2025 superannuation trends and predictions

From housing affordability to retirement income reform, superannuation is at the centre of some of the biggest financial conversations in Australia. If you’re wondering what’s next, we’ve got you covered.

Here’s what we’re watching in 2025—and the predictions we’re making for the year ahead.

Is the 12% super guarantee enough?

With the superannuation guarantee (SG) set to reach its planned maximum of 12% in 2025, the debate over whether that’s enough for a comfortable retirement is heating up. For younger Australians who may never own a home, the ASFA Retirement Standard—which assumes retirees own their homes—is starting to feel out of touch. With renters facing much higher retirement costs, the disconnect is becoming harder to ignore.

Prediction. In 2025, public scrutiny and media coverage will push ASFA to update its Comfortable Standard to better reflect the realities of renting in retirement.

Gender super gap persists, but parental leave marks progress

Women retire with significantly lower super balances than men, largely due to career breaks, part-time work, and wage inequality. In 2025, the introduction of parental leave superannuation will ensure super contributions continue during paid parental leave—a step forward in narrowing the gap. 

But while it addresses one piece of the puzzle, it’s likely to shine a spotlight on broader disparities, raising questions about what more can be done to achieve gender equity in super.

Prediction. In 2025, parental leave super will spark new initiatives from funds, including gender-based reporting and tools to help primary care givers rebuild their super after career breaks.

Retirement income reforms fall short of expectations

Account-based pensions are still the norm, but they don’t address retirees’ key worries about making their savings last. Lifetime income products could help, but they’re still rare due to complexity and low trust.

The Retirement Income Covenant (RIC), introduced in 2022, was supposed to push funds to improve their offerings. By 2024, though, regulators said progress was slow, with most funds only making small tweaks.

Prediction. In 2025, no major new lifetime income products will launch, keeping the pressure on the government to act in 2026.

Housing affordability pressures limit super’s role in home buying

The debate over using superannuation to help first-home buyers is heating up as housing affordability continues to worsen. Proposals for broader access, like using super for home deposits, face strong pushback over concerns about inflation and the impact on retirement savings. 

The First Home Super Saver Scheme (FHSSS) offers some support, but the cap isn’t enough to cover a meaningful deposit for those who can save, and it’s practically useless for people whose ability to save has been eroded by the rising cost of living.

Prediction. In 2025, the government will likely raise the FHSSS cap to a minimum of $60,000, but broader access to super for housing will remain off the table.