Where Australia's Age Pensioners live overseas: the 2025 figures

How many Age Pensioners live overseas?

On 31 December 2025, 77,432 people were being paid the Age Pension outside Australia. That’s 16% fewer than the 91,825 paid overseas on 4 December 2020, in Department of Social Services (DSS) figures released under freedom of information.

The headline numbers	Figure
Paid the Age Pension overseas, 31 December 2025	77,432
Paid overseas, 4 December 2020	91,825
Change, December 2020 to December 2025	-16%
Paid in New Zealand, Greece and Italy	37,597 (48.6%)
No country on file (“Unspecified”)	14,767 (19.1%)
In the 7 countries where our estimate for one person is under the base rate	1,668 (2.2%)
Share of all Age Pensioners paid overseas	3.6% in 2020, 2.9% in 2025
Average payment per person paid overseas, December 2025	A$453 a fortnight

Every share, change and average in the table is worked out from the FOI counts by Retirees Abroad. The two shares of all Age Pensioners also use DSS’s quarterly totals: 2,581,354 Age Pension recipients in December 2020 and 2,690,715 in December 2025. So the overseas count fell while the Age Pension as a whole grew 4.2%.

Which countries are Age Pensioners paid in?

New Zealand, by a long way, with 21,416 people at the end of 2025. Greece (9,187) and Italy (6,994) come next.

Location	Dec 2025	Dec 2020	Change	Average payment a fortnight, Dec 2025
New Zealand	21,416	21,210	+1%	A$258
Unspecified (location not declared)	14,767	16,089	-8%	A$714
Greece	9,187	11,977	-23%	A$390
Italy	6,994	11,378	-39%	A$378
Malta	3,009	3,634	-17%	A$358
Spain	2,568	3,512	-27%	A$417
Netherlands	1,645	2,671	-38%	A$242
Croatia	1,603	2,047	-22%	A$500
North Macedonia	1,415	2,107	-33%	A$245
Portugal	1,218	1,273	-4%	A$541
United Kingdom	1,185	1,509	-21%	A$654
Germany	1,139	1,580	-28%	A$329
United States	967	1,185	-18%	A$518
Canada	803	1,074	-25%	A$398
Cyprus	758	796	-5%	A$520

These are the 15 largest locations in the FOI table. Leave out “Unspecified” and Thailand, with 730, is the 15th largest country. The changes and averages are worked out from the FOI counts and the combined fortnightly payments. Four of these countries (the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Germany and Canada) are not among the 25 we price.

All 25 countries we price

These are the 25 countries Retirees Abroad prices, in order of Age Pension recipients at 31 December 2025. Each cost is for one city, rent included and health insurance not included. The “% of base rate” columns divide our estimate by the base rate paid overseas: A$2,460 a month single, or A$3,708.90 for a couple.

