Aviva grew total group premiums 19 per cent to £11.8bn in the first nine months of the year, up from £10bn in the same period last year, with its £3.7bn takeover of Direct Line driving the bulk of the gain.

The acquisition, completed in July 2025, gives Aviva control of a fifth of the UK motor insurance market. Chief executive Amanda Blanc said the group sees "many opportunities to continue our profitable growth in general insurance".

She singled out three growth paths: extending Direct Line policies further, introducing pet insurance, and expanding in Canada and Ireland, where Aviva already ranks among the leaders in general and life insurance.

What drove the premium surge?

UK and Ireland premiums rose 27 per cent to £8.5bn. The personal lines segment — motor, health and travel cover — surged 54 per cent to £5.5bn, lifted almost entirely by the Direct Line integration.

The group figure of £11.8bn translates to roughly £1.3bn of new premium income per month over the nine-month period, against £1.1bn a month a year earlier.

One segment moved against the trend. Commercial lines insurance, sold to businesses, fell five per cent to £2.9bn, which the company attributed to "softer market conditions".

How strong is the wealth business?

Aviva's wealth arm recorded net flows of £10.9bn, up from £8.3bn the prior year — a 31 per cent increase. Assets under management rose 19 per cent to £267bn, while customer numbers climbed to 6.1 million.

Blanc said the customer growth had buoyed the wealth business and positioned Aviva as the "number one UK player" in the segment.

"We see significant opportunities for Aviva to expand further, across our workplace, adviser and direct businesses, giving us confidence that we will achieve at least £280m in operating profit in wealth by 2027," Blanc said.

Where did the divisions stumble?

Despite the headline growth, several units came under pressure.

• Retirement: Nine-month bulk purchase annuity volumes — the policies defined benefit schemes use to transfer liabilities to insurers — halved to £1.9bn amid increased competition.
• Health insurance: Sales fell 31 per cent to £81m, reflecting slower market growth across consumer and small-business channels.
• Canada: Severe weather and catastrophe claims in Aviva's second-largest market weighed on underwriting profits. Canadian premiums for the year to date rose just two per cent to £3.2bn.

The retirement pipeline offered one offset. Bulk purchase annuity deals signed or in the pipeline where Aviva is named the "preferred provider" reached £5.8bn, ahead of the £4.6bn written across the whole of 2025.

The nine-month numbers mark the first full reading of Aviva's scale since the Direct Line acquisition closed, and they show a group rebalanced toward personal lines and wealth — with motor market share now the clearest measure of the deal's reach.