The Chinese zodiac gives each lunar year one of 12 animals, in a fixed order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. 2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse, and the Year of the Fire Goat begins on Saturday, February 6, 2027.
Each animal also comes with one of five elements, so the full cycle takes 60 years to repeat. The catch for anyone looking up a birth year is that the zodiac year starts at Chinese New Year, not on January 1. This guide gives the chart for every year from 1960 to 2031, explains how the animals and elements fit together, and shows how to check your sign if you were born in January or February.
Chinese zodiac years chart, 1960 to 2031
Find your birth year in the table; the element is in brackets. If you were born in January or early February, read the section on the New Year boundary below before you settle on an animal.
| Animal | 1960–1971 | 1972–1983 | 1984–1995 | 1996–2007 | 2008–2019 | 2020–2031 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rat | 1960 (Metal) | 1972 (Water) | 1984 (Wood) | 1996 (Fire) | 2008 (Earth) | 2020 (Metal) |
| Ox | 1961 (Metal) | 1973 (Water) | 1985 (Wood) | 1997 (Fire) | 2009 (Earth) | 2021 (Metal) |
| Tiger | 1962 (Water) | 1974 (Wood) | 1986 (Fire) | 1998 (Earth) | 2010 (Metal) | 2022 (Water) |
| Rabbit | 1963 (Water) | 1975 (Wood) | 1987 (Fire) | 1999 (Earth) | 2011 (Metal) | 2023 (Water) |
| Dragon | 1964 (Wood) | 1976 (Fire) | 1988 (Earth) | 2000 (Metal) | 2012 (Water) | 2024 (Wood) |
| Snake | 1965 (Wood) | 1977 (Fire) | 1989 (Earth) | 2001 (Metal) | 2013 (Water) | 2025 (Wood) |
| Horse | 1966 (Fire) | 1978 (Earth) | 1990 (Metal) | 2002 (Water) | 2014 (Wood) | 2026 (Fire) |
| Goat | 1967 (Fire) | 1979 (Earth) | 1991 (Metal) | 2003 (Water) | 2015 (Wood) | 2027 (Fire) |
| Monkey | 1968 (Earth) | 1980 (Metal) | 1992 (Water) | 2004 (Wood) | 2016 (Fire) | 2028 (Earth) |
| Rooster | 1969 (Earth) | 1981 (Metal) | 1993 (Water) | 2005 (Wood) | 2017 (Fire) | 2029 (Earth) |
| Dog | 1970 (Metal) | 1982 (Water) | 1994 (Wood) | 2006 (Fire) | 2018 (Earth) | 2030 (Metal) |
| Pig | 1971 (Metal) | 1983 (Water) | 1995 (Wood) | 2007 (Fire) | 2019 (Earth) | 2031 (Metal) |
Each row steps forward 12 years, which is why your animal comes round again at ages 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60. The element changes each time, so the same animal and element pair, such as Fire Horse in 1966 and 2026, only returns every 60 years.
How the 12 animals and 5 elements combine
The animals run in a cycle of 12 years. The five elements, Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water, each last two years in a row before passing to the next, so they run in a cycle of 10 years. Twelve and ten first line up again after 60 years, which gives the 60-year cycle.
A quick way to find the element for a lunar year that starts in a given Gregorian year is the year’s last digit:
| Year ends in | Element | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 0 or 1 | Metal | 1990 Metal Horse, 2031 Metal Pig |
| 2 or 3 | Water | 1972 Water Rat, 2023 Water Rabbit |
| 4 or 5 | Wood | 1984 Wood Rat, 2025 Wood Snake |
| 6 or 7 | Fire | 2026 Fire Horse, 2027 Fire Goat |
| 8 or 9 | Earth | 1988 Earth Dragon, 2029 Earth Rooster |
The animal names are translations, and they vary. The eighth animal appears as Goat, Sheep or Ram depending on the source, and the twelfth as Pig or Boar. They’re the same signs.
The New Year boundary: January and February birthdays
The zodiac year begins on Chinese New Year, the first day of the first month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar. It always falls between January 21 and February 20, on the day of a new moon, so it moves around from one year to the next. Anyone born in January, or in February before that year’s New Year, belongs to the previous year’s animal.
| Lunar year | Chinese New Year | Animal from that date |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Saturday, January 25, 2020 | Metal Rat |
| 2021 | Friday, February 12, 2021 | Metal Ox |
| 2022 | Tuesday, February 1, 2022 | Water Tiger |
| 2023 | Sunday, January 22, 2023 | Water Rabbit |
| 2024 | Saturday, February 10, 2024 | Wood Dragon |
| 2025 | Wednesday, January 29, 2025 | Wood Snake |
| 2026 | Tuesday, February 17, 2026 | Fire Horse |
| 2027 | Saturday, February 6, 2027 | Fire Goat |
| 2028 | Wednesday, January 26, 2028 | Earth Monkey |
| 2029 | Tuesday, February 13, 2029 | Earth Rooster |
| 2030 | Sunday, February 3, 2030 | Metal Dog |
| 2031 | Thursday, January 23, 2031 | Metal Pig |
Two examples from the table:
- A baby born on February 10, 2026 is a Wood Snake, not a Fire Horse, because the 2026 New Year didn’t arrive until February 17.
- A baby born on February 5, 2027 is a Fire Horse; one born on February 6, 2027 or later is a Fire Goat.
For years before 2020, look up that year’s New Year date before deciding. Some astrologers and feng shui practitioners use a different boundary, the solar term known as the start of spring (Lichun), around February 4, so a few charts disagree for birthdays between late January and mid-February.
Check your sign and the next New Year
Every “born in” page in our age calculator shows the zodiac animal and element for that year, with a reminder of the animal that applies if you were born before that year’s New Year. For example, someone born in 1990 is a Metal Horse from the 1990 New Year onward. The same pages also show your generation; our generations guide explains those ranges.
To count down to the start of the next zodiac year, see days until Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year 2027 guide covers the Year of the Fire Goat in more detail, and the 2027 moon phase calendar shows the new moon on February 6.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Chinese zodiac for 2026?
The Fire Horse. The Year of the Horse began on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 and runs until the next New Year on Saturday, February 6, 2027.
What is the Chinese zodiac for 2027?
The Fire Goat, sometimes called the Fire Sheep or Fire Ram. It begins on Saturday, February 6, 2027.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1990?
The Horse, with the Metal element, for anyone born on or after Chinese New Year in 1990. Earlier January and February birthdays that year belong to the previous animal, the Snake.
How often does my zodiac animal come back?
Every 12 years. The same animal with the same element, for example Fire Horse, returns every 60 years.
Why is my sign different on another website?
Usually because of a January or February birthday. Some charts go by calendar year, some by Chinese New Year, and some by the start of spring around February 4.