Brand Finance’s Insurance 100 2026 reveals the collective brand value of Australian insurance brands up by 25%
SYDNEY, 9 June 2026 – Australia’s insurance sector shows noteworthy growth, recording a 25% increase in its collective brand value from USD6.9 billion in 2025 to USD8.6 billion this year. According to the latest Insurance 100 2026 report by Brand Finance, the world's leading brand valuation consultancy, all four Australian brands featured posted double-digit growth, supported by rising premiums and consistent investment returns in recent years.
QBE (brand value up 23% to USD3.5 billion) remains the most valuable Australian insurance brand, rising five spots to 46th globally among the world’s 100 most valuable brands from the sector. The brand delivered a strong financial performance, with a statutory net profit after tax of USD2.2 billion and an adjusted return on equity of almost 20%. QBE’s achievement this year highlights the brand’s multi-year turnaround, shifting from volatility to high-quality, disciplined earnings. In terms of brand strength, QBE’s Brand Strength Index (BSI) score experienced a slight dip from 62.6/100 in 2025 to 60.7/100 this year, while maintaining its A+ brand strength rating. This decline was linked to strategic portfolio exits, such as third-party consumer lines and property underwriting relationships, which reduced market presence and customer touchpoints.
NRMA Insurance (brand value up 45% to USD2 billion) follows as Australia’s second most valuable insurance brand after a 19-spot leap, ranking 71st this year. The brand also ranks as the sixth strongest insurance brand globally, receiving a BSI score of 86.4/100 and an AAA brand strength rating. NRMA Insurance’s strong brand value performance can be attributed to a 6.8% increase in operating revenue across all segments and membership base that grew to 3.4 million as of November 2025. In terms of brand strength, NRMA Insurance maintained its top 10 ranking thanks to improvements in key market research metrics such as familiarity, appeal, price acceptance, and customer selection. The launch of the NRMA Insurance Help Fund, a multimillion-dollar initiative to support climate resilience in Australia, also reinforced its standing among sustainability-conscious consumers.
Suncorp (brand value up 14% to USD1.7 billion) ranks as the 85th most valuable insurance brand globally after a steady two-spot climb. The brand reported a significant 50% increase in its net profit after tax to USD1.8 billion in the 2025 financial year. One key factor contributing to the revenue growth was natural disaster payouts remaining below allocated provisions, improving profitability and supporting overall revenue trends. The brand also demonstrated consistent improvement in brand strength, rising two positions to rank as the 84th strongest insurance brand with a BSI score of 56.2/100 (51.8/100 in 2025) and an A brand strength rating.
Medibank (brand value up 18% to USD1.3 billion) demonstrates an increase in brand value, climbing six places to rank as the 94th most valuable insurance brand globally. The Australian private health insurance provider delivered solid financial performance, recording a year-on-year revenue growth of more than 5% to AUD8.8 billion (USD6.3 billion), driven by rising premium prices and a net growth in policyholders, including new resident members and a surge in non-resident policy units. Additionally, major Australian funds acquired significant stakes in the brand, reflecting investor confidence and boosting its share price and market capitalisation.
Commenting on the findings, Mark Crowe, Managing Director, Brand Finance Australia, said:
“Australia’s insurance sector is demonstrating remarkable resilience and momentum, with brands such as QBE, NRMA Insurance, Suncorp, and Medibank achieving strong double-digit brand value growth in 2026. Their performance reflects not only favourable market conditions but also disciplined financial management and ongoing customer trust. Initiatives focused on climate resilience, customer engagement, and operational transformation are increasingly shaping competitive advantage, reinforcing the sector’s focus on reliability and long-term brand strength in a competitive market.”
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.
