CPF Contribution Rates: How Much Are You Contributing Monthly?

Financially Reviewed by Edward Hee
By Firdaus Syazwani

Published: 16 January, 2026
Last Updated: 9 January, 2026

Here's Why 30,000+ Readers Trust Us Monthly

At Dollar Bureau, we’re committed to providing you with reliable, unbiased financial guidance. Our content is crafted by everyday Singaporeans who are trained in finance and insurance, ensuring relatable and practical guidance. We uphold strict editorial independence, regularly update our reviews, and value your feedback to keep our information accurate and relevant.

Discover more about our editorial guidelines here.

Your CPF contributions can feel like one of those “adulting” things nobody really explains properly until you’re staring at your payslip, wondering where a chunk of your salary went.

I’ve been through that exact phase.

In this post, you’ll learn:

What CPF contributions are and how they work
CPF contribution rates for employees, platform workers, and the self-employed
How CPF is split into Ordinary Account (OA), Special Account (SA)/Retirement Account (RA), and MediSave Account (MA)
How to calculate your monthly CPF contributions

There’s more to CPF than just deductions, let’s break it down.

What are CPF contributions and how does it work?

If you’re working in Singapore, chances are you’re already contributing to your CPF every month, whether you’ve looked at the numbers or not.

Put simply, CPF contributions are a portion of your monthly salary that go towards building your future nest egg.

This is your employee contribution.

On top of that, your employer also contributes, based on a fixed percentage set by the CPF Board.

These rates are reviewed and adjusted from time to time, especially as the population ages and retirement needs change.

The amount that goes in depends on how old you are and how much you earn.

And yes, the older you get, the less you and your employer are required to contribute.

CPF contribution rates for salaried employees

If you’re earning more than $750 a month and are employed full-time in Singapore, CPF contributions are a regular part of your payslip.

Here’s a snapshot of the current and upcoming CPF contribution rates for salaried employees:

Employee’s Age (Years)	2025 Employer (%)	2025 Employee (%)	2025 Total (%)	2026 Employer (%)	2026 Employee (%)	2026 Total (%)	Change in Total (%)
55 and below	17	20	37	17	20	37	0
Above 55 to 60	15.5	17	32.5	16 (+0.5)	18 (+1)	34	+1.5
Above 60 to 65	12	11.5	23.5	12.5 (+0.5)	12.5 (+1)	25	+1.5
Above 65 to 70	9	7.5	16.5	9	7.5	16.5	0
Above 70	7.5	5	12.5	7.5	5	12.5	0

CPF rates comparison: Platform workers born on/after 1995 (opted-in) vs born before 1995 (not opted-in)

If you’re a platform worker, think Grab driver, food delivery rider, or freelance beautician, CPF hasn’t always been part of the picture.

In 2024, the CPF scheme was extended to include platform workers, and starting from 1 January 2025, those born in 1995 or later can now opt in to make CPF contributions just like salaried employees.

The government’s goal is to provide retirement adequacy and better healthcare protection for workers in the gig economy.

Since many platform workers don’t have fixed monthly wages, CPF contributions had to be adapted, and that’s where the opt-in scheme comes in.

If you’re born in 1995 or after, you can opt in. If you do, both you and the platform operator contribute to your CPF.

However, if you’re born before 1995, you can’t opt in under this scheme, and you don’t get employer contributions. Your contributions, if any, are on you alone.

Platform Worker’s Age (Years)	Opted-In (Born ≥ 1995) – Platform Operator (%)	Opted-In (Born ≥ 1995) – Worker (%)	Total (%)	Not Opted-In (Born < 1995) – Platform Operator (%)	Not Opted-In (Born < 1995) – Worker (%)	Total (%)
35 and below	3.5	10.5	14	0	8	8
Above 35 to 45	3.5	11.5	15	0	9	9
Above 45 to 50	3.5	12.5	16	0	10	10
Above 50 to 60	3.5	13	16.5	0	10.5	10.5
Above 60 to 70	3.5	10.5	14	–	–	–
Above 70	3.5	9	12.5	–	–	–

CPF contribution rates by CPF account types

CPF isn’t just one big pot of money.

