Almost 90 per cent of working people support the government's decision to increase the superannuation guarantee (SG) to 12 per cent, according to research from the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA).

According to the research, strong support was higher than the average for females, low to middle-income earners and younger people.

People aged between 25 and 29 almost universally backed the SG hike.

"This is proof that the Australian public understands and wants the benefits that an increased SG rate will bring, and that they want to retire comfortably and with dignity," ASFA chief executive Pauline Vamos said.

A couple household with combined salaries of $100,000 a year would need to make contributions at the rate of 12 per cent or more to achieve a comfortable standard of living in retirement, according to ASFA estimates.

The survey, however, revealed that just over 10 per cent of Australian households have achieved that level of superannuation savings.

Vamos dismissed concerns the SG will be a huge cost and that it is largely funded by the resource super profits tax (RSPT).

"There is a mistaken belief by some that increasing the SG will be a huge cost and is being largely funded by the RSPT. Our research shows that the cost to the budget of the phased increase is $240 million in 2013/14. This is less than 3 per cent of the projected $9 billion in revenue from the RSPT," Vamos said.

"Over the long term, the costs to government will be offset by the savings in pensions and other benefits."