Vienna Insurance Group posted a profit before taxes of €310.3 million for the first quarter of 2026, marking an 18.8% increase compared with the same period a year earlier. The improvement was mainly supported by solid contributions from the Special Markets, Poland, Extended CEE, and Austria segments.
The group also recorded continued premium expansion, with gross written premiums rising 4.4% year on year to €4.857 billion. Among the best-performing markets, the Czech Republic led with growth of 8.4%, followed by Poland and Extended CEE at 5.0% each, while Austria advanced by 4.5%. Within the Extended CEE region, the strongest drivers of this increase were Hungary, Slovakia, and Bulgaria.
Operational performance remained favourable
VIG’s net combined ratio improved to 91.8% in Q1 2026, representing a 0.5 percentage point improvement from the prior-year period. According to the company, this development was primarily linked to the Extended CEE segment, with notable support from North Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, and the Baltic states.
Insurance service revenue also moved higher during the quarter, climbing 9.1% to €3.425 million. Growth was reported across all business lines and segments. The strongest increases came from Special Markets with 11.0% growth and the Czech Republic with 10.0%. Elsewhere, Extended CEE rose by 8.5%, Poland by 7.7%, and Austria by 4.5%. In Extended CEE, the revenue increase was chiefly driven by Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, the Baltic states, Bulgaria, and Ukraine.
Outlook for 2026 remains unchanged
Chief Executive Officer Hartwig Löger said the group’s strong capital position allows it to pursue attractive growth opportunities while reinforcing its long-term strategic direction. He added that the encouraging first-quarter performance supports the company’s existing expectation of delivering profit before taxes in the range of €1.25 billion to €1.30 billion for 2026, excluding Nürnberger.
The first-quarter results underline continued momentum across key Central and Eastern European markets, helping VIG maintain confidence in its full-year earnings target.
