The Zurich Insurance Group saw its profits rise by nearly 80 percent in the first quarter to 1.1 billion dollars. 

Sales volume increased 10 percent to nearly 20 billion dollars.

The company attributed the better results to a lack of natural disasters in the quarter.

Last year, the bottom lines for global insurers suffered after earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand, and flooding in Australia.

Zurich Insurance said its life insurance business suffered slightly due to still low interest rates.