skip to content

pension funds

higher-risk, higher-growth pension funds.

Every fund has a risk rating from 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest), based mainly on how much its value has gone up and down. These are the funds rated 6 or 7 — mostly all-shares funds. They have the most growth potential over long periods and the biggest swings along the way.

funds
72
providers
8
typical risk
6/7
middle 5-yr return
+8.9% a year

Of the 58 higher-risk, higher-growth pension funds with a five-year record, the highest average yearly return was +20.7% (New Ireland Technology Indexed Fund, New Ireland) and the lowest −6.5% (Standard Life China Equity, Standard Life). 14 funds are under five years old and listed after, by 3-year return.

ranked by 5-year return

Higher-risk, higher-growth pension funds ranked by average yearly return over five years
#fundrisk1 yr3 yr avg5 yr avg10 yr avg
1New Ireland Technology Indexed FundNew Irelandrisk 6/7+37.1%+25.2%+20.7%+21.7%
2Aviva Physical GoldAvivarisk 6/7+36.0%+28.0%+19.5%+12.2%
3Zurich Life Indexed Top Tech 100Zurich Liferisk 6/7+31.6%+25.4%+18.2%+20.8%
4Royal London BlackRock US Equity Index FundRoyal Londonrisk 6/7+20.8%+18.7%+14.6%—
5Irish Life Indexed North American EquityIrish Liferisk 6/7+20.3%+18.5%+13.7%+14.0%
6Standard Life Vanguard US 500 Stock Index FundStandard Liferisk 6/7+20.4%+18.4%+13.3%—
7Irish Life Indexed USIrish Liferisk 6/7+18.8%+17.8%+13.2%+13.6%
8Royal London BlackRock Developed World Equity Index FundRoyal Londonrisk 6/7+19.9%+17.4%+12.8%—
9Irish Life Indexed Ethical Global EquityIrish Liferisk 6/7+19.5%+17.3%+12.7%+12.1%
10Aviva High YieldAvivarisk 6/7+6.3%+12.0%+12.3%—
11New Ireland InternationalNew Irelandrisk 6/7+22.1%+17.2%+12.3%+11.3%
12New Ireland Global EquityNew Irelandrisk 6/7+23.1%+17.0%+12.2%+11.2%
13Aviva High Yield Equity FundAvivarisk 6/7+6.0%+11.7%+12.0%+11.3%
14Irish Life Indexed World Equity FundIrish Liferisk 6/7+18.4%+16.6%+11.9%+11.9%
15Bank of Ireland Life InternationalBOI Liferisk 6/7+21.8%+16.8%+11.9%+11.0%
16New Ireland iFunds EquitiesNew Irelandrisk 6/7+22.1%+16.7%+11.5%+11.5%
17Irish Life Indexed CommoditiesIrish Liferisk 6/7+28.4%+10.4%+11.2%+6.2%
18Bank of Ireland Life European Ex UKBOI Liferisk 6/7+18.2%+14.8%+10.7%+8.1%
19Irish Life Indexed UKIrish Liferisk 6/7+17.5%+12.4%+10.4%+6.6%
20Zurich Life Eurozone EquityZurich Liferisk 6/7+12.9%+14.1%+9.9%+10.6%
21Bank of Ireland Life North AmericanBOI Liferisk 6/7+13.5%+11.3%+9.9%+9.6%
22Zurich Life Indexed Eurozone Equity (BlackRock)Zurich Liferisk 6/7+12.4%+13.3%+9.8%+9.6%
23Irish Life Indexed EuropeIrish Liferisk 6/7+9.5%+12.1%+9.8%+9.0%
24Bank of Ireland Life Managed OpportunityBOI Liferisk 6/7+18.0%+14.3%+9.7%+8.9%
25Royal London BlackRock Europe ex UK Equity Index FundRoyal Londonrisk 6/7+12.2%+11.7%+9.7%—
26Irish Life Setanta Global EquityIrish Liferisk 6/7+13.7%+11.0%+9.3%+9.2%
27Standard Life Vanguard Eurozone Stock Index FundStandard Liferisk 6/7+12.9%+13.3%+9.3%—
28Irish Life Dynamic Global EquityIrish Liferisk 6/7+13.4%+10.7%+9.1%+8.9%
29Irish Life Infrastructure EquitiesIrish Liferisk 6/7+10.4%+9.9%+9.0%+6.1%
30Irish Life Indexed European EquityIrish Liferisk 6/7+11.4%+10.8%+8.8%+9.0%
