CoverMapHow much is car insurance in the UK in 2026?
There is no single average car insurance cost. Each publisher measures something different. The ABI looks at what people paid. Confused.com and Consumer Intelligence look at quotes. MoneySuperMarket and Compare the Market report what their own customers bought or were quoted. That is why the numbers below don’t match.
| Source | Figure | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| ABI premium tracker | £566 | Average premium paid, Q2 2026 (April–June). Based on over 28 million policies a year. |
| Confused.com / WTW price index | £713 | Average comprehensive quote (best five quotes), Q3 2026 |
| MoneySuperMarket | £511.84 | Median comprehensive policy sold, August 2026 |
| Compare the Market | Under £592.26 | What 51% of customers were quoted for comprehensive cover, August 2026 |
| Go.Compare | £399 | Average premium, Q2 2026 |
| Consumer Intelligence | £1,184 | Average of the five cheapest quotes per risk, July 2026 |
Source: ABI (29 July 2026), Confused.com (23 September 2026), MoneySuperMarket, Compare the Market, Go.Compare via Insurance Edge (21 August 2026), Consumer Intelligence. Checked October 2026.
Are car insurance prices going up or down?
Prices fell sharply after their 2023 peak and have been fairly flat in 2026. The ABI says the average premium paid rose by £6 (1%) in Q2 2026. Adjusted for inflation, that is £14 lower than a year earlier. Which? notes the ABI average was £624 in Q2 2024. Confused.com’s average quote fell £6 in Q3 2026 and is £22 (3%) lower than a year ago. It peaked at £995 in December 2023.
Not every measure agrees. Consumer Intelligence found quoted prices were up 9.7% in the year to July 2026, with under-25s up 18.7%. Defaqto’s index rose 2.1% in Q2 2026.
The pressure comes from claims. The ABI says insurers paid out a record £3.2 billion in motor claims in Q2 2026. The average claim was £4,900, up 4% on the quarter. The average windscreen repair rose 7% to £283. Insurance Times reported that cameras, sensors and driver assistance systems are pushing repair costs up.
Car insurance cost by age
Age is the biggest single driver of price. Confused.com’s Q3 2026 index shows how quickly quotes fall as drivers gain experience.
| Age band | Average quote, Sept 2025 | Average quote, Sept 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 17–20 | £2,031 | £1,860 |
| 20–29 | £1,299 | £1,254 |
| 30–39 | £881 | £843 |
| 40–49 | £714 | £689 |
| 50–59 | £555 | £545 |
| 60–69 | £458 | £457 |
| 70+ | £464 | £480 |
Source: Confused.com Car Insurance Price Index, Q3 2026 (age bands as labelled by Confused.com). Average of new comprehensive quotes. Checked October 2026.
Drivers aged 60–69 get the lowest average quotes. Prices for over-70s were the only band to rise. For costs at each age from 17 to 24, and ways new drivers can bring them down, see our young driver car insurance guide.
Car insurance cost by region
Where you keep the car matters almost as much as your age. In Confused.com’s Q3 2026 index, Inner London quotes averaged more than double those in Central and North Wales.
| Region | Average quote, Q3 2026 | Change on a year |
|---|---|---|
| Inner London | £1,079 | Down 6% |
| Northern Ireland | £1,059 | Up 25% |
| Outer London | £905 | Down 6% |
| West Midlands | £781 | – |
| North West England | £718 | Down 6% |
| Central Scotland | £688 | Up 3% |
| South East England | £635 | – |
| North East England | £625 | – |
| South West England | £550 | – |
| Wales – Central & North | £517 | – |
Source: Confused.com Car Insurance Price Index, Q3 2026. Selected regions. Checked October 2026.
At postcode level the gap is wider. Confused.com put West Central London at £1,281 and Llandrindod Wells at £474. Go.Compare’s Q2 2026 data put London at £577 and Wales, the lowest, at £327.
Types of car insurance cover
GOV.UK says you must have motor insurance to drive your vehicle on UK roads, and third party insurance is the legal minimum. There are three levels of cover.
| Cover level | What it pays for | Median sold, MoneySuperMarket, Aug 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Third party only | Injury or damage you cause to other people, vehicles, animals or property. Nothing for your own car. | £867.93 |
| Third party, fire and theft | As above, plus your car if it is stolen or damaged by fire. | £590.15 |
| Comprehensive | As above, plus damage to your own car. | £511.84 |
Source: GOV.UK, MoneySuperMarket (policies sold, August 2026). Checked October 2026.
The lowest level of cover is often not the cheapest. MoneySuperMarket, Compare the Market and Go.Compare all show comprehensive costing less on average than third party only, so it is worth pricing comprehensive cover even if you want to keep costs down. MoneySuperMarket says 97% of its car insurance customers bought comprehensive between June and August 2026.
What happens if you drive without insurance?
