The Rising Protection Gap: Why Millions Are Underinsured and What It Means for Global Financial Security
The Rising Protection Gap: Why Millions Are Underinsured and What It Means for Global Financial Security Across nearly every region and income bracket, a quiet crisis is unfolding: the gap between what people expect their insurance to cover and what they are actually protected against is widening. Known in the industry as the "protection gap," this disparity represents the difference between total economic losses from disasters, illness, and accidents — and the portion of those losses actually covered by insurance. In recent years, this gap has grown faster than global economic growth itself, leaving millions of households, small businesses, and even entire communities exposed to financial ruin when misfortune strikes. It is not simply a problem of people choosing to go without coverage; it is a complex combination of rising costs, shrinking policy scope, outdated assumptions, and systemic barriers that threaten to undermine financial resilience worldwide. Defining the ...