TOKYO, June 1 (Xinhuanet) -- Japan's birthrate sank to the 1.28 level in calendar 2004, marking an all-time low for the fourth straight year, the government said Wednesday in a report.

    Although the rate is officially rounded up to 1.29, the rate came to 1.2888, falling below 1.29 for the first time, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said in the demographic report.

    In 2003, the figure was 1.2905, but was also rounded up to 1.29.

    The birthrate is equal to the number of children each woman gives birth to in her lifetime.

    The latest figure indicates that the government's efforts to prevent the nation's birthrate from falling further have been unsuccessful.

    The falling birthrate is expected to affect the nation's social insurance system which is already suffering from a shortage of funds for pension benefits and medical insurance.

    Japan's birthrate began falling in the 1970s and sank below 1.3in 2003 for the first time.

    However, the government said in January 2002 in its forecasts that the birthrate would stay at 1.32 in 2004.

    The government's new pension system approved by the parliament in 2004 calculates pension premiums and benefits on the basis of the forecasts. Enditem