Superannuation funds need to provide more personal information, education and professional advice to members, according to Mercer.

"We need an education revolution in superannuation. Australians continue to see superannuation as important in saving for retirement, but their faith in the system may be dwindling," Mercer Asia-Pacific outsourcing business leader David Anderson said.

The comments come on the back of the latest Mercer Super Sentiment Index, which revealed many fund members were unsure about the future of their superannuation.

The number of working Australians very or extremely worried about the impact of share market volatility on their superannuation rose from 11 per cent to 21 per cent in the last six months of 2008.

Only 35 per cent of respondents expect their next statement to show a higher balance.

At the same time, the demand for knowledge rose.

Of the 1000 people surveyed, 16 per cent rated their knowledge of super as strong or sophisticated, with 54 per cent wanting to achieve this level of knowledge.

The survey showed the more advanced a person's confidence in their knowledge about super, the more likely their benefit statements were in line with expectations.

Forty-four per cent of those with an advanced knowledge of super thought their super was in line with expectations compared to 27 per cent with a beginner's knowledge.

"Through personal information, education and advice, we can provide individual Australians with their own 'call to action' and a renewed confidence in superannuation and its key role in their present and futures," Anderson said.

"Australians trust that superannuation is absolutely essential in creating a comfortable retirement, but now it's up to the superannuation industry to evolve superannuation into a universally-embraced community product that Australians are engaged with and confident about."