<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>                   12-MOS            12-MOS            12-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>               DEC-31-1997       DEC-31-1996       DEC-31-1995
<PERIOD-START>                  JAN-01-1997       JAN-01-1996       JAN-01-1995
<PERIOD-END>                    DEC-31-1997       DEC-31-1996       DEC-31-1995
<DEBT-HELD-FOR-SALE>            6,348,252         4,662,997         3,891,932
<DEBT-CARRYING-VALUE>           0                 0                 0
<DEBT-MARKET-VALUE>             0                 0                 0
<EQUITIES>                      15,006            35,250            38,711
<MORTGAGE>                      1,313,478         1,503,781         1,835,057
<REAL-ESTATE>                   13,469            14,172            20,788
<TOTAL-INVEST>                  7,993,355         6,513,312         6,020,626
<CASH>                          39,197            114,384           6,198
<RECOVER-REINSURE>              591,457           332,614           271,018
<DEFERRED-ACQUISITION>          632,605           488,201           410,183
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                  10,375,281        8,163,343         7,178,693
<POLICY-LOSSES>                 3,324,294         2,448,449         1,928,154
<UNEARNED-PREMIUMS>             396,696           257,553           193,767
<POLICY-OTHER>                  0                 0                 0
<POLICY-HOLDER-FUNDS>           183,324           142,221           134,380
<NOTES-PAYABLE>                 0                 0                 0
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>           0                 0                 2,000
<PREFERRED>                     2                 2                 0
<COMMON>                        5,000             5,000             5,000
<OTHER-SE>                      1,013,777         771,189           646,237
<TOTAL-LIABILITY-AND-EQUITY>    10,375,281        8,163,343         6,525,456
<PREMIUMS>                      480,206           462,050           411,682
<INVESTMENT-INCOME>             557,488           498,781           458,433
<INVESTMENT-GAINS>              1,824             5,510             1,951
<OTHER-INCOME>                  6,149             5,010             1,355
<BENEFITS>                      658,872           626,893           553,100
<UNDERWRITING-AMORTIZATION>     107,175           91,001            82,700
<UNDERWRITING-OTHER>            129,870           128,148           119,888
<INCOME-PRETAX>                 149,750           125,309           117,733
<INCOME-TAX>                    52,302            42,766            40,037
<INCOME-CONTINUING>             97,448            82,543            77,696
<DISCONTINUED>                  0                 0                 0
<EXTRAORDINARY>                 0                 0                 0
<CHANGES>                       0                 0                 0
<NET-INCOME>                    97,448            82,543            77,696
<EPS-PRIMARY>                   0<F1>             0<F1>             0<F1>
<EPS-DILUTED>                   0<F1>             0<F1>             0<F1>
<RESERVE-OPEN>                  0                 0                 0
<PROVISION-CURRENT>             0                 0                 0
<PROVISION-PRIOR>               0                 0                 0
<PAYMENTS-CURRENT>              0                 0                 0
<PAYMENTS-PRIOR>                0                 0                 0
<RESERVE-CLOSE>                 0                 0                 0
<CUMULATIVE-DEFICIENCY>         0                 0                 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>