New Brand Finance data reveals Japanese insurance brands account for $43.3 billion of the global insurance sector
TOKYO, 11 June 2026 – Japanese insurance brands continue to maintain a strong global presence, with eight brands featured in the latest Insurance 100 2026 report by Brand Finance, the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Together, they contribute a combined USD43.3 billion in brand value, representing approximately 7% of the ranking’s total value of USD606.7 billion.
Unlike markets where performance is concentrated among a small number of insurers, Japan’s results are characterised by broad-based improvement. All eight Japanese brands represented in this year’s ranking record year-on-year increases in both brand value and Brand Strength Index (BSI) scores, highlighting the sector’s ability to deliver consistent growth while strengthening customer perceptions and brand fundamentals.
Japan’s performance reflects continued demand across life, retirement, protection, and savings categories, supported by disciplined execution, established customer relationships, and continued investment in long-term value creation. As global insurance markets move into a more normalised operating environment, Japan’s insurers demonstrate that sustained growth increasingly depends on balancing financial performance with stronger brand outcomes.
Nippon Life Insurance (brand value up 10% to USD10.2 billion) ranks 19th globally by brand value and records a BSI score of 81.2/100, placing 12th globally by brand strength. The brand continues to benefit from strong familiarity, customer confidence, and broad market reach supported by its longstanding presence across Japan’s life insurance market.
Dai-ichi Life follows closely, ranking 20th globally with a brand value of USD8.6 billion, while Tokio Marine ranks 22nd with a brand value of USD8.4 billion and records a BSI score of 80.5/100, placing 14th worldwide by brand strength.
Japan’s depth of performance extends across the wider ranking as Sony Life (brand value up 10% to USD3.4 billion) records one of the strongest brand performances globally, ranking 13th worldwide with a BSI score of 80.8/100 and an AAA- rating. Brand Finance’s research also identifies Sony Life among the brands perceived to have the strongest performance globally in governance-related sustainability, supported by continued focus on transparency and customer protection measures.
Commenting on the findings, Alex Haigh, Managing Director, Brand Finance Asia Pacific, said:
“Japan’s results in this year’s Insurance 100 ranking highlights the value of sustained investment in both commercial performance and brand fundamentals. While many markets are seeing growth concentrated among a small number of insurers, all eight Japanese brands in the ranking improved both brand value and brand strength. The performances of Nippon Life Insurance, Tokio Marine, and Sony Life demonstrate how long-term customer trust, disciplined execution, and continued investment in relevance can translate into stronger and more resilient brand outcomes.”
Other notable Japanese brands featured in the report:
Global Insights
Globally, the insurance sector records its strongest brand value growth in five years, with the top 100 insurance brands increasing 14% year on year to a collective value of USD606.7 billion. As rate-driven tailwinds begin to moderate, insurers that continue investing in trust, digital capability, underwriting quality, and long-term value creation are expected to remain best positioned to sustain growth.
Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organisations make strategic decisions.
Headquartered in London, Brand Finance operates in over 25 countries. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 6,000 brand valuations, supported by original market research, and publishes over 100 reports which rank brands across all sectors and countries.
Brand Finance also operates the Global Brand Equity Monitor, conducting original market research annually on 6,000 brands, surveying more than 175,000 respondents across 41 countries and 31 industry sectors. By combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database — the largest brand value database in the world — Brand Finance equips ambitious brand leaders with the data, analytics, and the strategic guidance they need to enhance brand and business value.
In addition to calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics, compliant with ISO 20671.
Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm and a committed leader in the standardisation of the brand valuation industry. Brand Finance was the first to be certified by independent auditors as compliant with both ISO 10668 and ISO 20671 and has received the official endorsement of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) in the United States.
Brand is defined as a marketing-related intangible asset including, but not limited to, names, terms, signs, symbols, logos, and designs, intended to identify goods, services, or entities, creating distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefits.
Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. Brand Finance evaluates brand strength in a process compliant with ISO 20671, looking at Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and the impact of those on Business Performance. The data used is derived from Brand Finance’s proprietary market research programme and from publicly available sources.
Each brand is assigned a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score out of 100, which feeds into the brand value calculation. Based on the score, each brand is assigned a corresponding Brand Rating up to AAA+ in a format similar to a credit rating.
Brand Finance calculates the values of brands in its rankings using the Royalty Relief approach – a brand valuation method compliant with the industry standards set in ISO 10668. It involves estimating the likely future revenues that are attributable to a brand by calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for its use, to arrive at a ‘brand value’ understood as a net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.
The steps in this process are as follows:
1 Calculate brand strength using a balanced scorecard of metrics assessing Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and Business Performance. Brand strength is expressed as a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score on a scale of 0 to 100.
2 Determine royalty range for each industry, reflecting the importance of brand to purchasing decisions. In luxury, the maximum percentage is high, while in extractive industry, where goods are often commoditised, it is lower. This is done by reviewing comparable licensing agreements sourced from Brand Finance’s extensive database.
3 Calculate royalty rate. The BSI score is applied to the royalty range to arrive at a royalty rate. For example, if the royalty range in a sector is 0-5% and a brand has a BSI score of 80 out of 100, then an appropriate royalty rate for the use of this brand in the given sector will be 4%.
4 Determine brand-specific revenues by estimating a proportion of parent company revenues attributable to a brand.
5 Determine forecast revenues using a function of historic revenues, equity analyst forecasts, and economic growth rates.
6 Apply the royalty rate to the forecast revenues to derive brand revenues.
7 Discount post-tax brand revenues to a net present value which equals the brand value.
Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organisation.
The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance's proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.
