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New Zealand·Calculators·KiwiSaver balance projection

KiwiSaver balance projection

Project your KiwiSaver balance to age 65. Contribution rates, ESCT and the government contribution are from the 2026–27 KiwiSaver rules. The fund return and salary growth are your own assumptions, not a forecast.

Your numbers
$NZD
$NZD / year
% p.a.
% p.a.
years
Balance at 65:
$318,865
nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation · 25 years on these assumptions
Total contributions$175,108
Total investment growth$143,757
You contribute (first year)$3,150
Employer after ESCT (first year)$2,205
Government (first year)$260.72
All statutory figures (contribution rates, ESCT bands, government contribution cap and threshold) are from the 2026-27 KiwiSaver rules published by Inland Revenue and are held constant for every projected year. Salary grows at 2% per year, applied to the previous year's salary before calculating that year's contributions. Fund return is 5% per year applied to the opening balance; contributions made during the year are added after the return is earned. PIE tax on returns is excluded and not modelled. Employee rate applies to the whole annual salary; no mid-year rate changes or part-year eligibility adjustments. Employer rate is the compulsory 3.5% minimum; no above-minimum employer contributions are modelled. The government contribution (25 cents per dollar, capped at $260.72/year) is computed in integer cents to avoid rounding errors and assumes full-year eligibility with salary as the only taxable income. No withdrawals, fees, savings suspension, multiple accounts, first-home withdrawal or NZ Super offset are modelled. All projected balances are in nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. This is a scenario, not a forecast. The return and salary growth are your own assumptions and are not sourced from a fund manager or market forecast.
Source: Inland Revenue · 2026–27 rates · Checked Oct 2026 · Valid through 2027-03-31 (NZ time)Using New Zealand rules
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What drives a KiwiSaver balance at 65

Three things fill a KiwiSaver account: what you put in, what your employer puts in after ESCT, and the government contribution. The fourth thing is investment return, which compounds those three over decades and in many cases becomes the largest driver of a final balance.

The government contribution is 25 cents for every dollar you contribute, up to $260.72 a year, reached when you contribute $1,042.86 or more in the year to 30 June.

The ESCT on your employer's contribution is charged on the gross amount before it reaches your account. A higher salary pushes both your ESCT band and your total employer contribution higher.

The fund return and salary growth are the two assumptions the model cannot source. They are entered by you and are not a fund manager's or employer's forecast.

Common questions

Is the balance in today's dollars?
No. It is in nominal dollars: the number your account would show, not adjusted for inflation. Inflation reduces what that balance will buy.
Does this include PIE tax on the investment return?
No. The fund return you enter is applied before PIE tax is taken off. KiwiSaver funds deduct PIE tax internally, which reduces the return you actually receive. The calculator shows the gross return scenario you enter.
Does my employer contribution change with my rate?
Your employer must contribute at least 3.5% of your salary, or 3% while you are on the temporary 3% rate. Choosing 4%, 6%, 8% or 10% does not raise the compulsory employer amount. It grows as your salary grows.
What if I change funds or make a large contribution?
This model assumes a constant annual return and salary growth, with no large single contributions, withdrawals or fees. A first-home withdrawal, fund-switching, or a one-off top-up changes the outcome.

The rules behind this calculator

Written up, with the page each rule came from.
2 min read
KiwiSaver government contribution after the 2025 changes
Eligible members receive a government contribution based on their own contributions, with an annual cap, an income limit and part-year eligibility rules.

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