It’s split across different accounts, and each account serves a different purpose.

Ordinary Account (OA): Think of this as your general-purpose fund. It can be used for housing, education, or even investments.
Special Account (SA): This one’s more long-term. It’s for your retirement savings and earns higher interest.
MediSave Account (MA): As the name suggests, it’s for your healthcare needs, things like hospital bills and approved insurance plans.
Retirement Account (RA): This kicks in when you turn 55. Funds from your SA and OA get transferred here to provide monthly payouts when you retire.

Now, let’s assume you’re earning $2,000 per month and you’re contributing 20% of your salary to CPF, that’s $400 a month from your side.

Here’s how those $400 are split, depending on your age:

Age Group (Years)	OA Ratio	SA/RA Ratio	MA Ratio	$ to OA	$ to SA/RA	$ to MA	% of Salary to OA	% of Salary to SA/RA	% of Salary to MA
35 & below	0.6217	0.1621	0.2162	$248.68	$64.84	$86.48	12.43%	3.24%	4.32%
36 to 45	0.5677	0.1891	0.2432	$227.08	$75.64	$97.28	11.35%	3.78%	4.86%
46 to 50	0.5136	0.2162	0.2702	$205.44	$86.48	$108.08	10.27%	4.32%	5.40%
51 to 55	0.4055	0.3108	0.2837	$162.20	$124.32	$113.48	8.11%	6.22%	5.67%
56 to 60	0.3694	0.3076 (RA)	0.3230	$147.76	$123.04	$129.20	7.39%	6.15%	6.46%
61 to 65	0.149	0.4042 (RA)	0.4468	$59.60	$161.68	$178.72	2.98%	8.08%	8.94%
66 to 70	0.0607	0.3030 (RA)	0.6363	$24.28	$121.20	$254.52	1.21%	6.06%	12.73%
Above 70	0.08	0.08 (RA)	0.84	$32.00	$32.00	$336.00	1.60%	1.60%	16.80%

What about CPF contributions for a self-employed person?

If you’re self-employed, whether you’re a freelance designer, tuition teacher, or running your own home bakery, your CPF obligations work a little differently from salaried employees.

You’re what CPF terms a Self-Employed Person (SEP).

That means you run your own business, you control your own schedule, and most importantly, you’re in a position to make a business profit or loss.

As a SEP, you’re not required to make contributions to your OA or SA.

But you are required to contribute to your MA if your trade income (NTI) is more than $6,000 per year.

This is because MediSave covers important healthcare costs like hospitalisation, outpatient surgery, and insurance premiums for things like MediShield Life and CareShield Life.

Here’s what the official MediSave contribution rates look like for SEPs:

Net Trade Income (NTI)	Below 35	35 to <45	45 to <50	50 & above
> $6,000 to $12,000	4%	4.5%	5%	5.25%
> $12,000 to $18,000	4% to 6%	4.5% to 6%	5% to 6%	5.25% to 6%
> $18,000	6% (capped at $5,328) across all age groups

Voluntary CPF contributions for SEPs?

Many SEPs don’t realise that you can still contribute more to your CPF voluntarily.

And doing so can be a smart move, especially if you’re planning for retirement or using CPF to pay for housing.

You can choose to top up your OA, which can be used for things like housing repayments or approved investments.

Alternatively, you can top up your SA, which focuses on retirement savings and earns a higher interest rate – up to 5% per year.

Once you turn 55, your RA is created automatically. Topping up this account supports your CPF LIFE payouts during retirement.

You can make voluntary contributions in 2 ways.

You can top up specific CPF accounts directly.

Alternatively, contribute to all 3 accounts at once through a Voluntary Contribution (VC), which follows the default CPF allocation ratios based on your age.

