Ranking of Insurance Companies Using Multiple Attribute Decision Making (Technique AHP)

Abstract

This study aims to rank insurance companies in Iran using multi-criteria decision-making techniques, specifically the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), with emphasis on financial performance indicators. This research employed a descriptive-analytical design with functional objectives. The study population consisted of insurance companies operating in public, private, and free-zone sectors in Iran, including Asia, Alborz, Iran, Dana, Parsian, Tosee & Mellat, Karafarin, Saman, Sina, Razi, Dey, Moallem, Novin, Pasargadae, Omid, Iranmoein, and Hafez. Twenty experts comprising university professors and senior managers of insurance companies were selected to provide evaluations. Data collection involved pairwise comparisons of financial criteria for each company, following the AHP methodology. The consistency of expert judgments was verified using the consistency ratio (CR), ensuring it did not exceed 0.1. Data analysis was conducted using Excel 2007 and Expert Choice software to calculate relative weights of financial indicators, geometric mean matrices, and final rankings based on normalized priority scores. The study identified fourteen financial criteria for evaluating insurance companies. The per capita net income emerged as the most significant indicator with a relative weight of 0.154, followed by the percentage of compensation from total market losses (0.144) and the company’s share of total market premiums (0.106). The AHP-based ranking revealed that Asia Insurance achieved the highest overall score (0.159), followed by Iran Insurance (0.155), Parsian (0.126), and Alborz (0.099). Companies such as Omid Insurance (0.009) and Dey Insurance (0.01) were ranked lowest. The methodology demonstrated a reliable and consistent ranking of companies across financial performance measures, reflecting expert judgment and objective evaluation. The findings indicate that AHP is an effective tool for assessing and ranking insurance companies based on financial indicators, providing actionable insights for stakeholders and facilitating strategic decision-making in the insurance sector.