--- title: "Chinese zodiac: the 12 animals, their years and how China uses them" url: https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-zodiac section: "Culture" type: answer updated: 2026-10-31 next_review: 2027-01-15 status: checked author: "The Popular in China desk" fact_checker: "Alex Liu" publisher: Popular in China (https://popularinchina.com) license: Quote with attribution and a link to https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-zodiac --- # Chinese zodiac: the 12 animals, their years and how China uses them _Everyone in China knows their zodiac animal. Here are the twelve animals and their years, how the cycle works, and where it still matters: Dragon babies, red underwear, marriage matches and the stamps people queue for._ **Verdict: Year of the Horse** (马年) — 2026 is the Year of the Horse; 2027 is the Goat ## Short answer The Chinese zodiac (生肖, shēngxiào) gives each year one of 12 animals, in a fixed order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig. The year changes at Lunar New Year, not 1 January. 2026 is the Year of the Horse, from 17 February; 2027 is the Goat, from 6 February. ## At a glance - **In Chinese:** 生肖 (shēngxiào) or 属相 (shǔxiang) - **2026:** Horse, 17 Feb 2026 – 5 Feb 2027 - **2027:** Goat, from 6 Feb 2027 - **Cycle:** 12 animals × 5 elements = 60 years - **Find yours:** Our Chinese zodiac calculator (Tools), by birth date ## How we know - **Births** (mixed): China’s births rose to 9.54 million in the 2024 Dragon year, up from 9.02 million, the first rise in seven years; a demographer named the Dragon year among the reasons. [7] - **Marriage** (mixed): Couples with a traditionally clashing zodiac pair are significantly rarer in Chinese census data than neutral pairs, a Fudan University study found. [10] - **Stamps** (strong): China Post has issued a zodiac stamp every year since 1980; the 2026 Horse issue had a planned run of 26.68 million sets. [11] ## The 12 Chinese zodiac animals and their years The animals always come in this order. A year’s animal starts at Lunar New Year, between 21 January and 20 February, so check January and February birthdays with the [Chinese zodiac calculator](/tools/chinese-zodiac-calculator). [1] | Animal | Chinese | Years (1948–2031) | | --- | --- | --- | | [Rat](/culture/chinese-zodiac/rat) | 鼠 (shǔ) | 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 | | [Ox](/culture/chinese-zodiac/ox) | 牛 (niú) | 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 | | [Tiger](/culture/chinese-zodiac/tiger) | 虎 (hǔ) | 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 | | [Rabbit](/culture/chinese-zodiac/rabbit) | 兔 (tù) | 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 | | [Dragon](/culture/chinese-zodiac/dragon) | 龙 (lóng) | 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 | | [Snake](/culture/chinese-zodiac/snake) | 蛇 (shé) | 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025 | | [Horse](/culture/chinese-zodiac/horse) | 马 (mǎ) | 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026 | | [Goat](/culture/chinese-zodiac/goat) | 羊 (yáng) | 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027 | | [Monkey](/culture/chinese-zodiac/monkey) | 猴 (hóu) | 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028 | | [Rooster](/culture/chinese-zodiac/rooster) | 鸡 (jī) | 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029 | | [Dog](/culture/chinese-zodiac/dog) | 狗 (gǒu) | 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030 | | [Pig](/culture/chinese-zodiac/pig) | 猪 (zhū) | 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031 | ## Chinese zodiac by year: recent and coming years | Year | Animal | Starts | Ends | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2020 | Metal Rat | 25 Jan 2020 | 11 Feb 2021 | | 2021 | Metal Ox | 12 Feb 2021 | 31 Jan 2022 | | 2022 | Water Tiger | 1 Feb 2022 | 21 Jan 2023 | | 2023 | Water Rabbit | 22 Jan 2023 | 9 Feb 2024 | | 2024 | Wood Dragon | 10 Feb 2024 | 28 Jan 2025 | | 2025 | Wood Snake | 29 Jan 2025 | 16 Feb 2026 | | 2026 | Fire Horse | 17 Feb 2026 | 5 Feb 2027 | | 2027 | Fire Goat | 6 Feb 2027 | 25 Jan 2028 | | 2028 | Earth Monkey | 26 Jan 2028 | 12 Feb 2029 | | 2029 | Earth Rooster | 13 Feb 2029 | 2 Feb 2030 | | 2030 | Metal Dog | 3 Feb 2030 | 22 Jan 2031 | ## How the Chinese zodiac works Each animal belongs to one of the twelve “earthly branches” (地支), an old Chinese counting system also used for the two-hour periods of the day: the Rat’s branch 子 covers 11 pm to 1 am, and the Horse’s 午 means noon. The branches combine with ten “heavenly stems”, which carry the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water), so every animal-element pair comes round once in 60 years. 