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Canada Life retains position as most valuable Canadian insurance brand; Desjardins Insurance debuts in global top 50

28 May 2026
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Brand Finance data shows 7 Canadian brands feature among the world’s top 100 insurance brands; collective brand value is $34.4 billion

  • Intact more than doubles its brand value to $4.3 billion and becomes Canada’s strongest insurance brand
  • Canada Life remains the most valuable Canadian insurance brand, ranked 16th globally
  • World’s 100 most valuable insurance brands reach $606.7 billion in total brand value in 2026, recording the sector’s strongest growth in five years
  • Ping An Insurance remains the world’s most valuable insurance brand for the 10th consecutive year; China Life Insurance leads on brand strength

VANCOUVER, 28 May 2026 – Canada’s insurance sector continues to demonstrate resilience and growth, with seven Canadian insurance brands featured in the Brand Finance Insurance 100 2026 ranking, according to a new report from Brand Finance, the world's leading brand valuation consultancy. Together, Canadian brands account for USD34.4 billion in brand value, representing 6% of the ranking’s total value.

Canada Life maintains its position as the most valuable Canadian insurance brand, with a brand value of USD12.2 billion, ranking 16th globally. Manulife ranks second among Canadian brands, with a brand value of USD6.6 billion, placing 27th globally.

Intact recorded the strongest growth as its brand value more than doubled (+101%) to USD4.3 billion in 2026, largely driven by the completion of its RSA Insurance acquisition. The brand climbed from 63rd place to 38th globally, becoming the third most valuable Canadian brand in the ranking. Intact also emerges as the strongest Canadian insurance brand, with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 74.7 out of 100. TD Insurance ranks as the second-strongest Canadian brand in the ranking, with a BSI score of 73.2/100, while its brand value increased by 33% to USD2.1 billion.

By contrast, ranked fourth among Canadian insurance brands, Sun Life’s brand value declined by 12% to USD4.0 billion, reflecting exposure to climate-related losses.

Desjardins Insurance enters the ranking for the first time in 2026, debuting in 42nd place globally with a brand value of USD3.7 billion, signaling continued expansion across the Canadian insurance sector.

Alfred DuPuy, Managing Director, North America, Brand Finance, commented:

“The Canadian insurance sector’s narrative is one of divergence. While established giants maintain stability, challengers like Intact capture growth through agility and risk-focused innovation. In an era of volatility, the sector’s overall growth underscores its role as both a financial stabilizer and a consumer essential.”

Overall, insurance brands are staging their fastest growth in five years, with the world’s top 100 reaching a combined USD606.7 billion in brand value, up 14% year-on-year. The rise underscores resilient earnings and tighter underwriting discipline across global markets. At the same time, China continues to be a major driver of global insurance brand value, supported by demographic trends and growing demand for protection and retirement products.

Brand Finance’s analysis shows that strong pricing, improved reserve positions, and higher investment income supported brand value growth through 2024 and early 2025. While pricing momentum is beginning to normalize in some commercial and reinsurance lines, overall profitability across much of the sector remains above long-term averages.

2026 marks Ping An Insurance’s 10th year as the most valuable brand in the Brand Finance Insurance 100 ranking, with its brand value rising by 19% to USD40 billion, underpinned by consistent performance across its insurance portfolio and strengthened risk management. China Life Insurance ranks as the strongest insurance brand globally, with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 93/100 and an AAA+ strength rating.

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Penny Erricker
Associate Communications Manager
Brand Finance

About Brand Finance

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.

Definition of Brand

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

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 Valuation Approach

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.

Disclaimer

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.

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