GOV.UK says the police can give you a £300 fixed penalty and 6 penalty points. If the case goes to court, you could get an unlimited fine and be disqualified from driving. The police can also seize, and in some cases destroy, the vehicle.
What affects the price of car insurance?
Insurers price each policy on the risk that you will claim and how much that claim might cost. The main factors are:
- Your age and driving experience. The youngest drivers pay the most, as the age table above shows.
- Where you live and park. Your postcode affects the likely cost of claims.
- The car. Its insurance group or Vehicle Risk Rating reflects repair costs, performance and security. See car insurance groups explained.
- Your job title. MoneySuperMarket says insurers use claims data by occupation, so job titles change the price. Your answer must be accurate.
- Mileage and use. Defaqto found prices rose most for the lowest-mileage drivers in Q2 2026, so low mileage doesn’t always mean a lower price.
- Who else drives the car. Named drivers change the risk.
- Your claims and no-claims history, and any motoring convictions.
- Your excess and how you pay. Covered in our tips guide below.
Average quotes also differ between men and women. Confused.com’s Q3 2026 average was £764 for men and £628 for women, a gap of £136.
Every policy also carries Insurance Premium Tax. GOV.UK lists the standard rate as 12%, in force since 1 June 2017. A higher 20% rate applies to some vehicle insurance.
Renewal prices: the FCA pricing rules
Since 1 January 2022, FCA rules say your insurer must not offer you a renewal price higher than the price it would charge a new customer for the same policy. This was designed to end “price walking”, where longer-standing customers were charged more than new ones.
The FCA reviewed the rules in July 2025. In motor insurance it found renewing customers now pay less on average than new customers: £460.19 against £569.38 after the change. It estimated the rules will save motor customers around £1.6 billion over ten years. It concluded that price walking in home and motor “has, at the least, significantly reduced.”
The rule only compares your insurer with itself. Another insurer may still be cheaper, so comparing at renewal is still worthwhile.
How to compare car insurance quotes
- Start about four weeks before renewal. MoneySuperMarket’s sales data for June–August 2026 shows a median of £382 at 26 days before renewal against £713 on the renewal day.
- Use the same details each time: the same cover level, voluntary excess, mileage and named drivers, so you compare like with like.
- Check the compulsory excess. A cheap quote with a high excess may cost more when you claim.
- Look at what is included. Cover and add-ons vary between policies, so check the policy details, not just the price.
- Check the cost of paying monthly. Which? found car insurers charged APRs of 0% to 29.9% in 2026.
For the evidence behind each of these, and other ways to bring the price down, read our cheap car insurance tips. If you drive a van for work, see our van insurance guide, or browse all our insurance guides.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is car insurance in the UK?
The ABI says drivers paid an average of £566 in April–June 2026. Confused.com’s average comprehensive quote was £713 in Q3 2026. Your own price depends mainly on your age, postcode, car and driving record.
Is comprehensive car insurance cheaper than third party?
Often, yes. MoneySuperMarket’s median comprehensive policy sold in August 2026 was £511.84, against £867.93 for third party only.
What is the minimum car insurance required by law?
GOV.UK says third party insurance is the legal minimum. It covers injury or damage you cause to other people, vehicles, animals or property.
What is the penalty for driving without insurance?
GOV.UK says police can give you a £300 fixed penalty and 6 penalty points. In court you could get an unlimited fine and be disqualified, and the police can seize the vehicle.
Can my insurer charge me more for renewing?
No. Since 1 January 2022 FCA rules say a renewal price must be no higher than the price for an equivalent new customer. Other insurers may still be cheaper, so it is worth comparing.
Which region has the most expensive car insurance?
Inner London, at an average quote of £1,079 in Confused.com’s Q3 2026 index, followed by Northern Ireland at £1,059. Central and North Wales was cheapest at £517.
Sources
- ABI – Record £3.2bn paid out to motor customers in Q2 2026 (29 Jul 2026)
- Confused.com – Car Insurance Price Index Q3 2026 (23 Sep 2026)
- Insurance Edge – Latest car premium data from Confused.com (29 Sep 2026)
- Consumer Intelligence – Car insurance prices up 9.7% (July 2026)
- MoneySuperMarket – Car insurance (Oct 2026)
- Compare the Market – Car insurance (Sep 2026)
- Insurance Edge – Go.Compare data sees 3.6% rise (21 Aug 2026)
- Insurance Edge – Defaqto motor premiums on the rise (9 Jul 2026)
- Which? – What’s happening to car insurance premiums (21 Aug 2026)
- Insurance Times – Motor payouts hit record £3.2bn (30 Jul 2026)
- GOV.UK – Vehicle insurance
- GOV.UK – Driving without insurance
- GOV.UK – Insurance Premium Tax rates
- FCA – EP25/2 Evaluation of GI pricing remedies (Jul 2025)
- MoneySuperMarket – Car insurance job titles (Sep 2026)