The Impact Of Culture On The Purchase Of Life Insurance In Latin America And The Caribbean

Abstract

This study attempts to determine the major reasons for the lack of success in marketing life insurance in Latin America and the Caribbean.  Our results point at the importance of cultural variables of which the most significant is the percentage of the population that professes to be Catholic. We attribute this to a strong correlation between religious beliefs and risk preferences. The other major factor is the population’s attitude toward financial instruments in general. Both results are robust to the model specification. The findings should be of interest to insurance companies attempting to market life insurance throughout the world.