Hannover Re is a reinsurer. Regular insurers pass on part of their risks to Hannover Re in return for a fee. When a big disaster strikes, such as a hurricane or a flood, Hannover Re covers part of the cost. It is one of the largest reinsurers in the world.
Where you know it from
You never deal with Hannover Re directly, but when your insurer pays after a storm, a reinsurer is often behind it.
How Hannover Rück makes money
Reinsurance for property & liability70 %
Reinsurance for life & health30 %
Revenue share 2025
Strengths
Broadly based: property, liability, life and health reinsurance, with clients in many countries.
Very lean: about 4,000 employees for almost 27 billion euros in revenue.
Profit rose to about 2.6 billion euros in 2025.
Risks
Major natural disasters such as the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires can lead to costly years.
When many providers compete for clients, reinsurance prices fall.
Much of its business is in foreign currencies, so exchange rate swings matter.
Founded
1966
Headquarters
Hanover, Germany
Employees
about 4,000
What if you had invested in Hannover Rück earlier?
-4.8%
+20.4%
+5.4%