La faible souscription de l’assurance habitation des ménages dans les départements d’outre mer

The French departments overseas are more exposed to natural risks than continental France. Nevertheless, they are less insured against natural disasters. In France, any housing insurance contract includes the coverage against natural disasters. In 2006, only 52% of households in departments overseas have suscribed a housing insurance contract for their main home. Thus, 48% of households in departments overseas have been living in an uncovered housing against natural disasters. On the contrary, in continental France, more than 99% of households are insured for their main home. This very low rate results from a low demand for insurance, but probably also from a limited supply by insurers. We show that income and being a landowner or renting are the key criteria explaining the penetration rate overseas. The richer is the household, the greater is their probability to be insured. The households who are renting or getting a mortgage have respectively a higher probability to be insured than the landowners (or the households who get a free accommodation). In France, being insured is mandatory for renters and can be required to get a mortgage. Thus, these constraints are operant. We then simulate insurance premium for the non insured households in department overseas and show that a very large majority of the non insured households in the departments overseas would significantly gain to be insured against natural disasters. This is partially due to the high exposure of department overseas to natural risks. Finally, we do not find a significant difference between insurance premia paid in the departments overseas and in continental France all other things being equal, as mentioned by some local reports.