The analysis of data over the five years to 30 June 2025 revealed that on average 31,200 funds entered the sector annually, or approximately 2,600 per month. On average there were 14,000 exits per year.
The total assets held by SMSFs increased by nearly 48 per cent to $340.4 billion and at 30 June 2025 SMSFs collectively held $1.05 trillion (24.3 per cent) of the $4.3 trillion in super assets under management.
Numbers for the past 12 months show there were approximately 653,100 SMSFs, an increase of 6.3 per cent from 30 June 2024 and 42,000 SMSFs entered the sector over the year, an increase of 27.1 per cent from 2023-24.
The data shows there were over 1.2 million members of SMSFs that collectively held $1.1 trillion in total assets, an increase of $54.8 billion, or 5.5 per cent from 30 June 2024.
Over the five years to June 2024, female average member balances increased by 34 per cent to $842,000 while male average member balances increased by 30 per cent to $973,000. Additionally, from 2022–23 to 2023–24 average member contributions increased to $55,400 or by six per cent for females $50,400 and seven per cent for males. During that same time, average employer contributions increased to $12,000 up by 2.4 per cent for females to $15,800 and 3.2 per cent for males.
Currently, SMSFs make up 24 per cent of all super assets and have grown by 48 per cent. The top five assets held by SMSFs were listed shares (27 per cent), cash and term deposits (17 per cent), non-residential real property (10 per cent) and limited recourse borrowing arrangements (7 per cent).
Contributions to SMSFs Increased by 51 per cent over the past five years from $17.3 billion in 2019–20 to $26.2 billion in 2023–24.
Around 65 per cent of SMSFs have existed for more than 10 years and more than half SMSFs (55 per cent) are currently in accumulation phase, with 35 per cent in full retirement phase and 10 per cent in partial retirement phase.
The statistics also show there is a preference for a corporate trustee structure with 72 per cent of funds using a corporate trustee and 28 per cent having individual trustee structure.
The average balance of a member over five years increased 30 per cent to $881,000 and the average assets per SMSF increased 29 per cent to $1.63 million. There was 10.3 per cent return on assets.
Benefit payments increased by a massive 84 per cent from $31.4 billion 2019–20 $57.7 billion 2023–24 and 33 per cent of SMSF members received a benefit.
Although the median age of SMSF members at 30 June 2025 was 62 years, the median age of members of newly established funds in 2023–24 was 46 years.
The regulator also released statistics of the top 100 SMSFs which showed that they make up 1.4 per cent of all SMSF assets ($997 billion) at 30 June 2024 and they have grown their total assets by 84 per cent over the last five years and 358 per cent over the last 10 years.
The median assets held by the top 100 SMSFs were $94 million in 2023–24.
Additionally, the top 100 age by establishment (at 30 June 2024) showed that 59 per cent existed when the ATO became regulator in 1999 and 78 of the top 100 SMSFs have existed for 20 or more years.
There are 245 members in the top 100 SMSFs, with 66 per cent of SMSFs in full or part retirement phase. In this cohort the median income stream payment in 2023–24 was $300,000 and the median lump sum was $2.1 million with 78 of the top 100 SMSFs paying a benefit payment to 196 members in 2023–24.
Finally, 8 per cent of total members in the top 100 had an account balance of more than $100 million with the median male balance at $51 million and the median female balance $27 million.
