Data from China’s National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA) financial license disclosures show that 2,332 insurance company branch institutions exited the market in the first half of 2026, while only 21 new insurer branches were approved for establishment, for a net reduction of 2,311, according to Jiemian News. Interviewees cited insurers’ cost-cutting and efficiency drives, faster digital transformation, and ongoing channel restructuring as key reasons for shrinking offline branch networks, and said the trend of branch closures, mergers and optimization is expected to continue.