France life‑insurance inflows reach 20‑year high in first half of 2026

French households continue to favour life‑insurance contracts, with 40 % of savers choosing the product in 2024 despite low returns elsewhere. The cultural attachment to life‑insurance, described as a "social contract of saving," underpins the surge.

In the first six months of 2026, net inflows into life‑insurance reached €36.5 billion, the strongest since the 2006 peak. June alone saw a record €19.3 billion of new contributions, up 12 % year‑on‑year. At the end of June, the total value of life‑insurance contracts stood at €2 trillion, a 6 % increase over the previous year. The trend is reinforced by declining interest on regulated savings accounts such as the Livret A and by growing uptake of insurance‑based retirement plans (PER).

France Assureurs’ director‑general Paul Esmein noted that the movement provides long‑term funding for the French and European economy while meeting savers’ need for security and wealth transmission.