Why investing globally can help deliver better retirement outcomes

5 November 2026

Looking beyond Australia - investing for better retirement outcomes

A question we hear from members is: if AustralianSuper is investing for Australians, why isn’t all of our money invested in Australia?

The answer comes back to our responsibility to deliver the best possible retirement outcomes for members. To do that, we need access to the broadest possible range of investment opportunities.

Australia is an attractive place to invest and remains one of our most important investment markets. We continue to see significant opportunities to invest locally, as at 30 June 2026 we had more than $180 billion invested domestically and forecast that this amount could exceed $260 billion by 2030. Those investments support businesses, jobs and critical infrastructure across the country.

However, Australia represents less than 2% of global investment markets¹. Limiting investments to Australia alone would significantly reduce the opportunities available to members and concentrate risk in a single economy. Investing globally gives us access to many more opportunities while reducing reliance on the performance of any one country, sector or company. For members, that means greater diversification and more opportunities to generate strong long-term returns.

Global investing also provides access to companies, infrastructure assets, property developments and private businesses that are simply unavailable, or available only on a limited scale, in Australia. Access to this broader opportunity set strengthens our ability to build a resilient portfolio and deliver long-term returns.

As AustralianSuper continues to grow, maintaining a well-diversified portfolio requires access to investment opportunities across many markets. While Australia will remain a major destination for members' capital, the domestic market alone cannot absorb all future contributions while maintaining appropriate diversification.

AustralianSuper's portfolio demonstrates this approach in practice.

In Australia, the Fund invests in assets that many members use every day, including Perth Airport, NSW Ports and Indara². These investments provide exposure to essential infrastructure that supports economic activity while helping generate long-term returns.

Importantly, investing globally does not mean investing less in Australia. As AustralianSuper continues to grow, we expect both our Australian and international investments to increase significantly. Our objective is not to choose between Australia and the rest of the world, but to invest wherever we see the best opportunities to help members achieve their retirement goals.

By combining high-quality Australian assets with leading global opportunities, we can build a more diversified portfolio and give members the greatest chance of strong long-term retirement outcomes.