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Celebrating Prudential’s 175th Anniversary

This year, we are proud to celebrate Prudential’s 175th anniversary, including 100 years in Asia.

During this time, Prudential has helped generations of families get the most out of life, from industrial workers in 19th century Britain to people confronting the health and economic challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Today, our business is focused on the health, wealth and welfare needs of more than 19 million customers in 23 markets across Asia and Africa.

While Prudential has changed significantly since 1848, our founding principles of integrity, security and prudence still guide us in providing long-term security for our customers and building social and economic value in our communities.

Our History: Serving our customers for 175 years

On 30 May 1848, Prudential was founded in London as the Prudential Mutual Assurance, Investment and Loan Association, adopting the figure of Prudence as a symbol of its values.

In 1923, Prudential opened its first overseas life operation in Calcutta, India, marking the start of global expansion. During the 1920s, general insurance agencies were established in China and the Philippines, followed by life insurance businesses in Malaysia and Singapore.

Prudential entered Africa in 1930, leading to the establishment of a head office in Johannesburg in 1931 and an agency force in 1932. By 1939, overseas life insurance business was rivalling that of the UK.

In 1994, Prudential Corporation Asia was established in recognition of Asia’s growth potential. Following the demerger of our UK and US businesses in 2021, we are now focused on the growth markets of Asia and Africa.

As we celebrate our 175th anniversary and 100 years in Asia, we are proud of our history of meeting the health, wealth and welfare needs of our customers.