Country	City priced	Paid there, Dec 2020	Paid there, Dec 2024	Paid there, Dec 2025	Change 2020 to 2025	Change 2024 to 2025	Average payment a month, Dec 2025	Single, a month	Single as % of base rate	Couple, a month	Couple as % of base rate
New Zealand	Christchurch	21,210	21,739	21,416	+1%	-1%	A$560	A$4,140	168%	A$5,560	150%
Greece	Athens	11,977	9,719	9,187	-23%	-5%	A$840	A$3,260	133%	A$4,700	127%
Italy	Bari	11,378	7,598	6,994	-39%	-8%	A$820	A$3,500	142%	A$4,900	132%
Malta	Sliema	3,634	3,145	3,009	-17%	-4%	A$780	A$5,480	223%	A$7,130	192%
Spain	Alicante	3,512	2,785	2,568	-27%	-8%	A$900	A$3,570	145%	A$4,860	131%
Croatia	Split	2,047	1,706	1,603	-22%	-6%	A$1,080	A$3,750	152%	A$5,180	140%
Portugal	Faro	1,273	1,227	1,218	-4%	-1%	A$1,170	A$3,420	139%	A$4,570	123%
United Kingdom	London	1,509	1,272	1,185	-21%	-7%	A$1,420	A$8,180	333%	A$10,380	280%
United States	Honolulu	1,185	1,000	967	-18%	-3%	A$1,120	A$8,830	359%	A$11,510	310%
Cyprus	Paphos	796	774	758	-5%	-2%	A$1,130	A$3,920	159%	A$5,330	144%
Thailand	Chiang Mai	625	719	730	+17%	+2%	A$2,100	A$1,950	79%	A$2,790	75%
Philippines	Cebu City	612	636	659	+8%	+4%	A$1,940	A$2,070	84%	A$2,930	79%
Ireland	Dublin	665	615	601	-10%	-2%	A$990	A$7,180	292%	A$9,080	245%
Indonesia (Bali)	Bali (Sanur)	110	150	134	+22%	-11%	A$2,070	A$3,060	124%	A$3,970	107%
France	Nice	117	122	115	-2%	-6%	A$1,650	A$4,430	180%	A$6,240	168%
Japan	Kyoto	84	99	109	+30%	+10%	A$1,120	A$2,560	104%	A$3,760	101%
Vietnam	Da Nang	145	98	103	-29%	+5%	A$1,710	A$1,810	74%	A$2,470	67%
Cambodia	Siem Reap	78	59	56	-28%	-5%	A$2,160	A$1,660	67%	A$2,490	67%
Malaysia	George Town	74	56	52	-30%	-7%	A$1,660	A$1,750	71%	A$2,540	68%
Sri Lanka	Colombo	80	52	45	-44%	-13%	A$1,580	A$2,040	83%	A$2,810	76%
Fiji	Suva	25	23	25	0%	+9%	A$1,720	A$2,750	112%	A$3,630	98%
Mauritius	Port Louis	23	23	23	0%	0%	A$1,820	A$1,960	80%	A$2,800	75%
Mexico	Guadalajara	17	18	21	+24%	+17%	A$1,890	A$2,810	114%	A$3,810	103%
Costa Rica	San José	7	7	6	-14%	-14%	A$2,010	A$3,660	149%	A$5,170	139%
Panama	Panama City	6	under 5	under 5	n/a	n/a	n/a	A$4,060	165%	A$5,350	144%
The 25 countries above		61,189	53,642	51,584	-16%	-4%
Every other location, including Unspecified		30,636	26,214	25,848	-16%	-1%
All Age Pensioners paid overseas		91,825	79,856	77,432	-16%	-3%	A$980

The “Paid there” counts are for 4 December 2020, 31 December 2024 and 31 December 2025. We worked out the average payment a month from the FOI’s combined fortnightly payment, divided by recipients, times 26, divided by 12, rounded to A$10. It’s at December 2025 rates, before the 20 September 2026 change for people overseas. Costa Rica, Mexico, Fiji and Mauritius have so few recipients that a handful of people moves their percentages.

Has the number gone up or down since 2020?

Down. The count fell in every year we can compare, from 91,825 in December 2020 to 77,432 in December 2025. Over about the same five years, the number of Age Pension recipients as a whole rose 4.2%, so the share paid overseas fell from 3.6% to 2.9%.

Date	Age Pensioners paid overseas
4 December 2020	91,825
31 December 2021	Left out (the published total does not add up)
30 December 2022	82,795
31 December 2023	82,120
31 December 2024	79,856
31 December 2025	77,432

Among the larger groups, Europe fell furthest. Italy dropped 39% (11,378 to 6,994), the Netherlands 38% (2,671 to 1,645), North Macedonia 33%, Germany 28%, Spain 27% and Greece 23%. Austria (758 to 465) and Argentina (112 to 68) fell by a similar share from smaller numbers.

A few Asian countries went the other way. Thailand rose 17% (625 to 730), Indonesia 22% (110 to 134), the Philippines 8% (612 to 659) and Japan 30% (84 to 109). Vietnam (145 to 103), Cambodia (78 to 56) and Malaysia (74 to 52) fell. Together the six South-East Asian countries went from 1,644 to 1,734, up 5%, while the overseas total fell 16%. Every change here is worked out from the FOI counts, and the FOI data doesn’t say why any of them rose or fell.

Why 2021 is left out. DSS published a 2021 total of 69,129, but that year’s rows add up to 87,319. The rows for every other year add up to their published total. So we left 2021 out and compared December 2020 with December 2024 and December 2025.

What does a month cost where they are?

