selected countries has a negative and meaningful. But, the effect of dependency ratio on life insurance penetration in selected countries with very low risk has a positive and meaningful and on life insurance penetration of selected countries with high and medium risk has a negative and meaningful.