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Thirty final expense firms report selling 1.3 million policies in 2025.

WINDSOR, Conn., July 30, 2026 – U.S. final expense life insurance new annualized premium increased 32% year over year to $1.38 billion in 2025, according to the latest LIMRA–Life Insurers Council (LIC) Final Expense Survey Report.

The study examines 2025 sales data reported by 30 life insurance companies, including policy size, premium and policy count, and breakdowns by underwriting category, policy type, and distribution channel.

In 2025, survey participants reported 1.3 million policies sold, up 25% year over year. Seventeen of the 30 companies surveyed reported greater than 10% sales growth year over year, and of those, 8 experienced sales more than 25% above their sales in 2024. This includes two of the top-selling carriers; excluding those, average sales growth was approximately 12%. The leading drivers of this year’s sales growth were increased agent productivity and expanded distribution.

“Overall, the study reveals solid growth in the final expense market, with variability among individual carriers as seen in the past two surveys as well,” said Dean Lambert, executive director, LIC. “Final expense insurance offers important protection for lower-income Americans, particularly seniors. The LIC is proud to serve as a resource to help carriers understand the challenges and opportunities to succeed in the final expense marketplace.”

Sales expectations for 2026 are optimistic but suggest that growth may slow somewhat. Most participating carriers believe the final expense industry will experience a moderate increase in 2026 (between 2 percent and 10 percent).

Most of the sales reported (76%) were simplified-issue policies with an average face amount of $15,344. The remaining 24% were guaranteed-issue policies with an average face amount of $11,299. Among the surveyed carriers, independent distribution is the predominant sales channel for final expense products, selling 75% of the policies reported in 2025. Affiliated distribution sold 20% of the final expense policies, and 5% of policies were sold through direct-to-consumer channels.

The LIMRA–LIC Final Expense Survey is not a comprehensive view of the U.S. final expense market, but offers a snapshot of sales trends for participating companies. For more information or to purchase the report, visit www.loma.org/LICSurveys or contact lic@loma.org.

About LIMRA

Serving the industry since 1916, LIMRA offers industry knowledge, insights, connections, and solutions to help more than 700 member organizations navigate change with confidence. Visit LIMRA at www.limra.com.

About LOMA

LOMA helps to advance the financial services industry by empowering more than 700 financial services companies to navigate change with confidence. Visit LOMA at www.loma.org.

About LIC

The Life Insurers Council (www.loma.org/LIC) is a council of LIMRA and LOMA that provides networking and resources for small-to-midsized life insurance companies and all companies involved in final expense, preneed, and home service, improving performance through shared excellence. LIC has conducted annual surveys of final expense sales since 2009.