This paper presents the results of a study of the determination of life insurance demand in Poland. A characterisation of the Polish life insurance sector is given, including a comparison with the top ten emerging markets and other CEE countries such as Hungary and the Czech Republic. The characterisation is followed by a review of the previous studies of life insurance determinants. Subsequently, factor analysis is applied to distinguish independent factors that determine demand for life insurance. Then a linear regression model is used to identify both the factors that have determined life insurance in Poland and the extent thereof. However, as opposed to previous studies of life insurance demand, only distinguished factors are used as an independent variable. The study confirms that factors of an economic and financial nature strongly stimulate the demand for life insurance, which agrees with previous studies. However, some results contradict the previous findings such as the factor that includes variables such as education level and social benefits.

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This study aims to explore the motor insurance market's attitude towards usage-based insurance (UBI), and thus its readiness for a launch in the near future. Data on client perception was collected using a structured questionnaire. On the basis of this, an initial selection of factors, other than income, that could influence the declared attitude of drivers was demonstrated showing that it is primarily dependent on certain demographic characteristics like their age, sex, or place of residence. A strong relationship was also demonstrated with respect to the intensity of the vehicle's use, to the amount of the insurance premium they have paid, and to the self-assessment of the respondents' driving skills. Clients are likely to accept the concept of UBI once implemented, but that they are not ready yet to give up the traditionally used methods of premium calculation. Their attachment to discounts granted can be very strong in particular to the no-claims bonus.

This study compares the development of insurance markets in countries such as Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain to mature markets in countries such as the UK and Germany during the 2007 financial crisis. Markets are examined from the product innovation perspective. The market in a country is assessed using taxonomic measures, such as distance and similarity. Markets are described by a set of features divided into five groups: market structure, technical sphere, finance and investment, effectiveness, and product. The measures are calculated at two points in time, 1997 and 2010. The data were gathered from publications of the World Bank, European Union Commission (statistics offices), National Polish Bank and insurance associations. The financial crisis has slowed the speed of market development and influenced other spheres. In countries like Greece and Portugal, progress was even slower than in post-Soviet states, like Poland. The crisis has not imposed structural changes within the selected markets and the influence of the crisis is visible. The sectors were not very innovative, particularly in the product sphere. The literature on the influence of the crisis on insurance is contradictory. This study’s novelty is that it applies multidimensional analysis when comparing insurance-market innovativeness and development.

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