Most people never look twice at the CPF line on a payslip until the number changes. For workers aged above 55 to 60, the total rate rose to 34% on , up from 32.5% in 2025, and the 2027 step is easy to confuse with it (CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance).

4 related posts

Total rate, above 55 to 60 (2026): 34%, up from 32.5% · Total rate, above 60 to 65 (2026): 25%, up from 23.5% · Wage threshold: monthly wages above $750 · Senior increase effective: (CPF Board’s senior worker explainer)

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
  • Age 55 and below: 37% total, with 17% employer and 20% employee, for wages above $750 (CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance)
  • Above 55 to 60: 34% total from , with 16% employer and 18% employee (CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance)
  • Above 60 to 65: 25% total from , split 12.5% and 12.5% (CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance)
2What’s unclear
  • Graduated rates for first- and second-year permanent residents sit lower than citizen rates, and the exact figures need the full table (CPF Board’s 2026 rate table (official PDF))
  • The Transition Offset cushions employer cost, but CPF Board describes the rule rather than publishing a dollar amount (Budget 2025 highlights from CPF Board)
3Timeline signal
  • : senior rates rise to 34% and 25% (CPF Board’s senior worker explainer) (CPF Board’s 2027 senior worker schedule)
  • : the next step lifts the same bands to 35.5% and 26% (CPF Board’s 2027 senior worker schedule)
  • Rate changes start on the first day of the month after a 55th, 60th, 65th or 70th birthday (CPF Board’s birthday effective-date rule)
4What’s next
  • Payroll should carry 35.5% and 26% as the 2027 totals for the above 55 to 60 and above 60 to 65 bands (CPF Board’s 2027 senior worker schedule)
  • Up to the Full Retirement Sum, the 2027 increase goes to the Retirement Account, and members who have already set aside the FRS have it channelled to the Ordinary Account (CPF Board’s 2027 senior worker schedule)

Eight figures cover most payroll questions, and one pattern stands out: totals step down after age 55, and the employee share falls with them.

Item Value
Total rate, age 55 and below 37% (employer 17%, employee 20%)
Total rate, above 55 to 60 (2026) 34% (employer 16%, employee 18%)
Total rate, above 60 to 65 (2026) 25% (employer 12.5%, employee 12.5%)
Total rate, above 55 to 60 (2027) 35.5% (employer 16.5%, employee 19%)
Total rate, above 60 to 65 (2027) 26% (employer 13%, employee 13%)
Increase for above 55 to 65 in 2026 1.5 percentage points (0.5 employer, 1 employee)
Wage threshold for the rate table Monthly wages above $750
Ordinary Wage ceiling S$8,000 a month from 1 January 2026, according to Great Eastern Life

Rows one to three and six come from CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance and CPF Board’s 2026 senior worker explainer, while rows four and five come from CPF Board’s 2027 senior worker schedule.

What are the CPF contribution rates in Singapore?

The rate you pay depends on age band and residency status. Singapore Citizens and third-year-onward permanent residents follow the full schedule, and CPF Board’s employer guidance sets the total at 37% for employees aged 55 and below, with 17% from the employer and 20% from the employee on monthly wages above $750 (CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance).

Is CPF 20% or 25%?

  • The 20% is the employee share for workers aged 55 and below, not the total rate (CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance).
  • The 25% is the total rate for workers aged above 60 to 65 from , split evenly at 12.5% each (CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance).
  • Both figures are correct for their own band, so the answer depends on which age band and which share you are reading.

Contribution rates by age band

  • Age 55 and below: 37% total, employer 17%, employee 20% (CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance)
  • Above 55 to 60: 34% total, employer 16%, employee 18% (CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance)
  • Above 60 to 65: 25% total, employer 12.5%, employee 12.5% (CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance)
  • Above 65 to 70: 16.5% total, employer 9%, employee 7.5% (CPF Board’s member overview)
  • Above 70: 12.5% total, employer 7.5%, employee 5% (CPF Board’s member overview)

Status changes the picture too. First- and second-year permanent residents pay graduated rates, which sit below the full citizen schedule, so the employer table is the place to confirm exact figures for each staff member (CPF Board’s 2026 rate table (official PDF)).

The implication: A payroll that applies one flat percentage to everyone will be wrong for at least one group. Check residency status and age before setting any rate.

What is the new CPF contribution rate for 2026?

CPF Board’s 2026 senior worker explainer puts the rise at 1.5 percentage points for workers aged above 55 to 65, with both the employer and employee shares moving (CPF Board’s 2026 senior worker explainer). Budget 2025 announced the increase first (Budget 2025 highlights from CPF Board).

