How Much Super Should I Have at My Age? Australia 2026 (ASFA Benchmarks)

For the answer depends on your age, your salary history, and what kind of retirement you want. The Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) publishes annual benchmarks for what Australians need at age 67 to fund a comfortable retirement: approximately $595,000 for a single person or $690,000 for a couple (assuming you own your home). Working backwards from these targets, we can estimate where you should be at each age.

The Australian Taxation Office also publishes median (middle) super balances by age group, which show where the average Australian actually sits — and the gap between the median and the target is often significant. If you are behind, do not panic.

Even small increases in contributions, particularly through salary sacrifice, compound significantly over decades. The key is knowing where you stand and taking action now rather than at 55.

Here are approximate target super balances by age, based on ASFA comfortable retirement targets and assuming continuous full-time employment at average wages with 12% SG contributions. At age 25: approximately $25,000 to $35,000. At age 30: approximately $55,000 to $75,000.

This is worth knowing. At age 35: approximately $100,000 to $135,000. At age 40: approximately $150,000 to $200,000.

At age 45: approximately $210,000 to $280,000. At age 50: approximately $280,000 to $370,000. At age 55: approximately $360,000 to $470,000. At age 60: approximately $450,000 to $580,000.

At age 67: approximately $595,000 (single) or $690,000 (couple). These are targets for a comfortable retirement.

ASFA defines a modest retirement as requiring only about $100,000 in super at age 67, but this delivers a significantly lower standard of living — around $32,400 per year for a single person compared to $54,200 for comfortable.

So, the reality is that most Australians are behind the target. ATO data shows median super balances are significantly lower than the comfortable retirement benchmarks. At age 25-29, the median balance is around $18,000.

At 30-34: approximately $40,000. At 35-39: approximately $65,000.

At 40-44: approximately $88,000. At 45-49: approximately $115,000. At 50-54: approximately $145,000. At 55-59: approximately $185,000.

At 60-64: approximately $210,000. The gap between median balances and comfortable retirement targets widens with age, reflecting career breaks, part-time work, periods of self-employment without super contributions, and the fact that the 12% SG rate only reached this level in July 2025.

Women have significantly lower median balances than men at every age group — approximately 25% lower — due to career breaks for parenting, higher rates of part-time work, and the historical gender pay gap.

ASFA defines two retirement standards. A comfortable retirement (for a homeowner couple aged 65+) costs approximately $76,500 per year and includes good quality food and eating out regularly, owning a reasonable car, private health insurance, domestic and occasional international travel, and regular leisure activities. A modest retirement costs approximately $46,600 per year for a couple and covers basics plus some inexpensive leisure, an older car, limited travel, and no private health insurance.

For singles, comfortable is approximately $54,200 per year and modest is approximately $32,400. These figures assume you own your home outright.

If you're renting or still have a mortgage at retirement, you'll need significantly more — typically an additional $15,000 to $25,000 per year for housing costs. Both standards assume you will also receive a part Age Pension, which supplements your super income.

If your balance is below the target for your age, there are several strategies to close the gap. Salary sacrifice into super: contributions from your pre-tax salary are taxed at only 15% instead of your marginal rate, so for someone on $90,000, every $1,000 sacrificed saves up to $235 in tax while boosting your super. The concessional contribution cap is $30,000 per year (including employer SG).

The short answer? If you haven't used your full cap in previous years, you can carry forward unused amounts for up to five years (if your balance is under $500,000). Government co-contribution: if you earn under $62,488 and make after-tax contributions, the government adds up to $500 (50 cents per dollar you contribute).

Spouse contribution tax offset: if your partner earns under $40,000, you can contribute to their super and receive a tax offset of up to $540. Consolidate multiple super accounts: the average Australian has 1.4 super accounts. Multiple accounts mean multiple sets of fees eating into your balance. Use myGov to find and combine lost super for free — there is currently $18.9 billion in lost and unclaimed super in Australia.

Your preservation age depends on when you were born. If born before 1 July 1960, your preservation age is 55-59 (varies by birth year). If born on or after 1 July 1964, your preservation age is 60.

You can access your super as a lump sum or income stream once you reach your preservation age and permanently retire, or reach age 65 regardless of work status. The Age Pension age is currently 67.

There are limited circumstances where you can access super early, including severe financial hardship, compassionate grounds, terminal medical condition, or temporary incapacity. The First Home Super Saver Scheme allows first home buyers to withdraw up to $50,000 in voluntary contributions for a home deposit. Check your super fund's website or the ATO for your specific preservation age and conditions of release.