2026 is 丙午 (bǐngwǔ), the Fire Horse. The year changes at Lunar New Year, not on 1 January. In the best-known folk tale, the order comes from a race called by the Jade Emperor: the Rat rode across the river on the Ox and jumped off first, and the Pig stopped to eat and came last. The cat missed out because the Rat did not wake it, which is said to be why cats chase rats. Sources: [3][4][5] ## How Chinese people use the zodiac today **Your own animal’s year is a risky one.** In your 本命年 (běnmìngnián), the year of your own animal at ages 12, 24, 36 and so on, tradition says you offend 太岁, the god of the year. The most common protection is red underwear, plus red belts and bracelets, and the red items are supposed to be bought for you by someone else. **Births.** Parents prize Dragon babies. In 2024, a Dragon year, China’s births rose to 9.54 million from 9.02 million, the first increase in seven years, and a demographer credited the Dragon year as one of the reasons. Births fell to 7.92 million in 2025. **Marriage.** Some couples, and their parents, still check zodiac matches. A Fudan University economist found couples with a traditionally “bad” zodiac combination are significantly rarer in Chinese census data than neutral pairs. **Stamps and the Gala.** China Post has issued a zodiac stamp every year since the 1980 Monkey; the 2026 Horse stamps, the fourth round of the series, had a planned run of 26.68 million sets and first-day covers sold out in under an hour at a Beijing stamp shop. Each year’s CCTV Spring Festival Gala also picks mascots for the animal: four horses for 2026. Sources: [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] ## Chinese zodiac compatibility Traditional matching puts animals four years apart in a harmonious trio (三合), pairs each animal with one secret friend (六合), and treats animals six years apart as a clash (六冲). [15][16][3] | Animal | Best trio | Secret friend | Clash | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Rat | Dragon, Monkey | Ox | Horse | | Ox | Snake, Rooster | Rat | Goat | | Tiger | Horse, Dog | Pig | Monkey | | Rabbit | Goat, Pig | Dog | Rooster | | Dragon | Monkey, Rat | Rooster | Dog | | Snake | Rooster, Ox | Monkey | Pig | | Horse | Dog, Tiger | Goat | Rat | | Goat | Pig, Rabbit | Horse | Ox | | Monkey | Rat, Dragon | Snake | Tiger | | Rooster | Ox, Snake | Dragon | Rabbit | | Dog | Tiger, Horse | Rabbit | Dragon | | Pig | Rabbit, Goat | Tiger | Snake | These are folk beliefs. There is no evidence that birth year shapes personality or marriage success. ## How old is the Chinese zodiac? The oldest list of zodiac animals is on Qin-dynasty bamboo slips dug up in 1975 at Shuihudi in Hubei. It is close to today’s, but not the same: there is no dragon, and the horse sits where the goat is now. There it was used to describe a thief from the day of a theft. In the Eastern Han, the philosopher Wang Chong’s Lunheng (论衡) gives the twelve animals we know today. Scholars disagree on exactly when the animals became tied to people’s birth years. Sources: [17][18] ## Outside China Korea, Japan and Vietnam use the same twelve-year cycle, with local twists. Vietnam has a cat instead of the rabbit and a water buffalo instead of the ox. In Japan the animal of the year decorates New Year cards and calendars. Sources: [19][20] ## Questions **What is my Chinese zodiac sign?** Find your birth year in the table above. If you were born in January or February, check whether your birthday came before Lunar New Year; if so, you belong to the previous animal. Our calculator does this for any date. **What Chinese zodiac is 2026?** The Horse (马), a Fire Horse year (丙午), from 17 February 2026 to 5 February 2027. **What are the 12 Chinese zodiac animals in order?** Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. **Does the Chinese zodiac start on 1 January?** No. Each zodiac year starts at Lunar New Year, between 21 January and 20 February. **Which Chinese zodiac signs are compatible?