2026 Best’s Rankings: Total Life Issued Insurers Swap Order in Top Five
OLDWICK, N.J. //BestWire// - The top five carriers on this past year’s total life issued Best’s Rankings report were the same as the year prior but with some reordering, according to the ranking.
MetLife Insurance Cos. retained the top spot despite a 5.7% decline in total life issued, which reached $337.85 billion in 2025. New York Life Group moved from No. 5 to No. 2 in the most recent ranking with an 80.9% increase in total life issued, which hit $318.35 billion.
Meiji Yasuda US Life Group fell year-over-year from No. 2 to No. 3 on the most recent ranking as it saw total life issued change little from the year prior and total $235.16 billion.
Lincoln Financial Group fell from No. 3 to No. 4 with total issued up 0.4% to $189.60 billion. Northwestern Mutual Group fell from four to five, with $189.21 billion in total life issued.
Overall, the U.S. life insurance industry saw total issued life increase 7.1 to reach $3.79 trillion in 2025, the ranking said.
The Best’s Ranking report lists the top 100 U.S. life carriers by rank in 2024 and 2025, total life business issued and percent change.
Subscribers can access the report and data here.
Learn more about Best’s News and Research Service.
AM Best data sourced from Best’s Financial Suite, US.
(By Steve Hallo, senior associate editor, BestWire: Steve.Hallo@ambest.com)