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KiwiSaver Returns — 31 August 2026 Update
Our KiwiSaver comparison is now updated to 31 August 2026. Returns are shown after fees and before tax, and this month the pattern flipped: the defensive end of the market gave back more ground than the growth end.
What changed this month
Biggest one-year moves since 31 July
- Up: QuayStreet High Growth (+3.94), QuayStreet Growth (+3.18), QuayStreet Balanced (+2.69), QuayStreet Conservative (+1.88)
- Down: Milford Aggressive (−3.00), Generate Thematic (−2.98), Kernel Global 100 (−1.39), Generate Focused Growth (−1.23)
QuayStreet moved up across its whole range, which is usually a sign of a single strong month entering the window rather than anything having changed about the funds. Movements of this size in a one-year number are ordinary and are not, on their own, a reason to switch funds.
Category by category
Conservative — median one-year return 3.90%, down about half a point on July. Conservative funds are dominated by bonds and cash, so their returns track interest rates far more closely than they track share markets. The range runs from 1.12% to 6.81%.
Moderate — median 5.15%, also down roughly half a point. Moderate funds sit between conservative and balanced, with a minority of the portfolio in shares.
Balanced — median 9.48%, down about a third of a point. This is the default territory for a lot of KiwiSaver members, and the median sits close to the all-fund median of 9.90%.
Growth — median 12.79%, essentially flat on July. Growth funds hold most of their money in shares, so the slower month at the defensive end barely touched them.
Aggressive — median 15.45%, also essentially flat, but with by far the widest spread of any category. This group holds everything from broad global share funds to single-market and geared strategies, and their results scatter accordingly.
Full table — returns to 31 August 2026, after fees and before tax.
Sorted by ten-year return. A dash means the fund does not yet have that much history. Past returns do not guarantee future returns. This is general information, not personalised financial advice.
| Fund | Type | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMP International Shares FundAggressive | Aggressive | 18.99% | 19.18% | 11.66% | 12.27% |
| Booster Geared Growth FundAggressive | Aggressive | 15.30% | 14.80% | 7.50% | 11.60% |
| Booster Socially Responsible High Growth FundAggressive | Aggressive | 13.30% | 13.80% | 7.70% | 10.60% |
| Generate Focused Growth FundAggressive | Aggressive | 11.33% | 14.57% | 8.16% | 10.56% |
| Milford Active Growth FundGrowth | Growth | 5.44% | 10.73% | 6.93% | 9.72% |
| Booster High Growth FundAggressive | Aggressive | 13.10% | 12.40% | 7.10% | 9.60% |
| AMP Aggressive FundAggressive | Aggressive | 16.66% | 15.62% | 8.53% | 9.46% |
| Simplicity Growth FundGrowth | Growth | 14.01% | 13.92% | 7.65% | 9.39% |
| Generate Growth FundGrowth | Growth | 9.03% | 12.30% | 6.92% | 9.11% |
| BNZ Growth FundGrowth | Growth | 12.95% | 13.31% | 6.98% | 8.98% |
| ASB Growth FundGrowth | Growth | 13.10% | 13.36% | 7.49% | 8.88% |
| Fisher Funds Growth FundGrowth | Growth | 6.80% | 9.20% | 5.00% | 8.80% |
| Global Select Growth Fund — AMPGrowth | Growth | 16.82% | 13.06% | 6.55% | 8.68% |
| AMP Growth FundGrowth | Growth | 13.84% | 13.73% | 7.35% | 8.51% |
| ANZ OneAnswer Growth FundGrowth | Growth | 13.61% | 11.01% | 5.42% | 8.33% |
| Booster Growth FundGrowth | Growth | 10.40% | 10.40% | 5.70% | 8.20% |
| Milford Balanced FundBalanced | Balanced | 4.41% | 8.65% | 5.40% | 7.83% |
| Global Select Balanced Growth Fund — AMPBalanced | Balanced | 14.16% | 11.61% | 5.58% | 7.50% |
| ASB Balanced FundBalanced | Balanced | 10.20% | 11.29% | 6.06% | 7.23% |
| ANZ Balanced Growth FundBalanced | Balanced | 11.02% | 9.62% | 4.49% | 7.09% |
| BNZ Balanced FundBalanced | Balanced | 9.90% | 11.07% | 5.48% | 6.98% |
| Booster Socially Responsible Balanced FundBalanced | Balanced | 7.70% | 9.30% | 4.50% | 6.80% |
| Fisher Funds Balanced FundBalanced | Balanced | 5.70% | 8.40% | 4.20% | 6.80% |
| AMP Balanced FundBalanced | Balanced | 10.41% | 11.22% | 5.67% | 6.68% |
