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.
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.
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.
The average Australian has $172,835 in super, however the median is much lower at $60,037, according to ATO data.
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.
One in ten (10%) admit their superannuation balance is too low but they will have enough in other investments.
More than 1 in 4 (27%) are not sure if they will have enough money to survive once they hit retirement age.
Pascale Helyar-Moray, superannuation literacy expert at Finder, said retirement may be financially out of reach for a large share of Australians.
"Insufficient super or savings could see millions of Aussies facing financial strain in their later years.
"More and more people are worried that retirement will arrive before the money does, leaving them underprepared."
Helyar-Moray said some Australians assume they'll fall back on the Age Pension.
"Keep in mind the Age Pension isn't guaranteed – your assets could disqualify you from receiving it."
Helyar-Moray urged Aussies to consider playing catch-up by contributing to their super through salary sacrifice to build a bigger safety net.
"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.
"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."
Helyar-Moray said Aussies need to make sure their super fund is not charging them excessive fees and providing good returns.
"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."
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 |  |
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.
Sources
Compare super funds with Finder's comparison guide.
Ask a question