Changes for employees aged above 55 to 60

  • Total rate: 32.5% in 2025, rising to 34% from , a rise of 1.5 points (CPF Board’s 2025 rate table (official PDF))
  • Employer share: 15.5% to 16%. Employee share: 17% to 18% (CPF Board’s 2026 senior worker explainer)
  • Employers receive a CPF Transition Offset equal to half of the 2026 increase in employer contributions (Budget 2025 highlights from CPF Board)

Changes for employees aged above 60 to 65

  • Total rate: 23.5% in 2025, rising to 25% from , a rise of 1.5 points (CPF Board’s 2026 senior worker explainer)
  • Employer share: 12% to 12.5%. Employee share: 11.5% to 12.5% (CPF Board’s 2026 senior worker explainer)
  • The employee share took the larger part of the rise in this band as well (CPF Board’s 2026 senior worker explainer)

For workers aged above 55 to 60, the total rose by the same 1.5 points in 2026 and again in 2027, and the employee share took the bigger step both times.

Measure 2025 2026 2027 (scheduled)
Total rate, above 55 to 60 32.5% 34% 35.5%
Total rate, above 60 to 65 23.5% 25% 26%
Employer share, above 55 to 60 15.5% 16% 16.5%
Employee share, above 55 to 60 17% 18% 19%

Figures come from CPF Board’s 2025 rate table (official PDF), CPF Board’s 2026 senior worker explainer and CPF Board’s 2027 senior worker schedule.

The catch

Employers receive a Transition Offset worth half of their 2026 employer increase, which softens the cost without erasing it (Budget 2025 highlights from CPF Board).

Bottom line: What this means: A payroll file still set to the 2025 percentages is short for every worker in these two bands, and the gap compounds with each month it stays in place.

What will be the CPF contribution rate in Singapore in 2027?

CPF Board’s 2027 schedule sets the total rate for workers aged above 55 to 60 at 35.5%, split into 16.5% employer and 19% employee, from (CPF Board’s 2027 senior worker schedule). The band above 60 to 65 moves to 26%, with 13% from each side, a rise of 1 point.

Timeline signal

  • 2025: Budget 2025 announces a 1.5-point rise for workers aged above 55 to 65 in 2026 (Budget 2025 highlights from CPF Board)
  • : senior rates rise to 34% (above 55 to 60) and 25% (above 60 to 65) (CPF Board’s 2026 senior worker explainer)
  • : the second step lifts the bands to 35.5% and 26% (CPF Board’s 2027 senior worker schedule)

The two steps sit on separate official pages, so check the effective date on the page for each band before changing payroll settings (CPF Board’s 2026 senior worker explainer and CPF Board’s 2027 senior worker schedule).

The implication: Budget for 35.5% and 26% from , and treat the 2026 figures as the rates in force until then.

How do I calculate CPF contribution?

The method is simple once the right rate is in hand. Multiply the monthly wage by the total rate for the employee’s age band, then split the result between the employer and employee shares in the table (CPF Board’s 2026 rate table (official PDF)).

Wage threshold before the table applies

  • The rate tables apply to monthly wages above $750 (CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance).
  • Monthly wages above $50 and up to $500 carry employer-only contributions, at 17% of total wages for workers aged 55 and below (CPF Board’s 2026 rate table (official PDF)).
  • Wages above $500 and up to $750 are phased in, and CPF Board’s employer guidance indicates those phased-in rates rise proportionally from (CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance).

Employer and employee shares

  • Employer share: 16% above 55 to 60, and 12.5% above 60 to 65 (CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance)
  • Employee share: 18% above 55 to 60, and 12.5% above 60 to 65 (CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance)
  • Combined totals: 34% and 25%, the rates used in the worked example below (CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance)

Worked example: a worker aged 58 earning $3,000 a month falls in the above 55 to 60 band. At 34%, the total is $1,020, made up of $480 from the employer (16%) and $540 from the employee (18%) (CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance).

  1. Confirm the age band using the birthday rule, since the new rate starts on the first day of the month after the birthday (CPF Board’s birthday effective-date rule).
  2. Pick the total rate for that band from the table (CPF Board’s 2026 rate table (official PDF)).
  3. Multiply the monthly wage by that total rate.
  4. Split the result into the employer share and the employee share, each taken from the table.
What to watch

A flat 37% applied to a worker aged 58 overstates the total by 3 points, and the error repeats on every payslip until the age band changes (CPF Board’s 2026 rate table (official PDF)).

Bottom line: The implication: Payroll software needs the birthday trigger, not just the wage, to pick the right row.

How much salary do I need to contribute to CPF?

Monthly wages above $750

  • CPF contributions are payable for Singapore Citizens and SPRs, and employers must pay once total wages exceed $50 a month (CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance)
  • Monthly wages of $50 or less carry no CPF contributions (CPF Board’s 2026 rate table (official PDF))
  • Monthly wages above $750 face the full rate table (CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance)
  • Monthly wages above $500 and up to $750 follow phased-in rates (CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance)

The $750 line is the threshold to check first. Great Eastern Life’s retirement explainer puts the Ordinary Wage ceiling at S$8,000 a month from , up from S$7,400 in 2025, so confirm that figure on CPF Board’s pages before relying on it (Great Eastern Life’s retirement explainer).

