Revealed: The 10 best-performing super funds over the past 10 years

Super funds had a terrible year, but a great decade. Here are the 10 funds that have performed best over the long term.

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Alison Banney

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Yes, super funds had a bad year in 2022.

Most of the default growth funds (these are funds with 60–80% allocation to growth assets) ended the year with a negative return, due to the falls in global share markets as a result of rising inflation.

In fact even the best-performing growth fund for 2022, CareSuper Balanced, returned -2.0% for members according to super research firm Chant West.

Big name industry funds Hostplus and AustralianSuper also delivered negative returns, with -2.5% and -2.7%, respectively.

However, superannuation is a long-term investment, perhaps the longest investment you'll ever make.

So when comparing super funds, look at the long-term performance figures, as these show a much more accurate picture of how the fund has performed on average over many years.

Top 10 Best-performing super funds over 10 years

Super fund
10 year % p.a.*
50k fees
8.36%
$625
8.11%
$387
8.31%
$477
7.92%
$406
7.83%
$412
7.58%
$458
7.72%
$457
7.2%
$591
7.76%
$373

*Performance returns for period ending December 2022 according to Chant West.

Even though all 10 funds above returned a negative result for 2022, over the past decade they've managed to return over 8.0% p.a. on average for members.

This is actually ahead of target, according to Chant West senior investment research manager, Mano Mohankumar. "Over the 30½ years since the introduction of compulsory super in July 1992, the median growth fund has delivered an annualised return of 7.8%, which is 1.7% p.a. ahead of the typical return objective of CPI +3.5% p.a."

Seeing your super fund deliver a negative return one year isn't fun for any of us, but luckily, it's not actually all that common.

"This was the first negative calendar year since 2011 and only the fifth in the full 30 years of compulsory super," Mohankumar said.

"It also comes on the back of a particularly strong 2021, so perhaps we were due for a return to earth given the challenging investment backdrop. Most importantly, members should take comfort in the fact that funds are continuing to meet their long-term return objectives."

If you haven't checked how your fund is preforming for a while, it could be time to compare super funds and make the switch.

