Singapore CPF Contribution Rates 2026 Explained
What is CPF?
The Central Provident Fund (CPF) is Singapore's mandatory social-security savings scheme. Both employer and employee contribute a percentage of the employee's wages every month for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents (PRs). Contributions are split across the Ordinary, Special, MediSave and (from age 55) Retirement accounts.
2026 CPF rates by age (Citizens & PRs from year 3)
The headline rates below apply to Singapore Citizens and PRs in their third year onwards, on wages up to the Ordinary Wage ceiling:
| Age band | Total | Employer | Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55 & below | 37% | 17% | 20% |
| Above 55 to 60 | 34% | 16% | 18% |
| Above 60 to 65 | 25% | 12.5% | 12.5% |
| Above 65 to 70 | 16.5% | 9% | 7.5% |
| Above 70 | 12.5% | 7.5% | 5% |
Contribution rates for workers above 55 have been rising in recent years as Singapore strengthens retirement adequacy, so always confirm the current year's table.
The 2026 wage ceilings
Two ceilings cap how much of a salary attracts CPF:
- Ordinary Wage (OW) ceiling: S$8,000 per month in 2026. Monthly wages above S$8,000 do not attract CPF.
- Additional Wage (AW) ceiling (bonuses, commissions): an annual cap of S$102,000 minus the total Ordinary Wages that were subject to CPF for the year.
Worked example
A 35-year-old Singapore Citizen earning S$5,000 a month:
- Employee share: 20% × S$5,000 = S$1,000
- Employer share: 17% × S$5,000 = S$850
- Total CPF: S$1,850
At the S$8,000 ceiling, the same employee's total CPF would be S$2,960 (S$1,600 employee + S$1,360 employer), and wages above S$8,000 add no further CPF.
How CPF is rounded
CPF has a specific rounding rule: the total contribution is rounded to the nearest dollar, the employee's share has its cents dropped, and the employer's share is the total minus the employee's share. Getting this wrong is a common payroll error.
PR (Permanent Resident) rates
New PRs contribute at graduated (lower) rates to ease the transition: a first-year table and a second-year table, before moving to full rates from the third year. Employers may also apply to pay full employer rates earlier. Because the tables differ by PR year and age, this is where manual payroll most often slips.
Getting CPF right, automatically — with MeritHRMS
MeritHRMS is a Singapore compliance-first HR and payroll platform. Its CPF engine reads the current rate tables directly, so every pay run applies the right age band, residency status, PR-year table, wage ceiling, and rounding — without anyone re-keying a rate. It produces CPF EZPay-ready and IR8A-ready files, handles progressive PR rates and the senior-worker increases coming in 2027, and locks approved historical runs so past payslips never shift. For groups, it runs multiple companies from one login with per-company data isolation. If CPF accuracy or month-end effort is a pain point, it's worth a look — you can try the calculator or book a demo.
Frequently asked questions
What is the CPF contribution rate in 2026?
For employees aged 55 and below, total CPF is 37% of wages — 20% employee and 17% employer — up to the Ordinary Wage ceiling. Rates step down for older age bands.
What is the CPF Ordinary Wage ceiling in 2026?
S$8,000 per month. Ordinary Wages above S$8,000 a month are not subject to CPF.
How is CPF rounded?
The total contribution is rounded to the nearest dollar, and the employee's share has its cents dropped; the employer's share is the total minus the employee's share. MeritHRMS applies this rounding automatically on every pay run.
Do PRs pay lower CPF?
Yes. First- and second-year Singapore PRs use graduated (lower) rates before moving to full rates from the third year. MeritHRMS applies the correct PR-year table automatically, which is where manual payroll most often goes wrong.
How does MeritHRMS keep CPF rates up to date?
MeritHRMS syncs CPF rate tables from the cloud, so your payroll always uses the current year's rates with no manual updates or re-deployment. When rates change — such as the 2027 increase for senior workers — new pay runs pick them up automatically, while approved historical runs stay locked.
Can MeritHRMS generate CPF submission files?
Yes. MeritHRMS computes CPF for each employee and produces CPF EZPay-ready files and IR8A-ready data, so there is no manual re-keying of submissions.
This article is general information for Singapore employers, not legal, tax, or accounting advice. Rules and rates can change — verify against CPF Board, IRAS, and MOM, or speak to a professional. MeritHRMS is compliance tooling that helps you apply these rules, not a substitute for advice.