Despite a small increase in the general numbers getting personal insurance in the past year, women are still insuring themselves for less than men, with women in their 30s typically insuring themselves for nearly a third less than men in the same age bracket, according to the study by Scottish Provident.

This gap gets progressively wider with age and becomes a significant gulf for those in their 60s, when men have three times as much cover in place.

Jennifer Gilchrist, senior product development manager at Scottish Provident, said: “In 2012 at most ages we saw a healthy increase in the average sum assured for both men and women compared to 2011.

“However, it is disappointing that in all but the 60s age range the gulf between men and women has continued to widen.

“This is especially so when so much effort was put into marketing towards women prior to the implementation of the EU gender directive.

“It is important that both men and women look to protect their families’ futures by making sure they take out sufficient cover to look after them.

“We may have succeeded in persuading more women to take out life assurance than before but these figures show they still don’t have enough. We need to consider how we reinforce these messages so that women truly understand their financial worth.”

The EU gender directive came into force in December 2012 and made it unlawful for insurers to base insurance policies and their costs based on a person’s gender.