31Irish Life Setanta Equity DividendIrish Liferisk 6/7+15.3%+10.7%+8.8%+8.3%
32Irish Life Global SelectIrish Liferisk 6/7+12.8%+10.2%+8.5%+8.4%
33Irish Life Global OpportunitiesIrish Liferisk 6/7+12.9%+10.2%+8.5%+8.4%
34Irish Life Multi-Asset Portfolio 6Irish Liferisk 6/7+19.1%+14.4%+8.4%+8.6%
35Royal London BlackRock Emerging Markets Equity Index FundRoyal Londonrisk 6/7+41.4%+19.4%+8.3%—
36Irish Life Portfolio Pension 6Irish Liferisk 6/7+19.0%+14.0%+8.1%+8.4%
37Irish Life Indexed JapanIrish Liferisk 6/7+24.0%+13.4%+8.1%+7.4%
38Aviva Global Emerging Market Equity FundAvivarisk 6/7+40.5%+18.7%+7.6%+7.3%
39Irish Life Indexed Emerging Market Equity FundIrish Liferisk 7/7+36.6%+17.8%+7.1%+8.8%
40New Ireland Global Emerging MarketsNew Irelandrisk 6/7+36.5%+17.9%+7.0%+8.8%
41Irish Life Indexed Pacific BasinIrish Liferisk 6/7+13.2%+8.7%+5.5%+8.3%
42Irish Life Setanta Global FocusIrish Liferisk 6/7+1.5%+3.3%+5.0%+5.6%
43Aviva Stewardship Ethical EquityAvivarisk 6/7+3.7%+6.6%+4.3%+9.3%
44Irish Life Fidelity India ChinaIrish Liferisk 7/7-7.1%+3.1%+3.8%+7.1%
45Royal London BlackRock Developed Real Estate Index FundRoyal Londonrisk 6/7+9.0%+7.1%+2.8%—
46Irish Life Fidelity ChinaIrish Liferisk 6/7+3.4%+2.0%+1.3%+4.9%
47Irish Life Property PortfolioIrish Liferisk 6/7+1.3%-0.4%+0.2%+0.7%
48Standard Life Global REITStandard Liferisk 6/7+12.3%+7.2%+0.2%+0.9%
49Irish Life PropertyIrish Liferisk 6/7+3.1%-2.2%-1.0%+0.2%
50Standard Life Euro Smaller CompaniesStandard Liferisk 6/7-3.8%+4.6%-1.6%+5.6%
51Standard Life European Ethical EquityStandard Liferisk 6/7-12.4%-0.3%-1.9%+4.1%
52Zurich Life Property FundZurich Liferisk 6/7-1.1%-0.8%-1.9%—
53Standard Life Global Smaller CompaniesStandard Liferisk 6/7-9.9%+1.8%-2.1%+5.8%
54Bank of Ireland Life Irish EquityBOI Liferisk 7/7-1.0%-1.0%-2.5%+2.3%
55Bank of Ireland Life PropertyBOI Liferisk 6/7-1.2%-3.4%-3.3%-1.5%
56Zurich Life Indexed European Ex UK PropertyZurich Liferisk 6/7-0.3%+11.0%-3.7%+0.3%
57Standard Life UK Smaller CompaniesStandard Liferisk 6/7-8.4%+0.1%-6.1%+2.8%
58Standard Life China EquityStandard Liferisk 7/7+11.1%+4.3%-6.5%+2.9%
59Royal London Global Equity Diversified FundRoyal Londonrisk 6/7+21.6%+17.6%——
60AIB Life Emerging Markets EquityAIB Liferisk 7/7+39.6%+17.4%——
61AIB Life Developed World EquityAIB Liferisk 6/7+19.6%+16.9%——
62AIB Life Indexed Multi-Asset 6AIB Liferisk 6/7+20.9%+15.9%——
63Royal London Global Sustainable Equity FundRoyal Londonrisk 6/7+19.2%+15.7%——
64AIB Life Fusion 6AIB Liferisk 6/7+20.5%+14.9%——
65AIB Life Megatrend EquityAIB Liferisk 6/7+21.6%+14.7%——
66Aviva European Equity ESG Passive FundAvivarisk 6/7+11.8%+10.6%——
67AIB Life Climate Impact EquityAIB Liferisk 7/7+2.8%+3.7%——
68Aviva Global Smaller Companies EquityAvivarisk 6/7-10.5%+1.4%——
69AIB Life Goodbody Global EquityAIB Liferisk 6/7+4.6%———
70Aviva Emerging Markets Equity IndexAvivarisk 6/7+38.5%———
71Aviva Global Equity ESG PassiveAvivarisk 6/7+17.9%———
72Aviva Global Leaders EquityAvivarisk 6/7+1.9%———

average yearly returns as published by the national pension helpline fund explorer, updated 9 Nov 2026, 06:01. your own return also depends on the charges on your policy. past performance is not a reliable guide to future performance.