The trade-off

Payroll teams that use one rule for every salary band will misstate CPF for staff on either side of $750, because the employer-only band and the phased-in band follow different logic (CPF Board’s 2026 rate table (official PDF)).

Why this matters: The $750 line decides whether the full table applies at all, so the wage check comes before the rate check.

Confirmed facts and what’s unclear

Three points are confirmed by official CPF Board pages, and five remain open until you check the schedule yourself.

  • Rates for workers aged above 55 to 65 rose from , with the above 55 to 60 total at 34% and the above 60 to 65 total at 25% (CPF Board’s 2026 senior worker explainer)
  • The 2026 increase was 1.5 percentage points, split 0.5 points employer and 1 point employee (CPF Board’s 2026 senior worker explainer)
  • Rate changes start on the first day of the month after a 55th, 60th, 65th or 70th birthday (CPF Board’s birthday effective-date rule)

What’s unclear

  • The exact graduated rates for first- and second-year permanent residents, which need the full official PDF (CPF Board’s 2026 rate table (official PDF))
  • The dollar value of the Transition Offset for any single employer, since CPF Board describes the rule rather than an amount (Budget 2025 highlights from CPF Board)
  • The OA, SA and MA split by age band: according to CPFcalculators.com, contributions for above 55 to 60 split 28.26% to the Ordinary Account, 27.17% to the Special Account and 44.57% to the MediSave Account, but CPF Board’s allocation page is the authority (CPFcalculators.com’s 2026 rate guide, CPF Board’s allocation rates page)
  • The 2027 totals of 35.5% and 26% are scheduled, not yet in force, so they need confirming on CPF Board’s 2027 schedule before payroll changes take effect (CPF Board’s 2027 senior worker schedule)
  • The $750 threshold and the phased-in wage bands need checking against the current employer page before they are applied to any staff member (CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance)
Bottom line: The pattern: The 2026 rate figures are settled, while the graduated, Transition Offset and allocation details still depend on the official tables that payroll teams must check.

What officials said

“The total contribution rates for employees aged above 55 to 65 will be raised by 1.5 percentage points in 2026.”

Government of Singapore, in Budget 2025 highlights from CPF Board

“To further strengthen the retirement adequacy of senior employees, there will be an increase to the CPF contribution rates from 1 January 2027 for employees aged above 55 to 65.”

CPF Board, in CPF Board’s 2027 rate announcement

The 2026 change is settled on official pages, and the 2027 change is scheduled. Workers aged above 55 to 60 pay a 34% total now, and CPF Board’s 2027 schedule lifts that to 35.5% from 1 January 2027 (CPF Board’s 2027 senior worker schedule). For payroll teams in Singapore, the choice is clear: load 34% and 25% for the senior bands now and schedule 35.5% and 26% for 1 January 2027, or wait and correct payslips after the fact.

Related reading: OCBC Fixed Deposit Promotion 2026 Rates & Comparison · Singapore Birth Rate 2025: TFR Hits Record Low of 0.87

Additional sources

cpf.gov.sg, cpf.gov.sg, cpf.gov.sg, cpf.gov.sg, cpf.gov.sg, cpf.gov.sg, cpf.gov.sg, cpf.gov.sg, data.gov.sg, cpf.gov.sg, skillsforce.com.sg

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Frequently asked questions

Do CPF contribution rates differ by citizenship status?

Yes. Singapore Citizens and third-year-onward permanent residents follow the full schedule, while first- and second-year permanent residents pay graduated rates that sit lower (CPF Board’s 2027 senior worker schedule).

Which official document lists the CPF contribution rate tables?

CPF Board’s 2026 rate table, published as an official PDF, lists the split by age band and wage band (CPF Board’s 2026 rate table (official PDF)). The employer guidance page covers the same figures in web form (CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance).

Do the 2026 CPF rates apply from 1 January 2026?

Yes for the senior bands. The 34% rate for above 55 to 60 and the 25% rate for above 60 to 65 take effect from (CPF Board’s 2026 senior worker explainer). An individual’s change date follows their birthday (CPF Board’s birthday effective-date rule).

Where can I download the CPF contribution rate table for 2026 as a PDF?

The official 2026 table is published by CPF Board as a PDF (CPF Board’s 2026 rate table (official PDF)). The 2025 table is available for comparison (CPF Board’s 2025 rate table (official PDF)).

Are CPF rates for employees aged 55 and above different from rates for younger workers?

Yes. Workers aged 55 and below pay a 37% total with a 20% employee share, while those above 55 to 60 pay 34% with an 18% employee share (CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance). The total falls further to 25% above 60 to 65 (CPF Board’s employer contribution guidance).