Working to death: 4.3 million Australians think they can’t afford to retire
Millions of Australians can't afford to stop working, according to new research by Finder.
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A Finder survey of 1,017 respondents found 20% – equivalent to 4.3 million people – admit they don't have enough money in their super fund or other investments to get by in retirement.
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While reports vary on how much money you'll need in retirement, the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) recommends $595,000 for singles, $690,000 for couples for a comfortable retirement.
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The average Australian has $172,835 in super, however the median is much lower at $60,037, according to ATO data.
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Finder's research shows a further 1 in 5 (20%) Aussies say they will have enough to get by but will probably have to cut back on their spending.
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One in ten (10%) admit their superannuation balance is too low but they will have enough in other investments.
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More than 1 in 4 (27%) are not sure if they will have enough money to survive once they hit retirement age.
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Pascale Helyar-Moray, superannuation literacy expert at Finder, said retirement may be financially out of reach for a large share of Australians.
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"Insufficient super or savings could see millions of Aussies facing financial strain in their later years.
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"More and more people are worried that retirement will arrive before the money does, leaving them underprepared."
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Helyar-Moray said some Australians assume they'll fall back on the Age Pension.
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"Keep in mind the Age Pension isn't guaranteed – your assets could disqualify you from receiving it."
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Helyar-Moray urged Aussies to consider playing catch-up by contributing to their super through salary sacrifice to build a bigger safety net.
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"Super earnings below $30K are taxed at a maximum of just 15%, which means salary sacrificing into super could help grow your wealth while also lowering your tax.
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"You won't be able to access your super until retirement, so it's wise to ease into it – $100 a month may not sound like much, but it can make a real impact over time."
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Helyar-Moray said Aussies need to make sure their super fund is not charging them excessive fees and providing good returns.
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"Make sure that you aren't stuck in a poorly performing fund and check regularly that your employer is paying your 12% Superannuation Guarantee contributions on time."
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Do you think you'll have enough superannuation to get by in retirement?
| No, not in my super or other investments combined | 20% |
| No, not in my super, but I'll have enough through other investments | 10% |
| Yes, I'll have enough to get by but will probably have to cut back on my spending | 20% |
| Yes, I'm confident I'll have enough money to live comfortably in retirement | 24% |
| I'm not sure if I will or not | 27% |
| Source: Finder survey of 1,017 respondents, June 2025 |  |
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Methodology
- Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker is a monthly recurring nationally representative survey of more than 60,000 respondents.
- Figures in this release are based on 1,017 respondents from June 2025.
- The Consumer Sentiment Tracker is owned by Finder and operated by Qualtrics.
- The survey has been running monthly since May 2019.
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Sources
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