<ARTICLE>                                           7
<LEGEND>
This  schedule  contains  summary  financial   information  extracted  from  the
consolidated  financial  statements of Protective Life Insurance  Company and is
qualified in its entirety by reference to such financial statements.
</LEGEND>                                     
<MULTIPLIER>                                   1,000
       
                             
<PERIOD-TYPE>                   9-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                              DEC-31-1997
<PERIOD-START>                                 JAN-01-1997
<PERIOD-END>                                   SEP-30-1997
<DEBT-HELD-FOR-SALE>                           6,131,512
<DEBT-CARRYING-VALUE>                          0
<DEBT-MARKET-VALUE>                            0
<EQUITIES>                                     18,620
<MORTGAGE>                                     1,262,509
<REAL-ESTATE>                                  14,637
<TOTAL-INVEST>                                 7,857,031
<CASH>                                         0
<RECOVER-REINSURE>                             473,521
<DEFERRED-ACQUISITION>                         630,191
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                 10,029,247
<POLICY-LOSSES>                                3,327,212
<UNEARNED-PREMIUMS>                            253,192
<POLICY-OTHER>                                 0
<POLICY-HOLDER-FUNDS>                          170,051
<NOTES-PAYABLE>                                23,268
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                          2
<PREFERRED>                                    0
<COMMON>                                       5,000
<OTHER-SE>                                     876,860
<TOTAL-LIABILITY-AND-EQUITY>                   10,029,247
<PREMIUMS>                                     333,703
<INVESTMENT-INCOME>                            405,245
<INVESTMENT-GAINS>                             1,781
<OTHER-INCOME>                                 2,381
<BENEFITS>                                     479,560
<UNDERWRITING-AMORTIZATION>                    67,517
<UNDERWRITING-OTHER>                           82,692
<INCOME-PRETAX>                                113,341
<INCOME-TAX>                                   38,888
<INCOME-CONTINUING>                            74,453
<DISCONTINUED>                                 0
<EXTRAORDINARY>                                0
<CHANGES>                                      0
<NET-INCOME>                                   74,453
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                  0<F1>
<EPS-DILUTED>                                  0<F1>
<RESERVE-OPEN>                                 0
<PROVISION-CURRENT>                            0
<PROVISION-PRIOR>                              0
<PAYMENTS-CURRENT>                             0
<PAYMENTS-PRIOR>                               0
<RESERVE-CLOSE>                                0
<CUMULATIVE-DEFICIENCY>                        0
<FN>
<F1>Protective Life Insurance Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Protective
Life Corporation (NYSE: PL) and is not required to present EPS information.
</FN>