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When Can I Retire? Calculator

Our calculator works out the earliest age you could retire in New Zealand, using NZ Super, KiwiSaver rules and your own numbers.
Updated 8 August 2026

Summary
  • Most retirement tools ask how much you need. Ours answers the question people actually ask - at what age can I stop working?
  • The calculator below tests every age from now to 75 and finds the earliest one where your money lasts, using NZ Super, KiwiSaver rules and your own numbers.
  • Please note, everything is shown in today's dollars.

How this calculator works
  • It tests every retirement age from your current age forward and reports the earliest one at which your money lasts to your chosen planning age.
  • Fund returns use the FMA's prescribed KiwiSaver return rates, net of fees and 28% PIR: 2.5% (conservative), 3.5% (balanced), 4.5% (growth) and 5.5% (aggressive). After retirement, everything is assumed to earn 2.5%.
  • Inflation is 2% and salary growth 3.5%. All results are in today's dollars, so the numbers are directly comparable to your current cost of living.
  • KiwiSaver includes your contribution rate, employer contributions at 3.5% less ESCT, and the Government contribution of up to $260.72 a year.
  • Our NZ Super Rates guide has the latest payment information.
  • KiwiSaver stays locked until 65, and the calculator enforces this.
  • Our calculator uses whole-year steps and is deliberately conservative at the boundaries. Our preference is for the calculator to understate your position by a few months rather than overstate it.

Important: Our calculator and guide offer general information only and is not financial advice. Projections are illustrations based on stated assumptions, not guarantees.

When can you retire?

Living arrangement in retirement
Sets your NZ Superannuation rate (1 April 2026 rates, M tax code)
Savings outside KiwiSaver (funds, ETFs, term deposits). Only these can fund retirement before 65.
Know this: KiwiSaver stays locked until age 65 - it cannot be withdrawn early, no matter when you stop working. Retiring before 65 runs entirely on savings outside KiwiSaver.
Your KiwiSaver contribution rate
3.5% is the legislated default from April 2026 and rises to 4% from April 2028 - the calculator models that rise. Employer contributions are modelled at the compulsory minimum (3.5%, then 4%), less ESCT.
Fund type until retirement
FMA-assumed returns net of fees and 28% PIR
NZ Super age
Plan to age
65 is current law; 67 tests the proposed change for those born from 1979. KiwiSaver access stays at 65.

Results are in today's dollars (2% inflation). Salary and extra savings grow 3.5% a year. Fund returns use the FMA-prescribed rates, net of fees and 28% PIR. From retirement, all savings - including KiwiSaver while it stays locked - are assumed to earn the conservative-fund rate of 2.5% a year. Couple mode uses the combined NZ Super rate for two partners who both qualify from the Super age, alongside only the savings and salary entered. Full assumptions are below the calculator. This is a projection, not financial advice.

Calculating...
Working & saving Bridge years (before NZ Super) Retirement with NZ Super
You could retire in -
Savings at retirement - in today's dollars

How your income is funded

Frequently Asked Questions

What if the NZ Super age rises?

The calculator's toggle lets you test 67, a change that has been proposed for those born from 1979. Each year added to the Super age adds a year to your bridge - you can see the latest Super rates in our dedicated guide. Under the proposals being reported, KiwiSaver access stays at 65.

Can I use my KiwiSaver before 65 to retire early?

No - early withdrawals are limited to first-home purchase, significant financial hardship, serious illness and permanent emigration. Choosing to stop work does not qualify, which is why savings outside KiwiSaver set your earliest date.

Does the 4% rule work in New Zealand?

The views are mixed. The rule ignores NZ Super, which reduces what your savings must produce, and it ignores the KiwiSaver lock, which decides whether you can retire early at all. Our calculator runs a year-by-year projection under New Zealand laws and rules instead. Our Four Percent Rule guide is worthwhile background reading.

Is this financial advice?

No. The calculator is general information based on stated assumptions; real returns will vary, and a poor run early in retirement can shorten how long money lasts.

Can I retire at 55 in New Zealand?

Yes, if your savings outside KiwiSaver can cover your full living costs from 55 until 65, when NZ Super and KiwiSaver arrive. For a couple spending $60,000 a year, those ten years alone need around $550,000 to $600,000 of accessible savings, plus enough to top up NZ Super afterwards. The calculator above tests this with your own numbers.

Does the calculator work for couples?

Yes - enter your combined salary, combined balances and a combined target income, and select the couple NZ Super rate. If your ages differ by more than a few years, run it twice, once with each age, and treat the two dates as your likely range.
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