Citizens property insurance policies plummet in 2025

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —

The state’s Citizens Property Insurance Corp. started 2026 with about 541,000 fewer policies than it had a year earlier.

Citizens had 395,144 policies on Friday, down from 936,182 policies as 2025 started, according to data posted on its website.

Friday’s total was the lowest since at least 2012. Citizens was created as an insurer of last resort but saw explosive growth starting in 2020 and 2021 because of financial problems in the private market. It became the state’s largest insurer, with as many as 1.4 million customers in 2023.

The number of policies steadily declined over the past two years, at least in part because of what is known as a “depopulation” program designed to move policies into the private market.

Also, officials say private insurers have been willing to write coverage after passage of a 2022 law that helped shield carriers from costly litigation.

Many state leaders have long sought to shrink Citizens because of financial risks if Florida gets hit by a major hurricane or multiple hurricanes.