Australia has ranked third in Mercer's global pension index with a score of 77.9, following Denmark at 80.5 and the Netherlands at 80.1.
However, the country's overall score had dropped 1.7 points since 2015, primarily due to a reduction in the net replacement rate.
The index found Australia's pension adequacy dropped from 81.2 in 2015 to 76 in 2016, its sustainability increased from 72.1 to 74.1, and integrity dropped from 87.6 to 86.1.
Mercer said the score for Australia's system could be increased by:
Despite the high ranking, Australia was not the top country for any indicator with the Netherlands claiming the top spot for adequacy, Denmark for sustainability, and Finland for integrity.
Jim Chalmers has defended changes to the Future Fund’s mandate, referring to himself as a “big supporter” of the sovereign wealth fund, amid fierce opposition from the Coalition, which has pledged to reverse any changes if it wins next year’s election.
In a new review of the country’s largest fund, a research house says it’s well placed to deliver attractive returns despite challenges.
Chant West analysis suggests super could be well placed to deliver a double-digit result by the end of the calendar year.
Specific valuation decisions made by the $88 billion fund at the beginning of the pandemic were “not adequate for the deteriorating market conditions”, according to the prudential regulator.