MOMONEYMOFREESuper balances are up — but the median is still short
Average super looks healthy. Median super tells the truth: most people are well behind the comfortable-retirement target.
what ASFA says a couple needs for a comfortable retirement
This week’s 4 charts
tap any chart to preview ↗Average super, by age
Balances climb steadily — but 'average' is pulled up by big accounts.
Source: ATO / ASFA average balances
Have vs need at 60–64
The typical pre-retirement balance falls well short of the comfortable target.
Source: ASFA Retirement Standard
The cost of a 1% fee
Two identical savers. One pays 1% more. Over 40 years it's six figures.
Source: Productivity Commission — Superannuation
Where your income builds it
of Australians
11.5% of pay goes in automatically — so income sets the pace.
Source: ATO + ASFA
Ignore the average balance — it's flattered by a rich tail. Check your number against the ASFA target for your age, and remember the cheapest win in super is the fee you stop paying.
General information only — not financial advice. Figures are drawn from public sources, rounded and illustrative.