Some 56% of licensed general insurance brokers placed business directly with underwriters during the six months ending December 31.

The latest figures from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) show authorised general insurers wrote $14.9 billion of business in the period, compared to $13.8 billion in the corresponding period in 2010.

The APRA figures show the total number of “active” brokers for the half-year was 896. This leaves 641 registered brokers (42%) who did not place any general insurance business during this period. This compares with 626 brokers not writing any business during the corresponding period in 2010.

In the 2010 half-year brokers only accounted for 45% of the business written, but APRA did not provide any breakdown for the latest half-year statistics.

APRA’s Intermediated General Insurance Statistics publication says about 30 brokers (2%) placed all their business indirectly through other Australian intermediaries.

The bulk of brokers writing business (97%) placed cover with APRA-regulated insurers, while 23% used Lloyd’s underwriters.

They invoiced $7.3 billion of business with APRA-regulated insurers during the period, and $912 million with Lloyd’s.

This compared to $6.7 billion of premiums placed with APRA-regulated insurers and $742 million to Lloyd’s in the corresponding 2010 half-year.

Only 7% (63) of active brokers placed business with unauthorised foreign insurers (UFIs), generating $685 million of premiums.

In the six months ending December 2010, brokers invoiced $538 million of premiums to UFIs.

The bulk of this UFI business ($280 million) was placed with UK insurers, followed by $205 million of business being written in Singapore.

The most popular class of business placed with UFIs was fire and industrial special risks (63%).