Invoices are more expensive for insurers. Higher accident rates and more expensive repairs are to blame, according to Fidelidade.
Car insurance values are expected to rise in 2026 in Portugal and, according to the CEO of Fidelidade, it will be something very difficult to avoid, he explains to this Saturday.
The combination of more claims, driven by the greater number of cars in circulation, combined with rising repair costs, is putting pressure on the entire sector.
It is “inevitable that there will be increases in car insurance costs in 2026”, says Rogério Campos Henriques.
The official adds that there are more and more cars on the road and that, contrary to what would be expected with improvements in safety, the accident rate has not decreased: “quite the contrary”, the frequency of accidents has increased. And the average cost of each claim has riseneither due to the price of the parts or the technical complexity of the repairs.
Electricals put pressure on insurance companies
In this context, they appear as a pressure factor. Although they are often associated with lower usage costs, from an insurance point of view they are still not cheaper than internal combustion cars.
In the event of an accident, “the average cost [de reparação dos elétricos] tends to be superior, because there is still little experience, because there are issues with batteries, because access to parts is not as easy as it would be.”
Health insurance also increases
Also in health insurance, Fidelidade anticipates increases in 2026, although more moderate than the increase of around 7% recorded this year. Campos Henriques highlights that the greater use of insurance by customers and the general increase in healthcare costs have been, in part, absorbed by the group, in order to mitigate the direct impact on policies.
