NZ Super + KiwiSaver calculator
Combine NZ Superannuation with a KiwiSaver drawdown to estimate your total weekly retirement income.
What this means for you
See how much of your weekly income comes from NZ Super versus your own KiwiSaver savings.
Compare drawdown periods
Spreading your KiwiSaver balance over fewer or more years changes your weekly income — see the trade-off.
| Scenario | Drawdown period | Total weekly income |
|---|---|---|
| Faster drawdown | 15 years | $0 |
| Current | 20 years | $0 |
| Slower drawdown | 25 years | $0 |
A shorter drawdown period gives you more per week now but risks running out sooner if you live longer than planned — this is the core trade-off of a simple even-spread approach.
Assumptions & sources
Work and Income NZ Superannuation payment rates, effective 1 April 2026.
1 April 2026
17 July 2026
NZ Super rate is a fixed weekly amount based on your living situation. KiwiSaver drawdown simply divides your balance evenly across the weeks in your chosen drawdown period, with no growth or inflation applied.
NZ Super at the M tax code rate for your living situation, plus a simple even drawdown of your projected KiwiSaver balance.
Investment returns or inflation during retirement, other tax codes, and any other retirement income sources like rental property or other savings.
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Read article →NZ Super rates and how they work
NZ Superannuation is a universal payment available from age 65 to everyone who meets the residency requirements, regardless of income or assets, funded from general taxation rather than a dedicated fund. Rates are set as a percentage of the average wage and adjusted each April — from 1 April 2026, after-tax rates at the M tax code are $555.15 a week for someone living alone, $512.45 a week sharing accommodation, and $854.08 a week combined for a qualifying couple.
KiwiSaver is designed to top up NZ Super, not replace it — most people drawing only NZ Super find it covers basic living costs at best, which is why the size of your KiwiSaver balance at retirement makes such a large difference to your standard of living once you stop working.
Example: Retiring alone with $250,000 in KiwiSaver, over 25 years
Kate plans to retire living alone with $250,000 in KiwiSaver, and wants to stretch it over 25 years.
NZ Super alone provides $555.15 a week after tax for someone living alone.
Spreading her KiwiSaver evenly over 25 years, with no further investment growth assumed, adds approximately $192 a week — for a total weekly income of approximately $747.
That's a meaningful lift above NZ Super alone, but still modest by pre-retirement income standards for many people — a clear illustration of why building a bigger KiwiSaver balance while working matters so much for retirement comfort.
Frequently asked questions
From 1 April 2026, after tax at the M tax code: $555.15/week living alone, $512.45/week sharing, $854.08/week combined for a couple. Rates adjust each April with wage growth.
For many people it covers only basic living costs, which is why KiwiSaver was designed to supplement it. Whether it's enough depends heavily on whether you own your home mortgage-free by retirement, since housing is usually the largest expense.
