Population and asset allocation tables

About this data

The following tables contain details of:

• SMSF population growth
• asset allocation of SMSFs
• number of SMSFs established or wound up during recent financial years (quarterly and annual data)
• estimates of the amount of assets held by SMSFs for each type of asset.

These tables are updated on a quarterly basis. To view figures from before 2015, refer to historical data.

Population table – annual data

This table contains details of the number of SMSFs that were established or wound up during each financial year.

The establishment date is the date when an SMSF is deemed by the super law to come into existence. It can be different from the date the SMSF registers with us.

Wind-ups include both those initiated by trustees and those that occur as a result of our compliance and cleansing activity. Where the wind-up is initiated by the trustees, the year refers to the year the fund actually winds up, rather than the date this advice was received by us.

Net establishments are calculated as establishments less wind-ups.

The total number of SMSFs is calculated as the number of SMSFs as at the end of the previous financial year plus net establishments for the financial year.

The total number of members of SMSFs is estimated based on SMSF return form data. The estimates for June 2019 are extrapolated from 2017–18 data.

The data for this table was extracted on 4 May 2020.

Population table – annual data

Year ended	Establishments	Wind-ups	Net establishments	Total number of SMSFs	Total members of SMSFs
June 2019	20,427	13,544	6,883	581,231	1,090,467
June 2018	25,381	23,927	1,454	574,348	1,076,982
June 2017	30,352	14,508	15,844	572,894	1,079,734
June 2016	32,810	13,385	19,425	557,050	1,049,544
June 2015	33,743	13,600	20,143	537,625	1,017,776

Population table – quarterly data

This table is similar to the population table – annual data but breaks the data down into each quarter since the June 2015 quarter.

Establishments and wind-ups for recent quarters may be understated because there is often a time lag between when the event occurs and when we receive notification from the SMSF. It is anticipated that the number of June 2019 quarter establishments and wind-ups will increase as more notifications are received.

Generally, we receive notifications of wind-ups as at the end of the financial year. This means the June quarters show significantly higher numbers of wind-ups than other quarters. Other quarters that show a high number of wind-ups may be due to our activities. For example, in recent years we cancelled around 9,000 SMSF Australian business numbers which were reflected in the September 2017 quarter.

Estimates of the total members of SMSFs for the September 2018 quarter onwards are extrapolated from 2017–18 return form data.

The data was extracted on 4 May 2020.

Population table – quarterly data

Quarter	Establishments	Wind-ups	Net establishments	Total number of SMSFs	Total members of SMSFs
March 2020	5,000	211	4,789	596,180	1,119,007
December 2019	5,121	727	4,394	591,391	1,110,554
September 2019	6,344	578	5,766	586,997	1,102,857
June 2019	4,970	9,917	-4,947	581,231	1,090,467
March 2019	4,501	1,579	2,922	586,178	1,100,314
December 2018	4,793	1,257	3,536	583,256	1,095,316
September 2018	6,163	791	5,372	579,720	1,089,196
June 2018	5,919	11,419	-5,500	574,348	1,076,982
March 2018	5,904	1,756	4,148	579,848	1,087,973
December 2017	6,225	1,398	4,827	575,700	1,080,825
September 2017	7,333	9,354	-2,021	570,873	1,072,435
June 2017	8,361	10,929	-2,568	572,894	1,079,734
March 2017	7,343	1,480	5,863	575,462	1,085,424
December 2016	6,741	1,169	5,572	569,599	1,075,077
September 2016	7,907	930	6,977	564,027	1,065,220
June 2016	8,553	9,619	-1,066	557,050	1,049,544
March 2016	7,573	1,381	6,192	558,116	1,052,414
December 2015	7,084	1,167	5,917	551,924	1,041,468
September 2015	9,600	1,218	8,382	546,007	1,030,993

Asset allocation tables

All data in these tables are estimates. The tables contain data on:

• the amount of assets held for each type of asset listed on the SMSF annual return
• borrowings and other liabilities
• total and net Australian and overseas assets held.

The estimates are based on data provided by SMSFs reporting their financial position as at 30 June of the relevant financial year.

The figures for September 2015 through to June 2018 are based on return form data for those financial years. Each quarter, these estimates are updated as more return data becomes available.

Figures for September 2018 and subsequent quarters are extrapolated from 2017–18 return form data.

The estimates relate to the total SMSF population, including funds established in the most recent quarter. This means that any changes in asset allocation figures from one quarter to another will be based on estimates for funds established in that quarter as well as estimates for all other SMSFs.

The data was extracted on 4 May 2020.

