New Zealand state pension 2026: how it is calculated

The public pension in New Zealand follows national rules that usually look at your years of work or contributions, your pay and the age at which you claim it. The calculator above applies the 2026 rules to your own working life. Below you will find the rules in brief, an example by claim age and what your contributions buy.

The rules in brief

• NZ Superannuation: NZ Super is paid from 65 to residents who lived in New Zealand at least 10 years after age 20 (gradually rising to 20 years for people born from July 1959), regardless of past earnings or other income. From 1 April 2026 a single person living alone receives $1,294.74 a fortnight before tax ($1,110.30 after tax at the M code); it is taxed as income.
• KiwiSaver: KiwiSaver savings come from your contributions, the employer’s 3.5% and the government contribution of 25 cents per dollar up to $260.72 a year (not for incomes above $180,000). They can be withdrawn from 65, or earlier for a first home.

Example: pension by claim age

For someone aged 35 today who has worked 15 years so far, with an average of NZ$5,500 gross a month until now, earning NZ$6,500 from now with pay rising 1% a year above inflation, who works 30 more years. Amounts in today’s money, 12 payments a year. Enter your own career in the calculator for your figure.

How the example is made up

NZ Superannuation NZ$2,805 a month before tax (single, living alone: $1,294.74 a fortnight from 1 April 2026; it is not means-tested and needs 20 years of residence after age 20). KiwiSaver balance about NZ$450,047, drawn as NZ$2,568 a month over your life expectancy (withdrawals are tax-free). NZ Super starts at 65 and cannot be taken earlier.

What your contributions buy

Over the whole career you would pay NZ$129,613 in pension contributions (NZ$259,226 including your employer’s share). With a net pension of NZ$60,204 a year and about 19.5 years in retirement at average life expectancy, you would receive about NZ$1,173,971 in all, 9.06× your own contributions. The pension replaces 80.9% of your final net salary.

Frequently asked questions

Rules and official sources: see “Rules applied (2026)” above. Last checked: October 2026. The amounts are estimates for information, not financial or legal advice.