Memory, Risk Aversion, and Nonlife Insurance Consumption: Evidence from Emerging and Developing Markets

Policymakers in developing and emerging countries are facing higher risk that is related to natural disasters in comparison to developed ones because of persistent problem of supply-side bottleneck for disaster insurance. Additionally, lower insurance consumption, higher disaster risk, and high income elasticity of insurance demand have worsened the loss consequences of natural disaster in these markets. In this context, current study for the first time argues that the supply side bottleneck problem has its origin in peculiar pattern of disaster consumption owing to memory cues. The study finds that relatively higher frequency of natural disasters acts as a negative memory cue and positively impacts insurance consumption. On the other hand, a relatively lower frequency of natural disasters adversely impacts insurance consumption in the background of variation in risk aversion behavior. For this purpose, current study has based its work on Mullainathan (2002), which builds its argument around memory cues.