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Retail Superannuation Funds in Australia - Market Research Report (2015-2030)

Matt Reeves Matt Reeves Melbourne, Australia Last Updated: December 2025 ANZSIC OD5514

Revenue

$88.7bn

2025-26

$88.7bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XX.Xbn

Employees

1,654

Businesses

52

Wages

$XXX.Xm

Retail Superannuation Funds in Australia industry analysis

The performance of the Retail Superannuation Funds industry has fluctuated significantly in recent years. Overall, industry-wide revenue is expected to fall at an average annualised 8.2% over the five years through 2025-26, and is expected to total $88.7 billion in 2025-26, when revenue is projected to climb by 1.4%. Industry revenue is highly volatile, and fluctuations in investment returns can cause revenue shocks. Due to this volatility, revenue is not an accurate representation of industry performance and size. Funds under administration (FUA) provide a better indication, and these are expected to rise at an annualised 1.9% over the five years through 2025-26, to $934.5 billion. Mandated increases in guaranteed super contribution rate have supported the industry. Still, the investment losses during the pandemic and APRA's early super release scheme have weighed on the performance of retail super funds.

Trends and Insights

  • Due to fluctuating equity markets, investment income has been highly volatile in recent years. The Retail Superannuation Funds industry reported investment income losses in 2021-22, but an AI investment boom has lifted returns in recent years.
  • The Retail Superannuation Funds industry's product segments remain relatively stable over the long term. Most members stay within the default strategy, and investment mandates provide thresholds for asset allocation.
  • Retail super funds are concentrated around Sydney and Melbourne. This is due to the proximity to other professional services, investment professionals and fund managers.
  • Internal competition is significant due to high barriers to entry and a strong focus on returns. Retail super funds primarily compete on reputation stemming from past performance trends, which is not necessarily an indicator of future performance.
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)

Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 8.2 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $88.7bn in 2025.

Trends and Insights

Retail superannuation funds have faced falling revenue but funds under administration have grown modestly

  • Revenue in the Retail Superannuation Funds industry is expected to fall at an annualised 8.2% over the five years through 2025-26 to total $88.7 billion. Revenue is almost totally made up of investment income, with a small share accounted for by fees. Investment income includes interest, dividends, rent and trust distributions plus the realised and unrealised changes in asset values. Consequently, if there is a sharp decline in asset prices, the negative value of the assets can outweigh the inflow of income from these investment returns, leading to negative revenue.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Retail Superannuation Funds in Australia
Revenue (2015-2030)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2025-2030)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Retail super funds will account for a falling share of total superannuation assets

  • Revenue in the Retail Superannuation Fund industry is forecast to rise over the next five years, to reach $100.2 billion in 2030-31. Equities are expected to remain the dominant share of retail funds’ asset allocations and both the All Ordinaries Index and the MSCI World Index are expected to rise over the next five years, boosting returns. However, industry revenue is not an accurate indicator of industry performance and size, given its volatility. A more appropriate gauge of industry performance and size is funds under administration (FUA).

Biggest companies in the Retail Superannuation Funds in Australia

Company
Market Share (%)
2026
Revenue ($m)
2026
Insignia Financial
21,331.6
AMP
13,085.1
Colonial First State Investments
12,088.3

To view the market share and analysis for all 5 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Retail Superannuation Funds in Australia
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Cash, Fixed income and Equities. Cash is the largest segment of the Retail Superannuation Funds in Australia.

Trends and Insights

Retail super funds prioritising international equities for growth opportunities

  • Equities account for over half of the investments of retail super funds. This segment includes Australian-listed equity, international-listed equity and unlisted equity.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Industry firms provide retirement benefits to the general public on a commercial and for-profit basis. Funds with four or less members are excluded from the industry. Industry revenue is primarily made up from investment revenue.

What's included in this industry?

Products and services covered in the Retail Superannuation Funds industry in Australia include Equities, Property, Fixed income, Cash, Infrastructure and Hedge funds.

Companies

Companies covered in the Retail Superannuation Funds industry in Australia include Insignia Financial, AMP and Colonial First State Investments.

Purchase this report to view all 5 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

Related terms covered in the Retail Superannuation Funds industry in Australia include superannuation guarantee, self-managed super funds and funds under administration (fua).

Industry Code

ANZSIC 2006

ANZSIC 6330 - Retail Superannuation Funds in Australia

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Due to fluctuating equity markets, investment income has been highly volatile in recent years. The Retail Superannuation Funds industry reported investment income losses in 2...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
  • Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

The Retail Superannuation Funds industry's product segments remain relatively stable over the long term. Most members stay within the default strategy, and investment mandate...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2025
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2025
  • Major market segmentation in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Retail super funds are concentrated around Sydney and Melbourne. This is due to the proximity to other professional services, investment professionals and fund managers.

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2025
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2025
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2025

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across Asia Pacific, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Internal competition is significant due to high barriers to entry and a strong focus on returns. Retail super funds primarily compete on reputation stemming from past perform...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

Insignia Financial, AMP, Colonial First State FirstChoice Superannuation Trust and Mercer Super Trust dominate the industry. Insignia Financial and Mercer Super Trust have mo...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2021 through 2025
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2025
  • Overview of Insignia Financial's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of AMP's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of Colonial First State Investments's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
  • Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for 2 additional companies

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Insignia Financial, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for AMP, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Colonial First State Investments, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description, key data and performance trends for 2 additional companies

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

The regulation and taxation environment of the Retail Superannuation Funds industry is highly complex. Regulatory changes to superannuation occur quite frequently, as success...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Retail superannuation funds are one of the few super fund types that operate on a for-profit basis. Profitability can be volatile, given the industry's exposure to financial ...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • Average Wage (2015-2030)
  • Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
  • IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
  • Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
  • Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2015-2030)
  • IVA (2015-2030)
  • Establishments (2015-2030)
  • Enterprises (2015-2030)
  • Employment (2015-2030)
  • Exports (2015-2030)
  • Imports (2015-2030)
  • Wages (2015-2030)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Retail Superannuation Funds industry in Australia in 2025?

The market size of the Retail Superannuation Funds industry in Australia is $88.7bn in 2025.

How many businesses are there in the Retail Superannuation Funds industry in Australia in 2025?

There are 52 businesses in the Retail Superannuation Funds industry in Australia, which has declined at a CAGR of 8.0 % between 2020 and 2025.

How may import tariffs affect the Retail Superannuation Funds industry in Australia?

The Retail Superannuation Funds industry in Australia is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

How may export tariffs affect the Retail Superannuation Funds industry in Australia?

The Retail Superannuation Funds industry in Australia is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.

Has the Retail Superannuation Funds industry in Australia grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Retail Superannuation Funds industry in Australia has been declining at a CAGR of 8.2 % between 2020 and 2025.

What is the forecast growth of the Retail Superannuation Funds industry in Australia over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Retail Superannuation Funds industry in Australia is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Retail Superannuation Funds industry in Australia?

The biggest companies operating in the Retail Superannuation Funds industry in Australia are Insignia Financial, AMP and Colonial First State Investments

What does the Retail Superannuation Funds industry in Australia include?

Equities and Property are part of the Retail Superannuation Funds industry in Australia.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Retail Superannuation Funds industry in Australia?

The company holding the most market share in the Retail Superannuation Funds industry in Australia is Insignia Financial.

How competitive is the Retail Superannuation Funds industry in Australia?

The level of competition is high and increasing in the Retail Superannuation Funds industry in Australia.

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in Australia include:

  • Australian Bureau of Statistics
  • Australian Taxation Office
  • Australian Securities & Investments Commission

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

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