U.S. Life Insurance Application Activity Marks Mid-Year with Record-Breaking Growth

MIB’s June 2026 Life Index shows U.S. life insurance application activity closing the first half of the year up 15.4% year-to-date, the highest mid-year total on record. June carried particular momentum, with year-over-year activity up 20.9%, the strongest June MIB has tracked, and Q2 finished 16.6% ahead of the same quarter last year. The growth continues to skew toward older applicants, with ages 40+ posting double-digit gains while activity for ages 0-29 stayed flat year-to-date. On the product side, Term Life led the way at 28.2% growth in Q2, followed by Whole Life at 22.8% and Universal Life at 8.1%. MIB also added a gender breakdown this cycle, noting that male application activity has outpaced female activity for the third year running, though women led growth among applicants ages 70 and up. Taken together, the numbers point to a market gaining steam heading into the second half, with the clearest demand coming from older buyers and traditional coverage.