Japan's population is shrinking.

According to the Associated Press, the results of the 2015 census released Friday, Feb 26, show the population dropped by 947,000 people in the last five years, the first decline since the count started in 1920.

Japan's population stood at 127.1 million last fall, down 0.7 percent from 128.1 million in 2010. The census is taken every five years.

The government is worried because projections show the population decline could accelerate in coming decades.

The drop is more pronounced in rural areas, while densely populated cities continue to grow. The population of Tokyo, Japan's largest city, grew to 13.5 million, up 2.7 percent since the 2010 census.