Free NZ Super Calculator for New Zealanders
NZ Super is paid from age 65 at a fixed fortnightly rate, indexed to wage growth every 1 April. Most retirees combine it with KiwiSaver or other savings drawdown. The calculator estimates total monthly income and how long savings will last.
Your retirement
Based on retiring at 65 with $250,000 drawing $3,500/month.
About our NZ Super Calculator
NZ Super is a flat fortnightly payment from the day you turn 65, paid for life as long as you stay resident in NZ. A single person living alone receives $1,294.74 a fortnight gross at the 1 April 2026 settings. A couple where both qualify receives $1,968.56 combined. The amounts step up annually with the average wage.
Most retirees draw from KiwiSaverKiwiSaverNZ workplace retirement savings scheme. From 1 April 2026, minimum employee and employer contributions are both 3.5% of gross pay (rising to 4% in 2028); the government adds 25c per $1, capped at $260.72/yr.View in glossary → or other savings on top of NZ Super to reach the lifestyle they planned for. NZ Super alone covers a "no-frills" budget per the Sorted retirement-expenditure research; reaching a "choices" budget typically requires another $200-$1,000 a fortnight from drawdown, depending on home ownership and city.
The calculator combines NZ Super with a chosen monthly drawdown from a savings balance, growing the balance at an assumed return rate up to retirement and drawing it down each month after. It returns total monthly income and how many years the savings will last.
Move the drawdown slider to test sustainable rates. A balance that lasts 30 years at $1,500 a month often runs out in 10 at $3,000 a month, and the calculator makes the trade-off visible.
How to use it
Enter your current age and your planned retirement age (NZ Super starts at 65 by default).
Enter your current savings balance (KiwiSaver plus any other retirement savings) and the monthly drawdown you want to test against the balance. The default 4-5% return rate represents a long-run balanced fund return after fees; lower it for a conservative scenario, raise it for a growth fund.
Choose single or couple to set the NZ Super rate. The calculator returns total monthly income (NZ Super plus drawdown) and the projected number of years savings will last at that drawdown rate.
Why use it
NZ Super alone rarely covers the lifestyle most workers retire expecting. The Sorted research shows most NZ retirees have an income gap of roughly $300-$600 a fortnight between NZ Super and a "choices" budget, which they fill from KiwiSaver, term deposits, or part-time work.
The calculator answers two practical questions. First, how does my savings balance translate into monthly income at a sustainable drawdown rate? Second, how long will my savings last if I draw at a faster rate to fund a particular early-retirement lifestyle?
For couples, the per-person NZ Super figure plus the joint drawdown gives the household total. Running the same maths with one or other partner’s savings excluded shows the impact of an unexpected early loss of one income source.
The maths behind it
Years money lasts = months until pot reaches 0, where pot grows at r and pays out drawdown D each month NZ Super pays a fixed fortnightly amount set by Cabinet, indexed annually to wage growth. Personal savings (typically KiwiSaver) grow at the assumed return rate and are drawn down monthly. The calculator iterates month by month: pot × (1 + monthly return) − drawdown. The years-the-money-lasts figure is when the pot hits zero. NZ Super continues to be paid for life regardless of how long savings last, so total monthly income drops to the Super-only figure once savings are exhausted.
Worked example
Margaret, retired primary school teacher in Picton, single living alone, with $320,000 in KiwiSaver at 65.
Margaret stopped teaching at 65 with $320,000 in a balanced KiwiSaver fund. As a single person living alone she receives the standard NZ Super rate of $1,294.74 fortnightly gross ($544 a week net at the M tax code).
Her NZ Super pays roughly $2,355 a month after tax. She tops it up by drawing $1,500 a month from KiwiSaver, giving a total monthly income of about $3,855.
At a 4% net return on her KiwiSaver fund, the $320,000 lasts about 30 years before running dry. From her late-90s onwards she would rely on NZ Super alone, which keeps paying as long as she lives in NZ.
Adjusting drawdown to $1,000 a month would stretch the savings to 50+ years. Lifting to $2,500 a month would shorten the runway to about 14 years, with NZ Super taking over as the sole income from her late-70s.
Things to keep in mind
- Rates change every 1 April. NZ Super is indexed to the average wage. Rates are reviewed every March and updated on 1 April. The figures shown reflect the 1 April 2026 settings; figures will rise (or, rarely, hold) annually.
- Tax code matters. If NZ Super is your only income, the M tax code applies. If you also work or draw a private pension, a secondary code (SS tax codeSecondary income tax code; flat 17.5% if total earnings stay in the second-bracket band.View in glossary →, SHSH tax codeSecondary tax code at 30% for people whose combined income lands in the fourth bracket.View in glossary →, STST tax codeSecondary tax code at 33% for people whose combined income lands in the fifth bracket.View in glossary →) applies to the smaller income source. Pick the wrong code and you either underpay (and owe a square-up) or overpay (and wait for a refund).
- Residency requirement. NZ Super requires 10 years of NZ residency since age 20, with at least 5 of those after age 50. Under the Lochore Act 2024, full eligibility now requires 20 years of residency for people born on or after 1 July 1959, phased in over time.
- Drawdown is a personal decision. The calculator does not advise a drawdown rate. Common rules of thumb (3-4% of the starting balance per year) are illustrative only. The Sorted retirement-expenditure research has weekly budgets by household type that are useful sense-checks against your projected total monthly income.
- Returns are not guaranteed. The 4-5% default return is a long-run illustrative figure for a balanced KiwiSaver fund. Real annual returns swing year to year, and a sequence of poor early-retirement returns can shorten the runway materially even if the long-run average is unchanged.
NZ-specific notes
FAQs
Does everyone get the same NZ Super amount?
No. The amount depends on your living situation: single living alone gets the most, single sharing accommodation gets less, and couples (both qualifying) get a per-person figure that combines to slightly more than the single rate. Tax code also affects the net amount.
Is NZ Super means-tested?
No. NZ Super is a universal flat-rate payment for everyone who meets the age and residency requirements. Other income (KiwiSaver drawdown, part-time work, rental income) is taxed separately but does not reduce the NZ Super payment itself.
Can I work and still get NZ Super?
Yes. NZ Super is paid regardless of other work. The combined income is taxed across the standard NZ brackets, with NZ Super on the M code (your main income) and the work income on a secondary code (S, SH, or ST) if it is smaller. Some retirees with substantial part-time income flip the codes and treat the work as the main income.
How does the residency requirement work?
Standard requirement: 10 years of NZ residency since age 20, with at least 5 years after age 50. The "Lochore Act" amendments lifting the requirement to 20 years (with 5 after 50) phase in for people born on or after 1 July 1959, with the full 20 years applying from 1 July 2042 onwards.
How long should I plan for the savings to last?
NZ life expectancy at 65 is roughly 21 years for men and 23 years for women (Stats NZ). Many planners use 30 years to age 95 to cover longevity risk. The Sorted retirement-expenditure research has weekly budgets by household type that show what NZ Super alone covers and where personal savings need to fill the gap.
What is a sustainable drawdown rate?
Common rules of thumb sit between 3% and 5% of starting balance per year, indexed for inflation. The calculator lets you test specific drawdown amounts against your balance and return assumption to see how long the money lasts. The right rate is highly individual; many retirees adjust as they go rather than fixing a rate at the start.
References & sources
- Work and Income, "Benefit rates at 1 April 2026". workandincome.govt.nz
- Work and Income, "New Zealand Superannuation overview". workandincome.govt.nz
- Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission, "Retirement expenditure research". retirement.govt.nz
- Inland Revenue, "Tax codes for individuals". ird.govt.nz