Microinsurance in India: Insurance literacy and demand

Microinsurance offers policies to cover four types of risk; life, health, accidental and property and is a key element for the financial inclusion of the poor. This study examined the influence of insurance literacy and demographics on the likely hood of having a micro-insurance policy. The survey was conducted in the National Capital Region (NCR), India. Micro-insurance literacy was measured using a Quiz. The demographic variables included in the study were gender, age, education, marital status, income and the type of employment. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression analysis. Results show that insurance literacy score, income, employment and education increased the likely hood of owning an insurance policy. Furthermore, it was found that the average insurance literacy was only (36 .75 %). Microinsurance can provide risk coverage to the poor which are the most vulnerable section of the society but so far almost 90 percent of the Indian population is uninsured. This study is warranted by the need to create a model that identifies the sections of society which are unlikely to own microinsurance thus contributing to the low offtake of insurance. This study may be beneficial to the government in terms of regulations, the insurance providers in designing their products and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) so that they can reach out to the unlikely groups