The Asian dining boom driving Australia's agriculture exports is expected to be accentuated by a future spike in demand for aged services.
Consultancy group Deloitte on Monday forecast that by the 2030s Asia will be home to more than 60 per cent of the world's population aged over 65 - from 365 million people now to more than 520 million.
While Australia's ageing population is predicted to weigh on economic growth over the next decade, the challenge will be even greater for the likes of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand and New Zealand.
Together with Japan, these countries take up almost half of Australia's merchandise exports.
"Changing demographics will have a big impact on the backdrop for Australian businesses and what they are selling into," Deloitte Australia economist Chris Richardson told AAP.
He says while many ageing Australians will have money, their spending is likely to be domestically orientated, especially for health care.
Deloitte also predicts the size of the Australian workforce will shrink by four per over the coming decade, slightly less than New Zealand and China at 4.2 per cent.
But Singapore will contract by 8.4 per cent and Hong Kong by a hefty 13.8 per cent.
"They are going to get a hell of a lot of retirements and not necessarily heaps of new workers," Mr Richardson says.
India, Philippines, Indonesia
However, at the other end of the scale, Deloitte expects workforces in the Philippines, Indonesia and India to expand.
Deloitte forecasts India's workforce will grow from 885 million to 1.08 billion by 2037 and to 1.12 billion in 2050.
Mr Richardson said Australian businesses and governments aren't ready for an "Indian summer set to last for half a century".
"At some stage, they will require that wake-up call," he says.