In the 10 priced countries with the most Age Pensioners, our estimate of a month for one person is above the base rate in every one. Since 20 September 2026, Services Australia pays people who live overseas the base rate only. That’s at most A$29,520.40 a year for a single person and A$44,506.80 for a couple who are both eligible.

Divided by 12, that’s about A$2,460 a month single and about A$3,710 for a couple (A$3,708.90 before rounding). The income and assets tests still apply. Our guide to the 6, 12 and 26-week rules explains what stops, and when, on a shorter trip.

Country	City priced	Paid there, Dec 2025	Single, a month	Couple, a month
Cambodia	Siem Reap	56	A$1,660	A$2,490
Malaysia	George Town	52	A$1,750	A$2,540
Vietnam	Da Nang	103	A$1,810	A$2,470
Thailand	Chiang Mai	730	A$1,950	A$2,790
Mauritius	Port Louis	23	A$1,960	A$2,800
Sri Lanka	Colombo	45	A$2,040	A$2,810
Philippines	Cebu City	659	A$2,070	A$2,930
These seven countries		1,668

Those are the seven countries where our single estimate comes in under the A$2,460 base rate. Between them they held 1,668 people, or 2.2% of everyone paid overseas, worked out from the FOI counts. For a couple, Fiji joins the list at A$3,630 a month. Japan is just over on both, at A$2,560 single and A$3,760 for a couple.

At the other end are the English-speaking countries. A month for one person is about A$8,830 in Honolulu (359% of the base rate), A$8,180 in London (333%) and A$7,180 in Dublin (292%). The United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland had 2,753 Age Pension recipients between them at the end of 2025.

People paid in Asia got much larger payments on average. In December 2025 the average was A$996 a fortnight in Cambodia, A$969 in Thailand, A$956 in Indonesia and A$895 in the Philippines. In New Zealand it was A$258, in Italy A$378 and in Greece A$390.

Services Australia says people paid under a social security agreement can get a proportional rate after 26 weeks away. So can people who lived in Australia for less than 35 years between age 16 and Age Pension age. Low averages fit part-rate pensions, but the FOI data doesn’t show anyone’s other income, such as a pension from the other country.

Our estimate: Numbeo’s living costs for one person (without rent) plus a one-bedroom city-centre rent, plus 30% for eating out, local trips and extras. For a couple, living costs times 1.8. Converted at the Reserve Bank of Australia’s average exchange rate for the 12 months to September 2026 (A$1 = 22.44 baht, for example). Health insurance is not included. Our list of the cheapest countries to live prices every place the same way, and international health insurance by age covers the cost left out here.

What do the figures not show?

They show where people were paid on one day, which isn’t always where they live. The FOI release says the data reflects country of location, and that this “does not necessarily equate to country of residence”. It counts people who were overseas on the day and either paid under a social security agreement or away from Australia for more than 26 weeks.

• People away for the winter are missing. Anyone away for 26 weeks or less, and not paid under an agreement, isn’t in the table. DSS’s 2026-27 Budget fact sheet says around 92,000 recipients a year travel overseas temporarily for more than 6 weeks. Our page on spending part of the year overseas covers that kind of trip.
• One in five has no country on file. 14,767 people (19.1%) are listed as “Unspecified”, which the release defines as a location outside Australia not declared to Services Australia. Every country count is a floor. Another 156 people were in “Various countries”: in transit, touring or cruising on the day.
• 2021 doesn’t add up. Its published total (69,129) is well below the sum of its rows (87,319), so we left that year out of every trend.
• Each table is one day. It isn’t the number of people paid over a year.
• Small countries are grouped. Countries with fewer than 5 recipients are combined (79 people in 2025), and Panama fell below 5 after 2020.
• The average payment isn’t income. It covers the Australian pension only. Each partner who gets the Age Pension counts as one recipient, paid at the couple rate.
• The dates differ. Recipients are at 31 December 2025, rates are from 20 September 2026 and costs are from September and October 2026. Rates for people overseas changed on 20 September 2026, so the December 2025 averages aren’t what the same people are paid today.
• One city stands in for each country. London stands for the United Kingdom and Honolulu for the United States, and pensioners there may live somewhere else. Numbeo’s figures come from its users, not official statistics.
• There are no reasons in the data. It can’t tell us why numbers rose or fell, or how many of the 77,432 were born overseas.

