CPF interest rates to hold steady in Q1; Basic Healthcare Sum raised to S$79,000

[SINGAPORE] Central Provident Fund (CPF) members will see interest rates across all accounts remain unchanged for the first quarter of 2026, while the Basic Healthcare Sum (BHS) will be adjusted from S$75,500 to S$79,000 for members below 65 in the coming year.

Based on a joint release by the CPF Board, the Housing & Development Board (HDB), and the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Monday (Dec 15), interest rates for the Ordinary Account (OA), as well as the Special, MediSave and Retirement accounts (SMRA), will be maintained at their respective floor rates from Jan 1 to Mar 31, 2026.

The OA interest rate will remain at 2.5 per cent per annum, as the pegged rate remains below this floor rate.

Correspondingly, the concessionary interest rate for HDB housing loans, which is pegged at 0.1 per cent above the OA rate, will remain unchanged at 2.6 per cent per annum.

For SMRA, the interest rate will hold steady at 4 per cent per annum.

The authorities noted that the SMRA pegged rate – which is based on the 12-month average yield of 10-year Singapore Government Securities plus 1 per cent – currently remains below the floor rate of 4 per cent.

To continue boosting retirement savings, the government will maintain the extra interest mechanism on CPF balances, they stated.

• Members aged below 55: Will earn an extra 1 per cent interest on the first S$60,000 of their combined balances (capped at S$20,000 for OA).
• Members aged 55 and above: Will earn an extra 2 per cent interest on the first S$30,000 of their combined balances, and an extra 1 per cent on the next S$30,000.

The extra interest earned on OA savings will be credited to the member’s Special or Retirement Account.

Basic Healthcare Sum for 2026

The parties also announced adjustments to the BHS, which is the estimated MediSave savings required for basic subsidised healthcare in old age.

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Effective Jan 1, the BHS for members below 65 years old will be raised from S$75,500 to S$79,000.

The BHS is adjusted annually to keep pace with rising healthcare consumption, the authorities noted.

For members turning 65 in 2026, their BHS will be fixed at S$79,000 for the rest of their lives.

Members aged 66 and above in 2026 will not be affected, as their cohort’s BHS remains fixed.