NZ Super age: 82% of business leaders back raising eligibility

New Zealand Herald · Tim McCready · 2026-10-25 04:00 UTC

82% of chief executives surveyed want NZ Super eligibility raised.

More than 960,000 New Zealanders get NZ Super, at a cost of about $24.7 billion a year. That makes it the largest single item of government spending. The bill is forecast to climb to more than $31b by 2030 as New Zealand’s population ages.

The eligibility age was last changed between 1992 and 2001, when it was raised in stages from 60 to 65. Australia raised its pension age to 67 in 2023, while the United Kingdom is increasing its State Pension age from 66 to 67 between 2026 and 2028.

Simon Bennett, managing director of Metro Performance Glass, suggests a simple test of where the self-interest lies: “Ask for a show of hands in the room of all those over 60. Ask them to keep them raised if they need super when they’re 65.”

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