How much is NZ Super?

NZ Super is paid fortnightly and the after tax amount depends on your living situation and tax code. The rates change every year on 1 April. Because the figures move, this calculator lets you enter the current fortnightly rate from the Work and Income website, then converts it to weekly and annual income.

Will NZ Super be enough to retire on?

For many people NZ Super covers the basics but not the lifestyle they want. This calculator shows the gap between NZ Super and your target income, then estimates the lump sum needed to fund that gap using a simple 4% drawdown guide. KiwiSaver and other savings are designed to fill that gap.

How is the savings target worked out?

It uses the 4% rule as a rough guide, which suggests you can draw about 4% of a balance each year. So the lump sum needed is the annual income gap divided by 0.04, or 25 times the gap. It is an estimate, not advice, and real plans should allow for inflation, returns, and how long the money must last.

Pension Calculator

This calculator turns New Zealand Superannuation into numbers you can actually plan with, showing what NZ Super is worth per week, fortnight and year, and how far it stretches towards the retirement income you want. Start by choosing your living situation, single and living alone, single and sharing, or a couple where both partners qualify, and the calculator loads an indicative fortnightly rate, which you can overwrite with the current after-tax figure from Work and Income for an exact result. Add an optional target annual income and the calculator works out your annual gap, the shortfall between what NZ Super pays and what you want to live on, then estimates the savings needed to bridge that gap using the 4% rule, where a lump sum is drawn down at roughly 4% a year, so the target is about 25 times the annual shortfall. Results update instantly as you adjust the rate or target, making it easy to compare scenarios such as living alone versus sharing, or a higher income goal in early retirement. Because NZ Super rates change every 1 April, always check the current fortnightly amount on the Work and Income website rather than relying on the default. The savings figure is a rough planning guide only, not financial advice, and it does not account for inflation, investment returns or how long your money needs to last.

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Rates change 1 April Defaults are indicative. Enter the current rate from Work and Income for an exact figure.

Your situation

NZ Super (per fortnight, after tax)

Target income (per year, optional)

NZ Super per year

Per week$0

Per fortnight$0

NZ Super figures are after tax at the M code. Savings target uses the 4% rule as a guide, not advice.

How NZ Super works

NZ Super is the government pension paid to most people from age 65, regardless of how much they have saved. It is paid fortnightly and the after tax amount depends on your living situation and tax code. The rates are set by the government and adjusted every year on 1 April, which is why this tool keeps the rate editable rather than fixing a number that quickly goes out of date.

The retirement gap

For many people NZ Super covers the essentials but falls short of the lifestyle they want. The difference between NZ Super and your target income is the retirement gap. The calculator estimates the lump sum needed to fund that gap using the 4% rule, where you draw about 4% of your savings each year, so the target is roughly 25 times the annual gap.

Worked example

If NZ Super gives you about $20,800 a year and you want $40,000, the gap is $19,200. Using the 4% guide, you would aim for around $480,000 in savings, from KiwiSaver and other investments, to fund that gap across retirement.

Related calculators

Retirement Calculator: project your retirement savings.
Investment Calculator: growth of your investments.
Term Deposit Calculator: income from a term deposit.
Budget Calculator: plan your retirement spending.

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