Data resource
Unclaimed money in Australia:
the official figures.
Billions of dollars sit across separate Australian registers, and no single agency reports the lot. This page gathers the figures each authority actually publishes, with the source and date beside every number.
How to read this table
Every amount is quoted as its source words it. Where an authority does not publish a current total, the amount column reads “Current comparable figure not available.” rather than an estimate. All rows were last checked on 14 September 2026.
Do not add these figures together. Each authority measures something different, over a different period, so a combined total would not mean anything. Read each row on its own.
| Authority | Jurisdiction | Type of money | Reported amount | Records reported | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) | National | Bank accounts inactive for seven years, life insurance and friendly society policies, and money from companies | Approximately $2.7 billionASIC holds this money and publishes it on the Moneysmart register, but claims are processed by the bank, insurer or company named against the record. | Not reported | ASIC news item: Australians reminded to check for lost money as $2.7 billion sits unclaimedSource date: 2026 Checked: 14 September 2026 |
| Australian Taxation Office (ATO) | National | Lost superannuation held by funds, plus unclaimed super held by the ATO | Almost $19 billion (reported as $18.9 billion)The ATO reported this as an increase of $1.1 billion on the previous year. It combines fund-held lost accounts with super the ATO itself is holding, so it is not directly comparable with a state register total. | Not reported | ATO media release: $19 billion in lost and unclaimed superSource date: 29 October 2025 Checked: 14 September 2026 |
| Revenue NSW | New South Wales | State unclaimed money: refunds, deposits, uncashed cheques, trust money and proceeds of sale | Almost $300 million | Not reported | NSW Government ministerial release: Millions in unclaimed cash ready to be claimed by NSW familiesSource date: 12 January 2026 Checked: 14 September 2026 |
| State Revenue Office Victoria | Victoria | State unclaimed money, including share dividends, wages, rents, bonds and unclaimed lottery or TAB winnings | More than $200 millionSeparately, the State Revenue Office publishes the number of unclaimed money claims it processed each year: 16,366 in 2024-25. | Over one million entitlements waiting to be claimed | Victorian Government media release: Millions of dollars waiting for lucky Victorians (PDF)Source date: 2 August 2025 Checked: 14 September 2026 |
| Queensland Public Trustee | Queensland | State unclaimed money held by the Public Trustee of Queensland | More than $180 millionThe Queensland Public Trustee news story does not carry a publication date, so treat the figure as indicative and check the register itself for current information. | More than 1.5 million entries on the register | Queensland Public Trustee news story: Do you have a share of more than 180 million in unclaimed money?Source date: not stated by the source Checked: 14 September 2026 |
| Department of Treasury (Western Australia) | Western Australia | State unclaimed money | Current comparable figure not available.Figures for WA have appeared in news coverage, but we could not confirm a current total published by the Department of Treasury itself, so no number is shown here. | Not reported | WA Government: Unclaimed moneySource date: not stated by the source Checked: 14 September 2026 |
| Department of Treasury and Finance (South Australia) | South Australia | State unclaimed money | Current comparable figure not available. | Not reported | SA Treasury: Search for unclaimed moneySource date: not stated by the source Checked: 14 September 2026 |
| Department of Treasury and Finance (Tasmania) | Tasmania | State unclaimed money | Current comparable figure not available. | Not reported | Tasmanian Government: Unclaimed moneySource date: not stated by the source Checked: 14 September 2026 |
| ACT Public Trustee and Guardian and ACT Treasury | Australian Capital Territory | Territory unclaimed money, held across two separate lists | Current comparable figure not available. | Not reported | ACT Public Trustee and Guardian: Unclaimed moneySource date: not stated by the source Checked: 14 September 2026 |
| Northern Territory Government | Northern Territory | Territory unclaimed money | Current comparable figure not available. | Not reported | NT Government: Unclaimed moneySource date: not stated by the source Checked: 14 September 2026 |
How these figures were collected
Each row was taken from material published by the authority that holds the money, or from an official government media release about that authority's own register. Nothing here comes from a commercial money finding service, a forum or an estimate.
Where the responsible authority does not publish a current total, the row says so. We would rather show a gap than a number we cannot stand behind.
Why the totals are not directly comparable
Authorities define unclaimed money differently. ASIC's total covers bank accounts, life insurance and company money under Commonwealth law. The ATO figure combines lost accounts still sitting with super funds and super the ATO itself holds, which is a different concept again.
State totals cover money handed over by businesses, courts and government bodies in that state, and each state sets its own waiting period before money is transferred. Rental bonds and recovered wages are usually held elsewhere again, so they may not appear in any of these numbers.
The reporting dates also differ. A figure published in 2025 sits alongside one published in 2026 in this table, so treat it as a picture of scale rather than a single point in time.
What this means for your own search
The practical lesson from the table is that there is no single national pool. The largest amounts sit in completely separate systems, and none of them searches the others.
That is why searching one register and finding nothing tells you very little. Work through the registers that match your own history instead.
Work out which of these applies to you
Answer a few general questions and we will list the official registers worth searching in your situation, in order, with the names to try and what to do if nothing comes up.
Find where to searchRead our research method for how these figures are checked and updated.