Singapore CPF Contribution Rates, Eligibility, Process and other details

What is the CPF and Why Should Employers Pay?

The CPF is Singapore’s social security net ensuring that employees have enough saved funds for retirement, hospitalization, and housing. Employers need to mandatorily pay the entire contribution to the Provident Fund. The employer can later deduct a certain portion from the employee’s salary as specified by the authorities.

In this way, Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents are forced to save money for a minimum quality of life. PF contributions are universally recognized as the most viable way to ensure that your employees are able to fend for themselves and keep inflation at bay.

What are the Singapore CPF Contribution Rates for 2021?

The percentage of employee wages that are to be contributed towards his/her Central Provident Fund (CPF) is 37% for the productive age group of persons below 55 years of age. Of this 37%, 17% is to be contributed by the employer while 20% will be deducted out of the employee’s salary.

Is it mandatory for employers to pay CPF contributions?

In Singapore, the CPF is a compulsory social security saving plan which is contributed by both the employee and the employer, the contribution done by the both parties goes to the healthcare, housing, and retirement needs of the employee.

Every citizen of Singapore and permanent resident of Singapore under a contract of service or under part time or permanent employment must submit monthly CPF contributions.
CPF Contribution Rates

CPF contributions vary depending on the employee’s age, citizenship, and total monthly wages. The contribution rate is dictated by the employee’s category that he/she falls into. For Singapore Citizens, contribution rates are calculated from the third year onwards and apply to the private sector and public sector non-pensionable employees.
CPF Contributions for Foreign Employees

For Singapore Permanent Residents, contribution rates are applicable in the first 2 years of obtaining their SPR status. Singapore employers are not mandated to submit CPF contributions for their foreign employees until he/she obtains SPR status. The employer and employee pay a lower rate known as graduated employer-graduated employee contribution rate in the first two years of acquiring SPR status and contribute normal rates from the third year onwards.