LIMRA: Annuity Sales Notch 10th Consecutive $100B+ Quarter
Total U.S. annuity sales were $104.6 billion in the first quarter of 2026, 2% below first quarter 2025 results, according to preliminary results from LIMRA’s U.S. Individual Annuity Sales Survey, representing 87% of the total U.S. annuity market.
“Although first quarter sales were slightly below prior year’s results, the threshold for annuity sales appears to be stabilized above $100 billion, highlighting the continued interest in principal protection and guaranteed income,” said Bryan Hodgens, senior vice president and head of LIMRA research. “At a time when consumers registered significant economic concerns and market volatility was at its highest in a year, demand for registered indexed-linked and income annuities grew as investors sought greater protected growth opportunity and the ability to lock in guaranteed retirement income.”
Registered index-linked annuities
Registered index-linked annuity (RILA) sales jumped 21% year over year to $21.2 billion in the first quarter of 2026. This is the second highest sales quarter for RILAs and marks the 30th quarter of year-over-year growth.
Traditional variable annuities
Despite the heightened market volatility, traditional variable annuity sales increased year over year for the third consecutive quarter. In the first quarter of 2026, traditional VA sales were up 9% to $16.1 billion, compared with first quarter 2025 results.
Fixed-rate deferred
Total fixed-rate deferred annuity (FRD) sales fell 16% to $34 billion in the first quarter, clients focused on more upside-based products to take advantage of robust equity market, like RILA and fixed indexed annuities. Despite the decline, FRD annuities represented a third of the total annuity market in the first quarter.
Fixed indexed annuities
Fixed indexed annuity (FIA) sales slipped 4% year over year to $26.6 billion in the first quarter of 2026.
Income annuities
Steady interest rates in the first quarter buoyed income annuity sales. Single premium immediate annuity (SPIA) sales jumped 22% to $3.7 billion in the first quarter of 2026. Deferred income annuity (DIA) sales were $1 billion in the first quarter, up 6% year over year.