Where does the data come from?

The counts come from the Department of Social Services’ release under freedom of information, FOI LEX 56898, “Age Pension data for recipients outside Australia”. DSS published it on its freedom of information disclosure log on 17 September 2026, as a PDF of six tables.

1. Recipients by country. The tables are Services Australia data for single days: 4 December 2020, 31 December 2021, 30 December 2022, 31 December 2023, 31 December 2024 and 31 December 2025. Each gives recipients and combined fortnightly payments for about 95 locations. We copied every row and checked that the rows add up to each year’s published total. They do, apart from 2021.
2. Total Age Pension recipients. These come from DSS Benefit and Payment Recipient Demographics on data.gov.au, for the December 2020 and December 2025 quarters. That dataset has no table by country of payment, so we used it only for the totals.
3. Costs. Our own estimates for one city in each country, made the same way for every place, from Numbeo pages dated 26 September to 20 October 2026.
4. Rates. Services Australia’s rates from 20 September 2026. A month is worked out as the fortnightly rate times 26, divided by 12, or the yearly rate divided by 12.
5. Everything else is worked out. Every share, change, average and monthly figure on this page is worked out from those sources by Retirees Abroad. A script re-derives them from the CSV below and checks each year’s total.

How we check our facts sets out the rules every page on this site follows.

Download the data

Download the FOI table as a CSV file (about 9 KB). It has every location in FOI LEX 56898 for all six dates, with recipients and combined fortnightly payments in A$. A blank cell means that location wasn’t listed that year, because DSS groups places with fewer than 5 recipients. The 2021 total is as DSS published it, and it doesn’t equal the sum of that year’s rows. Retirees Abroad copied the table from the PDF on 25 October 2026.

For journalists

Figures on this page may be quoted with credit to Retirees Abroad and DSS FOI LEX 56898. For media enquiries, or full-size copies of the three charts, email hello@retireesabroad.com.au.

Questions people ask

How many Australian Age Pensioners live overseas?

On 31 December 2025, 77,432 people were paid the Age Pension outside Australia, DSS figures released under FOI show. That’s about 2.9% of all Age Pensioners, worked out from DSS’s quarterly total. People away for 26 weeks or less aren’t counted unless they’re paid under a social security agreement.

Which country has the most Australian Age Pensioners?

New Zealand, with 21,416 at 31 December 2025. Greece (9,187) and Italy (6,994) come next. Together those three held 48.6% of everyone paid overseas.

Does Centrelink pay pensions overseas?

Yes. Services Australia, which runs Centrelink, keeps paying the Age Pension overseas, with changes as time goes on. After 6 weeks the Energy Supplement stops, and after 12 weeks the Pension Supplement stops. After 26 weeks your rate can be lower if you lived in Australia for less than 35 years between age 16 and Age Pension age.

How much is the Age Pension if you live overseas?

From 20 September 2026, people who live overseas get the base rate only, Services Australia says. That’s at most A$29,520.40 a year single, or A$44,506.80 for a couple who are both eligible. It works out to about A$2,460 and A$3,710 a month, before the income and assets tests.

Why are average payments higher in Asia than in New Zealand?

The FOI data doesn’t say. Services Australia says people paid under a social security agreement, or with under 35 years of Australian residence between age 16 and Age Pension age, can get a proportional rate after 26 weeks away. Low averages fit part-rate pensions, and the data doesn’t show pensions from other countries.

Are people who go away for the winter counted?

No. The FOI table counts people away for more than 26 weeks, or paid under a social security agreement, on the day of each count. DSS says around 92,000 recipients a year travel overseas temporarily for more than 6 weeks. Those away for 26 weeks or less don’t appear.

What this means for you depends on

• How long you’d be away, which decides when the supplements stop and whether the base rate applies.
• Whether you’re single or a couple, and whether both partners get the Age Pension.
• Your years of Australian residence between age 16 and Age Pension age.
• Where you’d stay. A month in Siem Reap and a month in Honolulu are far apart on our estimates.
• Your health, and what insurance you can get at your age.

This is general information, not advice. Services Australia can tell you your own rate, and a licensed financial adviser can look at the rest. Our guide to living overseas on the Age Pension sets the base rate against a month in several places. If you’d like to talk it through, book a free planning session on Zoom.