KiwiSaver Calculator

This is an educational tool to help you explore how your KiwiSaver could grow. It is not financial advice and doesn't take account of your full personal circumstances. It uses Hive's own assumptions (set out below) to produce an estimate, so your results may differ from the projection on your annual KiwiSaver statement, which uses the Government's standardised assumptions.

Projected returns are after fees and tax and vary by fund type and your Prescribed Investor Rate (PIR). Because we use your PIR, results at lower PIRs can be higher than the projection on your annual KiwiSaver statement, which assumes the top 28% rate for everyone. Returns are long-term assumptions, not guarantees — they will move up and down each year. The Government sets the standardised statement assumptions; see the Financial Markets Authority’s KiwiSaver projections page.

Employee and employer contributions follow the legislated default minimums, phasing from 3.5% (from 1 April 2026) to 4% (from 1 April 2028). The legislated minimum always applies, so the calculator assumes you don't suspend your contributions or make withdrawals (other than a first-home withdrawal if you choose it). If you model a first-home withdrawal, we assume $1,000 stays in your KiwiSaver account, matching the usual minimum balance that must be retained. Employer contributions use that same legislated minimum (after ESCT) and are only included when employment is set to Employed. The annual government contribution is 25 cents for every $1 you contribute, capped at $260.72, and stops from age 65. We apply the $180,000 income cut-off to the salary you enter, assuming that is your total taxable income; if you have other taxable income the cut-off could apply sooner.

When “take inflation into account” is on, figures are shown in today's dollars using an assumed 2% inflation rate, so you can compare future amounts to what they'd be worth now. We also assume your salary grows by 3.5% a year while you’re contributing, so employee and employer contributions increase over time. Both rates are Hive long-term assumptions.

When “show retirement years” is on, the retirement figure assumes your balance is drawn down evenly from your chosen retirement age until age 90, with income holding its buying power in today's dollars. From age 65 we assume you stay invested in a balanced-type fund earning 3.8% a year after fees and tax (at the 17.5% retiree PIR), regardless of the fund you chose for the years before retirement — the same basis as our Retirement calculator, so the two tools show the same income for the same balance. Note that annual KiwiSaver statements use the Government's more conservative standardised assumption of 2.5% a year after 65, so the projection on your statement will look lower. When the toggle is off, salary and contributions continue and no drawdown is applied.

Our tax and KiwiSaver settings — income tax and ESCT rates, PIR thresholds, the government contribution and the contribution minimums above — reflect the rules in force from 1 April 2025 and Budget 2025 (including the 1 April 2026 contribution changes). Fund return, inflation and wage-growth figures are Hive's long-term assumptions. We review these at least once a year, after the 1 April tax and KiwiSaver changes. Last reviewed: 30 July 2026.