Healthy returns from shares, bonds and unlisted assets helped superannuation funds to a median 7 per cent return, a performance that looked "highly improbable" at the start of the fiscal year.

The best performers in Chant West’s “growth” category did much better than the average, delivering returns of a touch under 10 per cent. QSuper, a $91 billion fund that originated in the Queensland public service, and UniSuper, an $80 billion fund for university staff and their families, tied for first place.