Here’s a breakdown of how your contributions are split based on your age:

Age Group (Years)	% to OA	% to SA / RA	% to MA
35 & below	62.17%	16.21%	21.62%
36 to 45	56.77%	18.91%	24.32%
46 to 50	51.36%	21.62%	27.02%
51 to 55	40.55%	31.08%	28.37%
56 to 60	36.94%	30.76% (RA)	32.30%
61 to 65	14.90%	40.42% (RA)	44.68%
66 to 70	6.07%	30.30% (RA)	63.63%
Above 70	8.00%	8.00% (RA)	84.00%

How to calculate my monthly CPF contributions?

CPF has a Contribution Calculator that does all the heavy lifting for you.

Go to the CPF Contribution Calculator
Select your citizenship status
Enter your birth month and year
Enter the contribution month and year
Key in your monthly wage
Click “Calculate”

Frequently asked questions

Will CPF contributions reduce my take-home salary?

Yes, CPF contributions will reduce your take-home salary.

This is because a portion of your monthly wages, up to 20% if you’re below 55, is deducted and channelled into your CPF accounts.

While this reduces the cash you receive each month, it’s not a loss.

The contributions go towards your housing, retirement savings, and healthcare needs through the OA, SA, and MA.

So, even though your take-home pay is lower, you’re still saving just in a structured, long-term way.

What happens if an employer does not pay CPF on time?

If an employer does not pay CPF on time, they’re actually breaking the law.

Employers are legally required to make CPF contributions by the 14th of each month.

Late payments come with interest charges (1.5% per month) and possibly a late payment penalty of up to $5,000, or even prosecution for repeat offences.

For employees, late CPF payments can affect things like housing applications, MediSave coverage, or CPF interest earned.

So yes, if CPF isn’t paid on time, it’s more than just a delay, it can have serious consequences for both employer and employee.

Are there CPF contribution requirements for gig and platform workers?

Yes, there are CPF contribution requirements for gig and platform workers.

From 2025, if you’re a platform worker born in or after 1995, you’ll be automatically enrolled to contribute to CPF just like salaried employees.

Both you and the platform operator (e.g. Grab, food delivery services) will make CPF contributions based on your net earnings and age group.

If you’re born before 1995, CPF contributions are not mandatory unless you choose to opt in (if eligible).

These contributions help with retirement savings and MediSave for healthcare, even if you don’t have a regular job.

Conclusion

And there you have it, everything you need to know about CPF contribution rates.

We’ve walked through how CPF works, the current rates for employees and platform workers, how self-employed folks contribute (or don’t), and even how your contributions get split between your OA, SA/RA, and MediSave.

We also covered how to calculate your CPF contributions easily using the official calculator, because let’s face it, nobody has time to memorise all those numbers.

Still feeling a bit overwhelmed?

That’s totally normal.

CPF can feel like a maze, especially when you’re juggling work, planning for retirement, or just trying to figure out how much you’re actually setting aside each month.

If you’d like some guidance tailored to your situation, we’ve partnered with a network of licensed financial advisors who can help, at no cost to you.

Feel free to reach out if you’d like to have a chat with one of them.

You don’t have to navigate this alone.

References

Firdaus Syazwani

In 1999, Firdaus's mother bought an endowment plan from an insurance agent to gift him $20,000. However, after 20 years of paying premiums, Firdaus discovered that the policy was actually a whole life plan with a sum assured of $20,000, and they didn't receive any money back. This experience inspired Firdaus to create dollarbureau.com, so that others won't face the same problem of being misled or not understanding what they are purchasing – which he sees as a is a huge problem in the industry.

Disclaimer: Each article written obtained its information from reliable sources and should be purely used for informational purposes only. The information provided by Dollar Bureau and its affiliated parties is not meant to be construed as financial advice. Dollar Bureau shall not be held liable for any inaccuracies, mistakes, omissions, and losses incurred should you act upon any information listed on this website. We recommend readers to seek financial planning advice from qualified financial advisors.