APRA Superannuation Statistics December Quarter 2009

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) has released its Quarterly Superannuation Performance publication for the December quarter of 2009.
It shows total assets in the December 2009 quarter rose by 3.3%, to a total of $1.23 trillion.

• 99.9% of all super funds in Australia are SMSFs.
• The average total balance of an SMSF is $919,200.
• The average SMSF member balance is $460,000.
• SMSFs now account for 31.3% of more than a $1.23 trillion market.
• The average number of new SMSFs set up per month in the last
  quarter is 1630.

The table below shows the increase in superannuation assets in the December 2009 quarter for the following:

	Increase ($B) as at 31 December 2009	Total Assets ($B) >>as at 31 December 2009>>>
Corporate	$0.9	$59.9
Industry	$9.1	$218.9
Public Sector	$5.5	$172.6
Retail	$8.7	$345.7
SMSF	$15.6	$386.1

The table below shows the increase in the number for funds during in the December 2009 quarter for the following:

	Decrease/Increase >>as at  31 December 2009 >	Total Number of Funds as at 31 December 2009
Corporate	-58	171
Industry	-7	65
Public Sector	-1	39
Retail	-12	154
SMSF	9,705	420,023

Superannuation Industry Summary

Over the December quarter the assets of industry funds grew by 4.3 per cent ($9.1 billion) to $218.9 billion, public sector funds by 3.3 per cent ($5.5 billion) to $172.6 billion, retail funds by 2.6 per cent ($8.7 billion) to $345.7 billion, and corporate funds by 1.6 per cent ($0.9 billion) to $59.9 billion.  

Contributions to funds with at least $50 million in assets over the December quarter were $19.2 billion, with employers contributing $15.0 billion and members contributing $3.6 billion. Other contributions, including spouse contributions and government co-contributions, totalled $596 million. 

During the December quarter, retail funds received 32.7 per cent ($6.3 billion) of total contributions, industry funds 31.5 per cent ($6.1 billion), public sector funds 29.2 per cent ($5.6 billion), and corporate funds received 6.5 per cent ($1.3 billion).

The combined rate of return was 2.3 per cent for the December quarter. The rate of return for corporate, industry and public sector funds was 2.5 percent and retail funds 2.1 per cent.

Copies of the December 2009 Quarterly Superannuation Performance publication are available on Para’s website at http://www.apra.gov.au/Statistics/Quarterly-Superannuation-Performance.cfm.

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) is the prudential regulator of the financial services industry. It oversees banks, credit unions, building societies, general insurance and reinsurance companies, life insurance, friendly societies, and most members of the superannuation industry. APRA is funded largely by the industries that it supervises. It was established on 1 July 1998. APRA currently supervises institutions holding approximately $3.6 trillion in assets for 22 million Australian depositors, policyholders and superannuation fund members.