Asset allocation table: Part 1

Quarter	Listed trusts ($m)	Unlisted trusts ($m)	Insurance policy ($m)	Other managed Investments ($m)	Cash and term deposits ($m)	Debt securities ($m)	Loans ($m)
March 2020	32,531	79,292	100	39,009	149,886	10,802	5,280
December 2019	36,795	89,685	100	39,279	150,113	10,818	5,298
September 2019	36,028	87,814	101	38,665	150,533	10,848	5,305
June 2019	35,271	85,971	101	37,737	151,081	10,888	5,326
March 2019	33,987	82,840	117	36,300	150,989	10,881	5,319
December 2018	32,732	79,782	113	34,198	151,307	10,904	5,360
September 2018	34,635	84,419	120	35,867	151,746	10,936	5,376
June 2018	34,726	84,641	120	34,983	152,293	10,975	5,402
March 2018	29,233	76,068	156	32,256	161,178	10,311	4,896
December 2017	29,914	77,838	158	32,164	161,306	10,320	4,906
September 2017	28,730	74,760	158	31,281	161,718	10,346	4,916
June 2017	28,763	74,845	159	30,847	162,330	10,385	4,934
March 2017	28,033	65,660	97	32,457	137,747	8,222	4,243
December 2016	27,584	64,608	99	32,436	140,462	8,384	4,334
September 2016	26,916	63,043	102	31,713	143,652	8,574	4,435
June 2016	26,663	62,450	138	29,437	147,221	8,787	4,539
March 2016	23,862	55,624	148	29,081	147,085	7,472	4,078
December 2015	24,071	56,113	150	29,360	146,222	7,429	4,089
September 2015	23,219	54,125	148	28,501	145,486	7,391	4,086

Asset allocation table: Part 2

Quarter	Listed shares ($m)	Unlisted shares ($m)	Limited recourse borrowing arrangements ($m)	Non-residential real property ($m)	Residential real property ($m)	Collectables and personal use assets ($m)	Other assets ($m)
March 2020	167,163	8,444	47,274	68,719	37,367	377	19,053
December 2019	219,337	8,473	46,987	68,301	37,140	378	19,119
September 2019	219,632	8,483	45,009	65,426	35,577	379	19,143
June 2019	216,486	8,517	43,768	63,622	34,596	380	19,218
March 2019	201,413	8,506	43,736	63,575	34,570	380	19,194
December 2018	182,893	8,571	44,839	65,178	35,442	383	19,341
September 2018	201,148	8,598	45,712	66,448	36,132	384	19,401
June 2018	199,931	8,639	46,236	67,209	36,546	386	19,494
March 2018	187,531	7,857	42,014	67,696	35,185	372	19,256
December 2017	196,400	7,873	42,027	67,718	35,196	373	19,296
September 2017	183,880	7,889	41,436	66,765	34,701	373	19,335
June 2017	184,475	7,919	41,397	66,703	34,668	375	19,407
March 2017	180,937	6,488	27,731	68,550	29,688	328	16,424
December 2016	176,899	6,626	27,465	67,890	29,403	335	16,773
September 2016	172,836	6,781	26,765	66,160	28,653	343	17,165
June 2016	169,248	6,939	26,824	66,306	28,717	351	17,567
March 2016	163,738	6,265	22,344	66,931	24,454	416	16,711
December 2015	168,485	6,281	22,107	66,219	24,194	417	16,754
September 2015	158,673	6,276	21,853	65,460	23,916	416	16,741

Asset allocation table: Part 3

Quarter	Overseas shares ($m)	Overseas non-residential real property ($m)	Overseas residential real property ($m)	Overseas managed investments ($m)	Other overseas assets ($m)
March 2020	6,708	112	266	914	2,270
December 2019	8,802	147	350	1,199	2,978
September 2019	8,813	147	350	1,201	2,982
June 2019	8,687	145	345	1,184	2,940
March 2019	8,082	135	321	1,101	2,735
December 2018	7,339	122	291	1,000	2,484
September 2018	8,072	135	321	1,100	2,731
June 2018	8,023	134	319	1,093	2,715
March 2018	5,809	143	320	816	2,410
December 2017	6,084	150	335	855	2,524
September 2017	5,696	141	314	800	2,363
June 2017	5,715	141	315	803	2,371
March 2017	4,210	134	306	750	2,640
December 2016	4,116	131	299	733	2,581
September 2016	4,022	128	292	717	2,521
June 2016	3,938	125	286	702	2,469
March 2016	3,279	110	263	664	2,521
December 2015	3,374	113	271	683	2,594
September 2015	3,177	107	255	644	2,443

Asset allocation table: Part 4

Quarter	Total Australian and overseas assets ($m)	Borrowings ($m)	Other liabilities ($m)	Total net Australian and overseas assets ($m)
March 2020	675,567	23,251	5,970	646,346
December 2019	745,300	25,651	6,587	713,062
September 2019	736,437	25,346	6,508	704,583
June 2019	726,262	24,996	6,418	694,848
March 2019	704,182	24,236	6,223	673,723
December 2018	682,279	23,482	6,030	652,767
September 2018	713,280	24,549	6,304	682,427
June 2018	713,865	24,570	6,309	682,986
March 2018	683,509	23,731	5,977	653,801
December 2017	695,439	24,146	6,081	665,212
September 2017	675,602	23,457	5,908	646,237
June 2017	676,552	23,490	5,916	647,146
March 2017	614,647	21,466	5,696	587,485
December 2016	611,159	21,344	5,664	584,151
September 2016	604,819	21,123	5,605	578,091
June 2016	602,707	21,049	5,585	576,073
March 2016	575,045	18,098	5,521	551,426
December 2015	578,926	18,220	5,558	555,148
September 2015	562,918	17,716	5,404	539,798

Find out about

• Annual SMSF population analysis tables
• March 2020 quarter establishment tables