Australian superannuation funds are ahead of their global peers when it comes to growing members' wealth, according to the latest research from Watson Wyatt.
Despite making up just 2 per cent of the assets of the top 300 global pension funds, the study found Australia's large superannuation funds grew at the fastest rate among their global peer group over the last five years.
The global 300 ranking study found Australian superannuation and sovereign funds experienced the highest asset growth in local currency terms - 14.4 per cent per annum - of all countries in the analysis over the past five years.
Australian funds' asset growth when measured in US dollar terms was 13 per cent per annum, coming second only to Taiwanese pension funds' 14.3 per cent per annum over a twelve-month period.
Watson Wyatt Australia's investment client consulting head Martin Goss said Australian superannuation funds continued to increase their representation in the list of the world's largest funds.
"The growth rate of pension assets in our region, particularly in Australia, mirrors the growing economic and financial importance of our region," he said.
"In addition, eight of the top 20 global pension funds are based in our region."
Twelve Australian superannuation funds included in the global 300 ranking were the Future Fund (ranked 52), State Super (100), AustralianSuper (120), QSuper (144), UniSuper (155), ARIA (202), ESS Super (205), First State Super (230), REST (251), HESTA (271), Sunsuper (272) and Cbus (279).
