1st October 2026 - 3 min read
About six in 10 active formal-sector members of the EPF are still below the Basic Savings level for their age. EPF chairman Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali said 39% were on track in June 2026, up from 36% a year earlier.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s speech at the International Social Wellbeing Conference 2026 on 29 September set a goal of 60% by 2030.
The 39% counts active formal-sector members whose Akaun Persaraan balance meets the Basic Savings level for their age. A 30-year-old meets it with RM26,300 in 2026, since the RM390,000 level only applies at 60.
Deputy Finance Minister Liew Chin Tong told the Dewan Rakyat in July that 3.04 million of 7.94 million active Malaysian members aged 18 to 60 met their age level as at 31 May, or 38.3%. That leaves about 4.9 million members below it.
The share is smaller closer to retirement. EPF data reported in March put it at 21.5% among members aged 56 to 60. Anwar’s speech, read out by Finance Minister II Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, also noted that millions of people work outside the formal sector, where protection built around formal jobs doesn’t reach as far, and that retirement can run 20 to 25 years.
Each age has a Basic Savings amount, and you’re on track if your Akaun Persaraan balance is at least that amount.
The amount for a 60-year-old is RM270,000 in 2026 and rises by RM30,000 a year until it reaches RM390,000 in 2030. Here are the 2026 amounts for selected ages.
| Age | Akaun Persaraan Balance For Basic Savings (2026) |
| 25 | RM11,000 |
| 30 | RM26,300 |
| 35 | RM47,000 |
| 40 | RM74,000 |
| 45 | RM108,000 |
| 50 | RM150,000 |
| 55 | RM203,000 |
| 60 | RM270,000 |
The full list for ages 18 to 60 is on EPF’s i-Invest page, and your own Akaun Persaraan balance shows in the KWSP i-Akaun app.
EPF designed Basic Savings to cover essential spending. Spread over the 20 years from age 60 to 80, RM390,000 comes to RM1,625 a month in the first year, compared with the RM2,690 a month that Belanjawanku 2024/2025 estimates a single senior in the Klang Valley spends. EPF’s Adequate Savings level of RM650,000 is based on that RM2,690 and pays RM2,708 a month in the first year.
EPF splits contributions across three accounts, so only 75% of each top-up goes to Akaun Persaraan, the account Basic Savings is measured against. To add RM50,000 to it by age 60, you’d need to top up about RM114 a month for 25 years or RM432 a month for 10. The amounts assume a 5% annual dividend, and dividends above the 2.5% legal minimum for Simpanan Konvensional aren’t guaranteed.
If you’re a salaried employee, you can top up through i-Simpan, formerly called Self-Contribution, which is open to Malaysian citizens and permanent residents who are EPF members below 75. Contributions start from RM1 depending on the payment channel and can go up to RM100,000 a year across all voluntary schemes.
In the KWSP i-Akaun app, tap Increase Your Savings on the Home or Savings tab, select Self, and pay through FPX. The amount reaches your account within three working days after your bank transfers it. For a monthly top-up, choose Activate Auto Simpan under Increase Your Savings and set an amount from RM10 and a deduction date.
Your employer isn’t required to match what you add, and i-Simpan brings no extra tax relief, since the RM4,000 EPF relief is already reached through mandatory contributions for anyone earning above about RM3,030 a month.
If you’re self-employed or a gig worker under 60, i-Saraan offers a 20% government incentive on your contributions, up to RM500 a year. Contribute RM2,500 a year to receive the full incentive, with a lifetime limit of RM5,000.
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Iman writes about personal finance with curiosity. She is interested in the stories behind money, the hesitation around big decisions, and the small habits that shape financial futures. Off the clock, she is either dissecting a film or climbing her way up the leaderboard in her favourite games.
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