U.S. commercial insurance rates increase 2.5%, extending moderating trend
Commercial Lines Insurance Pricing Survey: Q1 2026
NEW YORK, June 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- U.S. commercial insurance rates increased 2.5% in the first quarter of 2026, marking a third consecutive quarter of moderating rate increases, according to the latest findings from WTW’s Commercial Lines Insurance Pricing Survey (CLIPS).
The survey measures changes in commercial insurance pricing by comparing premiums for policies underwritten during the quarter with those for the same coverage lines in the prior year. Carriers reported an aggregate price increase of 2.5% in Q1 2026, down from 5.3% in Q1 2025.
Pricing trends softened across most commercial lines, including Small Commercial, Mid-Market Commercial, and Large Account Commercial accounts. Excess/Umbrella Liability remained the line with the highest increases, though it declined from the previous quarter. Commercial Auto rate increases fell below double digits for the first time since the third quarter of 2023. Pricing trends across all other lines were largely unchanged or slightly lower than the prior quarter.
"The first quarter results reflect a continuation of the moderating pricing environment observed over recent quarters," said Yi Jing, Managing Director, Insurance Consulting and Technology (ICT), WTW. "While Commercial Auto and Excess/Umbrella Liability continue to experience the largest increases, the pace of those increases has eased, with pricing trends across much of the market remaining stable."
CLIPS is a retrospective look at historical changes in Commercial Property & Casualty insurance (P&C) prices and claims cost inflation. A forward-looking analysis of Commercial P&C trends, outlook, and rate predictions can be found in WTW’s Insurance Marketplace Realities series.
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About CLIPS
CLIPS data are based on both new and renewal business figures obtained directly from carriers underwriting the business. CLIPS participants represent a cross-section of U.S. P&C insurers that includes many of the top ten commercial lines companies and the top 25 insurance groups in the U.S. This survey compared prices charged on policies written during the first quarter of 2026, with the prices charged for the same coverage during the same quarter of 2025. For this most recent survey, 40 participating insurers representing approximately 20% of the U.S. commercial insurance market (excluding state workers compensation funds) contributed data.
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Arnelle Sullivan
Arnelle.Sullivan@wtwco.com
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