| Booster Balanced FundBalanced | Balanced | 8.00% | 8.70% | 4.50% | 6.40% |
| ANZ OneAnswer Balanced FundBalanced | Balanced | 8.58% | 8.27% | 3.58% | 5.81% |
| Generate Moderate FundModerate | Moderate | 5.15% | 8.54% | 4.98% | 5.44% |
| BNZ Moderate FundModerate | Moderate | 6.99% | 8.75% | 4.12% | 5.43% |
| ASB Moderate FundModerate | Moderate | 7.58% | 9.08% | 4.48% | 5.19% |
| AMP Moderate FundModerate | Moderate | 7.42% | 8.59% | 3.96% | 4.75% |
| Milford Conservative FundConservative | Conservative | 1.12% | 5.89% | 3.15% | 4.45% |
| Fisher Funds Conservative FundConservative | Conservative | 3.20% | 6.20% | 2.70% | 4.20% |
| Booster Moderate FundModerate | Moderate | 4.90% | 6.30% | 2.80% | 4.20% |
| ASB Conservative FundConservative | Conservative | 5.58% | 7.42% | 3.39% | 3.94% |
| BNZ Conservative FundConservative | Conservative | 4.05% | 6.35% | 2.68% | 3.55% |
| AMP Conservative FundConservative | Conservative | 4.70% | 6.74% | 2.84% | 3.55% |
| Global Select Conservative Fund — AMPConservative | Conservative | 5.53% | 6.45% | 2.33% | 3.45% |
| ANZ OneAnswer Conservative FundConservative | Conservative | 3.75% | 5.56% | 1.95% | 3.33% |
| Milford Aggressive FundAggressive | Aggressive | 7.95% | 12.32% | 6.82% | — |
| Booster Socially Responsible Geared Growth FundAggressive | Aggressive | 15.10% | 16.10% | — | — |
| Booster Socially Responsible Growth FundGrowth | Growth | 10.20% | 11.40% | — | — |
| Fisher Funds Aggressive FundAggressive | Aggressive | 6.90% | — | — | — |
| GoalsGetter Amova Growth FundGrowth | Growth | 5.15% | 9.87% | 3.25% | — |
| Pathfinder Growth FundGrowth | Growth | 12.64% | 11.13% | 6.27% | — |
| QuayStreet Growth FundGrowth | Growth | 15.66% | 14.54% | 11.27% | — |
| Simplicity High Growth FundAggressive | Aggressive | 16.66% | 16.13% | — | — |
| Kernel High Growth FundAggressive | Aggressive | 19.07% | 17.78% | — | — |
| Kernel Global 100 FundAggressive | Aggressive | 26.86% | 25.29% | 19.97% | — |
| Generate Global Shares FundAggressive | Aggressive | 16.63% | — | — | — |
| Generate Thematic FundAggressive | Aggressive | 15.34% | — | — | — |
| QuayStreet High Growth FundAggressive | Aggressive | 20.04% | — | — | — |
| ASB Aggressive FundAggressive | Aggressive | 15.56% | — | — | — |
| Pathfinder High Growth FundAggressive | Aggressive | 15.75% | — | — | — |
| ANZ High Growth FundAggressive | Aggressive | 16.23% | 12.53% | — | — |
| BNZ High Growth FundAggressive | Aggressive | 15.03% | — | — | — |
| GoalsGetter Amova Global Shares FundAggressive | Aggressive | -1.57% | 13.35% | 8.09% | — |
| Generate Balanced FundBalanced | Balanced | 7.49% | 10.34% | — | — |
| GoalsGetter Amova Balanced FundBalanced | Balanced | 4.37% | 8.65% | 2.91% | — |
| Pathfinder Balanced FundBalanced | Balanced | 9.07% | 9.21% | 5.47% | — |
| Simplicity Balanced FundBalanced | Balanced | 10.36% | 11.05% | 5.54% | — |
| Kernel Balanced FundBalanced | Balanced | 11.47% | 12.62% | — | — |
| QuayStreet Balanced FundBalanced | Balanced | 12.62% | 12.31% | 9.30% | — |
| Generate Conservative FundConservative | Conservative | 3.39% | 6.91% | — | — |
| GoalsGetter Amova Conservative FundConservative | Conservative | 2.49% | 6.02% | 2.20% | — |
| Pathfinder Conservative FundConservative | Conservative | 2.62% | 5.00% | 3.04% | — |
| Simplicity Conservative FundConservative | Conservative | 4.43% | 6.45% | 2.13% | — |
| Kernel Conservative FundConservative | Conservative | — | — | — | — |
| QuayStreet Conservative FundConservative | Conservative | 6.81% | 7.95% | 5.16% | — |
| Milford Moderate FundModerate | Moderate | 2.43% | 7.12% | 4.18% | — |
| Kernel S&P 500 FundAggressive | Aggressive | 19.70% | — | — | — |
| GoalsGetter Amova High Growth FundAggressive | Aggressive | 7.97% | — | — | — |
| Booster Socially Responsible Moderate FundModerate | Moderate | 4.70% | 6.70% | 2.70% | — |
| Westpac Growth FundGrowth | Growth | — | — | — | — |
| Westpac High Growth FundAggressive | Aggressive | — | — | — | — |
| Westpac Balanced FundBalanced | Balanced | — | — | — | — |
| Westpac Conservative FundConservative | Conservative | — | — | — | — |
| Westpac Moderate FundModerate | Moderate | — | — | — | — |
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