1 - 17 of 406
Name Last 1 year performance (p.a.) Last 3 year performance (p.a.) Last 5 year performance (p.a.) Last 10 year performance (p.a.) Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
Virgin Money Super - LifeStage Tracker
Virgin Money Super logo
Lifestage
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+15.61%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+6.76%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+8.11%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
N/A
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$363
Go to siteMore Info
 Your fund's asset allocations adjust automatically as you age, offering you more growth opportunity when you're younger and lower-risk investments as you approach retirement.
Aware Super Future Saver - MySuper Lifecycle High Growth
Aware Super logo
Industry fundLifestageHigher risk
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+14.16%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+5.84%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+8.4%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
+8.98%
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$457
Go to siteMore Info
 A lifecycle super fund weighted heavily towards high growth assets, targeted to people 55 and under.
Australian Ethical Super Australian Shares
Australian Ethical Super logo
Green Company
EthicalHigher risk
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+15.13%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+2.44%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+7.98%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
+10.1%
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$778
Go to siteMore Info
UniSuper - High Growth
UniSuper logo
Best Rated Brand
Industry fundHigher risk
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+16.34%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+6.2%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+9.09%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
+10.04%
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$451
Go to siteMore Info
 This fund targets high growth over a long term horizon by investing in higher growth, higher risk assets such as Australian and international shares.
Hostplus Australian Shares
Hostplus logo
Industry fundHigher risk
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+11.58%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+6.97%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+8.5%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
+9.3%
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$350
Go to siteMore Info
 This is a high-growth product with low diversification that invests predominantly in Australian listed shares and aims for high returns over the long term.
Australian Retirement Trust - High Growth
Australian Retirement Trust logo
Industry fundHigher risk
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+13.73%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+7.51%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+9.19%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
+9.58%
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$507
Go to siteMore Info
Vanguard Super SaveSmart - High Growth
Vanguard logo
Higher risk
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+16.32%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
N/A
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
N/A
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
N/A
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$270
Go to siteMore Info
 This fund aims for higher growth over the long term. It invests heavily in Australian and international shares, including a small amount of exposure to emerging markets shares.
HESTA High Growth
HESTA logo
Industry fundHigher risk
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+14.18%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+7.34%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+9.24%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
+9.31%
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$537
Go to siteMore Info
Spaceship - GrowthX
Spaceship logo
Higher risk
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+25.13%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+8.87%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+11.83%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
N/A
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$572
Go to siteMore Info
 A high growth super fund with a big focus on international shares.
Superhero Super - High Growth
Superhero Super logo
Higher risk
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+15.31%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+7.22%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+8.69%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
N/A
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$397
Go to siteMore Info
Hostplus Indexed Balanced
Hostplus logo
Industry fund
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+14.22%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+6.59%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+7.63%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
+7.75%
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$135
Go to siteMore Info
UniSuper - Sustainable High Growth
UniSuper logo
Finder Award
Best Rated Brand
Industry fundEthicalHigher risk
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+19.04%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+5.14%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+9.23%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
+9.81%
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$326
Go to siteMore Info
Australian Ethical Super International Shares
Australian Ethical Super logo
Green Company
EthicalHigher risk
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+25.24%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+9.27%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+11.38%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
+10.35%
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$648
Go to siteMore Info
Virgin Money Super Indexed Overseas Shares
Virgin Money Super logo
Indexed investmentHigher risk
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+29.11%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+11.73%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+13.36%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
N/A
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$385
Go to siteMore Info
Aware Super Balanced
Aware Super logo
Industry fund
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+12.36%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+5.18%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+7%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
+7.66%
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$422
Go to siteMore Info
Australian Retirement Trust - International Shares Index (unhedged)
Australian Retirement Trust logo
Finder Award
Industry fundIndexed investmentHigher risk
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+26.07%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+10.34%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+12.28%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
+11.92%
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$192
Go to siteMore Info
Hostplus International Shares
Hostplus logo
Industry fundHigher risk
Last 1 year performance (p.a.)
+20.98%
Last 3 year performance (p.a.)
+5.98%
Last 5 year performance (p.a.)
+8.97%
Last 10 year performance (p.a.)
+9.92%
Fees on $50k balance (p.a.)
$385
Go to siteMore Info
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The information in this table is based on data provided by SuperRatings Pty Limited ABN 95 100 192 283, a Corporate Authorised Representative (CAR No.1309956) of Lonsec Research Pty Ltd ABN 11 151 658 561, Australian Financial Services Licence No. 421445. In limited instances, where data is not available from SuperRatings for a product, the data is provided directly by the superannuation fund.

*Past performance data and fee data is for the period ending December 2024

Image: Getty Images
Alison Banney's headshot
Written by

Editorial Manager, Money

Alison is an editor at Finder and a personal finance journalist with over 10 years of experience, having contributed to major financial institutions and publications such as Westpac, Money Magazine, and Yahoo Finance. She is frequently quoted in media outlets like SmartCompany and SBS, offering expert insights on superannuation and money management. Alison holds a Bachelor of Communications in Public Relations and Journalism from the University of Newcastle, and has earned three ASIC RG146 certifications in superannuation, securities and managed investments and general financial advice, ensuring her expertise is fully aligned with ASIC standards. See full bio

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2 Responses

    Default Gravatar
    KirkFebruary 9, 2023

    Looking for a good super that invests in property on top of a decent return

      AvatarFinder
      AlisonFebruary 22, 2023Finder

      Hi Kirk, you can compare super funds here: https://www.finder.com.au/super-funds

      Using the filters on the left side, if you and select ‘High growth’ and untick the box that says “Only show products with direct links & enquiry options” you’ll see heaps of options for high-growth funds, including many that are focused on property.

      Thanks,
      Alison

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