The report found that operational shutdowns now generate substantially larger average payouts.
Insurance claims for business interruption have surged in value over recent years, with the average claim payout now far exceeding physical property damage costs, according to new report data from insurer Allianz Commercial.
An analysis of 7,888 insurance claims filed between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2025 shows the average business interruption claim reached over $986,000.
This figure is roughly 70% higher than the average associated property damage claim of close to $559,800 (EUR500,000).
Whilst the total frequency of claims stayed stable, average claim payouts grew by more than 30% annually over the final two years of the period.
Total claims analysed represented approximately $7.82b in losses. Fire and explosion proved to be the most expensive trigger for insurers, making up over 40% of all claim values at $3.3b.
Fire was responsible for nine out of the ten largest man-made business interruption insurance losses recorded, leading claims by cost across major insurance markets including the UK, the US, Germany, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
Non-natural catastrophe events generated 74% of all claims and 66% of total claim value. Natural catastrophes accounted for 26% of total claim count and 34% of claim values, with recovery periods extending claims timelines.
Insurers noted that business interruption claims related to Hurricane Helene in September 2024 remained open two years later due to prolonged operational recovery times rather than policy coverage disputes.
The report highlights growing exposure risks for commercial insurers, including underinsurance caused by inflation, concentrated supply chains, and rising digital dependencies.
Cyber-related disruptions—including ransomware, third-party software failures, and cloud service outages, which totaled over 48,000 tracked events in 2025—are creating increasingly complex, multi-company insurance losses.