The New Zealand Superannuation (NZ Super) weekly rates (after tax) for 2025/2026 vary by living situation, with a single person living alone receiving around $538 per week, a single person sharing getting about $497 per week, and each person in a couple receiving roughly $416 per week, with variations depending on whether you're single, sharing, or a couple, and if both partners qualify.
Find out the current rates of New Zealand Superannuation (NZ Super) in seconds. Our table and guide outlines everything you need to know about receiving your fortnightly payment. If you're aged 65 and over and meet the qualifying criteria, you will receive up to $27,994.53 per year after tax.
NZ Superannuation is a universal payment for New Zealand citizens and residents who are 65 or older. Note: You need to apply for NZ Superannuation (NZ Super). You do not automatically get it once you turn 65.
Yes, a New Zealander living in Australia can get the New Zealand Superannuation (NZ Super) or Veteran's Pension, thanks to a Social Security Agreement, but you must meet residency criteria in both countries and often need to claim the Australian Age Pension too, with the payments coordinated, meaning you might get a bit from Australia and a bit from NZ, or just one, depending on your combined residency and income/assets. You generally need to have lived in NZ for a qualifying period (e.g., 10 years from age 20, with 5 of those years after age 50) and also meet Australian residency rules, often needing to live in Australia for 10 years.
Your NZ Super or Veteran's Pension payments will continue if you: intend to travel overseas for less than 26 weeks.
Universal Pension vs Means-Tested Pension
Australia's Age Pension is strictly means-tested. Income and assets above certain thresholds reduce or eliminate payments. This means many Australian retirees receive little or no Age Pension, while almost all New Zealand retirees receive NZ Super.
Which Countries Have the Most Sustainable Pension Systems? Iceland, Denmark, and the Netherlands have the most financially sustainable pension systems due to well-balanced contribution rates and participation.
An Australian aged pensioner can have varying amounts in the bank (assets) before their payment is affected, depending on their homeownership and relationship status, with limits for a full pension for a single homeowner around $321,500 and a non-homeowner around $579,500, while couples have higher limits, with thresholds increasing for those receiving a part pension. Assets like bank accounts, shares, and property (excluding your principal home) are assessed, and once these limits are exceeded, the pension reduces by $3 for every $1,000 over the threshold, with higher limits for receiving a part pension.
New Zealand citizens claiming payments in Australia
If you're a New Zealand citizen living in Australia you may be eligible to get Centrelink payments or concession cards.
If you get NZ Super or Veteran's Pension and plan to go overseas for 26 weeks or less, your payments may continue while you're away. If you're delayed and return to NZ after 26 weeks, we may still be able to help.
Another commonly used rule of thumb is 60% of your pre-retirement income. If you earned an annual income of $75,000 per year, you might expect to spend around $45,000 per year ($862 per week) in retirement. NZ Super can also supplement your KiwiSaver withdrawals, providing well over half of the more frugal budget.
The Netherlands retained the pole position with a score of 84.8, followed by Iceland (83.4), Denmark (81.6), and Israel (80.2), all of which received A grades. The rest of the top 10 comprised Finland, Norway, Chile, and Sweden.
How Much Do You Need to Retire at 65? If you plan to retire at 65, a general rule of thumb is to have around 20 times your annual retirement expenses saved.
Set to roll out from late December 2025, this cash payment is part of a national cost-of-living relief package aimed at supporting pensioners, carers, jobseekers, and low-income households facing ongoing financial strain.
How much you get depends on your income and assets tests, and whether you're single or in a couple. The current maximum Age Pension for: singles is $1,079.70 a fortnight or $28,072.20 a year. couples is $1,627.80 a fortnight or $42,322.80 a year (combined)
People of pension age can have up to £10,000 savings in the bank before it affects their pension credit. So if you have savings over £10,000, it will start to count towards your income calculation. Every £500 over £10,000 will be calculated as £1 additional income per week.
Your home and the pension
Centrelink does not count your home as an asset when calculating your pension if it is your 'principal place of residence' – any residence you occupy or in which you have an interest or the right to occupy.
Today, it's recognised as one of the best pensions systems in the world. Valued at A$4.3 trillion, it's already the 4th largest pension market in the world1 - and set to become the 2nd largest by 2035, surpassing both the Canadian and UK markets2.
Of the countries under study, The Netherlands, Austria, Luxembourg and Denmark offer their citizens the best protection against social risks. The citizens of Greece, Spain and Romania are found to be less protected.
It's generally cheaper to live in New Zealand for day-to-day expenses like groceries, restaurants, and rent (especially outside major cities), but Australia often offers higher average salaries, potentially leading to more disposable income despite higher overall costs, particularly housing in Sydney and Melbourne. While consumer prices and rent are lower in NZ, Australia's larger economy means wages are significantly higher, balancing out the cost difference and sometimes favoring Australia for savings potential with a good job, say www.movingtoaustralia.co.nz, www.studies-overseas.com/blogs/new-zealand-vs-australia-which-one-is-best-to-study-abroad https://www.studies-overseas.com/blogs/new-zealand-vs-australia-which-one-is-best-to-study-abroad https://www.upakweship.com/blog/living-in-new-zealand-vs-australia/ and this Reddit post https://www.reddit.com/r/newzealand_travel/comments/1kx2qqh/is_nz_expensive_compared_to_australia/.
Yes, NZ$70,000 is considered an average to decent salary in New Zealand, hitting the national average but falling short of "comfortable" in expensive cities like Auckland, especially for families; for a single person, it's generally enough to cover basic living costs and some savings, but luxuries like frequent dining out or big travel might be tight, especially in major cities.