New census figures in Japan show the population has shrunk by nearly one million in the past five years, in the first decline registered since 1920.<br />As of October last year the country has 127.1 million people, 0.7% fewer than in the last census.<br />Demographers have long predicted a drop, citing Japan's falling birth rate and a lack of immigration.<br />The rapidly ageing population has contributed to a stagnating economy and worries of increasing health costs.<br />Researchers are predicting a sharp drop-off in the working population and a simultaneous rise in the number of elderly in coming decades.
