US industry reference, updated October 13, 2026
Current figures on coverage, the protection gap, policy buying, and the insurance-sales workforce. Every number below links to its original source, so you can check it, quote it, and cite it with confidence.
Coverage and protection gap
These figures are drawn from LIMRA and Life Happens’ 2025 Insurance Barometer Study, which measures consumer-reported coverage and protection needs.
That includes individual and group coverage. Ownership varies by age and demographic group, which matters when agents are deciding where education and outreach may be most useful.
Source: LIMRA and Life Happens, 2025 Insurance Barometer StudyLIMRA estimates that this represents close to 100 million adults. It is a measure of stated need, not a measure of what any one household should buy.
Source: LIMRA and Life Happens, 2025 Insurance Barometer StudyNearly half of adults say this would happen if their primary wage earner died. The statistic describes consumer concern, not a coverage recommendation.
Source: LIMRA and Life Happens, 2025 Insurance Barometer StudyPolicy market
These figures come from the American Council of Life Insurers’ 2025 Fact Book, which reports data for 2024.
At the end of 2024, ACLI reported $14.1 trillion in individual life insurance in force in the United States.
Source: ACLI Life Insurers Fact Book, 2025 edition, 2024 dataACLI reports 9.6 million individual policies purchased in 2024, with an average new-policy size of $209,000.
Source: ACLI Life Insurers Fact Book, 2025 edition, 2024 dataTerm insurance accounted for $1.45 trillion of new individual face amount in 2024. It represented 3.8 million policies, or 39.3% of new individual policies.
Source: ACLI Life Insurers Fact Book, 2025 edition, 2024 dataInsurance sales careers
The Bureau of Labor Statistics groups agents who sell life, health, property, casualty, and other insurance under the same occupation. These figures describe the wider US insurance-sales workforce, not life insurance alone.
The largest share of these agents worked in insurance agencies and brokerages. The occupation also includes self-employed agents and carrier employees.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 employment dataThis is the median wage for insurance sales agents across the occupation. Pay models vary, and independent agents may be paid differently from employees.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024 wage dataBLS projects 4% employment growth for insurance sales agents from 2024 to 2034, with openings driven in part by replacement needs.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 to 2034 projectionMethodology and sources
This page uses public reporting from industry and government sources. It does not combine figures across studies or estimate missing data. Source dates appear with each statistic because the most useful number is one readers can trace.
Last reviewed: October 13, 2026. FINNEYUP will refresh this page when its core sources publish material new data, while keeping these section links stable for citations.
FINNEYUP Coaching. “Life Insurance Statistics and Facts for 2026.” Updated October 13, 2026. https://finneyup.com/life-insurance-statistics
