According to new research, New Zealand will need to increase the hearing health workforce to ready for our ageing population.

An article in today's Medical Journal forecasts a rise from around 330,000 people with hearing loss in 2011, to nearly 450,000 by 2061.

Research contributor Dr Daniel Exeter admits we all know the population is ageing.

"We can see that there's almost a doubling in the proportion of the population over 70 years old who will have hearing loss in about 50 years time."

Exeter reports there is also expected to be a lot of growth in older people living in the regions.

"In particular Nelson, Tauranga, and even Northland and the west coast as well. So we could see that being quite a concern for the health group force as well."

The study predicts we will need another 89 audiologists and 32 more ear, nose and throat specialists by 2061.