** Animals four years apart form a harmonious trio (Rat, Dragon, Monkey; Ox, Snake, Rooster; Tiger, Horse, Dog; Rabbit, Goat, Pig). Animals six years apart clash, such as Rat and Horse. ## Sources 1. [Hong Kong Observatory, Gregorian-Lunar calendar conversion tables, 1901–2100](https://www.weather.gov.hk/en/gts/time/conversion.htm) — accessed 2026-10-31 2. [Xinhua via gov.cn, Xi extends Spring Festival greetings; Year of the Horse begins 17 February (14 February 2026)](https://english.www.gov.cn/news/202602/14/content_WS69900c51c6d00ca5f9a09269.html) — accessed 2026-10-31 3. [Wikipedia, Chinese zodiac (six harmonies and clashes)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_zodiac) — accessed 2026-10-31 4. [CGTN, Why is the Rat the first of the Chinese zodiac signs? (16 January 2020)](https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-01-16/Year-of-the-Rat-Why-is-the-Rat-the-first-of-the-Chinese-zodiac-signs--Nd9mShVLZS/index.html) — accessed 2026-10-31 5. [Encyclopaedia Britannica, Chinese zodiac](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chinese-zodiac) — accessed 2026-10-31 6. [China Daily (language channel), What is benmingnian? (2 January 2024, in Chinese)](https://language.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202401/02/WS6593d660a3105f21a507a2d0.html) — accessed 2026-10-31 7. [China Daily, China’s newborns rise in 2024, first time in years (17 January 2025)](https://govt.chinadaily.com.cn/s/202501/17/WS678f56bd498eec7e1f72dce2/chinas-newborns-rise-in-2024-first-time-in-years.html) — accessed 2026-10-31 8. [National Bureau of Statistics of China, statistical release for 2024 (births)](https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202502/t20250228_1958817.html) — accessed 2026-10-31 9. [National Bureau of Statistics of China, statistical release for 2025 (births)](https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202602/t20260228_1962662.html) — accessed 2026-10-31 10. [Duke Kunshan University, Lingwei Wu (Fudan): zodiac compatibility and marriage matching in China](https://env.dukekunshan.edu.cn/?p=6877) — accessed 2026-10-31 11. [China Post, Bingwu Year (Horse) special stamps issued (January 2026)](https://english.chinapost.com.cn/en/report/2601/82973-1.htm) — accessed 2026-10-31 12. [China Post, zodiac Horse stamps in the fourth cycle (2025)](https://www.chinapost.com.cn/html1/report/2508/1188-1.htm) — accessed 2026-10-31 13. [Beijing News, 2026 Horse stamps go on sale (5 January 2026, in Chinese)](https://www.bjnews.com.cn/detail/1767607917129547.html) — accessed 2026-10-31 14. [China Daily, 2026 Spring Festival Gala mascots released (18 December 2025, in Chinese)](https://cn.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202512/18/WS6943b24fa310942cc499756e.html) — accessed 2026-10-31 15. [China Daily, The 12 Chinese zodiac animals and their best matches (2016), part 2](https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/culture/2016-02/02/content_23356709_2.htm) — accessed 2026-10-31 16. [China Daily, The 12 Chinese zodiac animals and their best matches (2016), part 3](https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/culture/2016-02/02/content_23356709_3.htm) — accessed 2026-10-31 17. [Beijing News, Prof. Wang Juan on the origins of the zodiac (19 February 2026, in Chinese)](https://m.bjnews.com.cn/detail/1771474382019120.html) — accessed 2026-10-31 18. [China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network, Chen Lianshan on the Shuihudi and Fangmatan slips (14 April 2025, in Chinese)](https://www.ihchina.cn/art/detail/id/30798.html) — accessed 2026-10-31 19. [Tuoi Tre News, Why Vietnam is celebrating the Year of the Cat, not the Rabbit (19 January 2023)](https://news.tuoitre.vn/why-vietnam-is-celebrating-the-year-of-the-cat-not-the-rabbit-10371052.htm) — accessed 2026-10-31 20. [Nippon.com, The Year of the Horse: galloping into 2026](https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-data/h02544/the-year-of-the-horse-galloping-into-2026.html) — accessed 2026-10-31 ## Related - https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-zodiac/horse - https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-zodiac/dragon - https://popularinchina.com/culture/religion-in-china --- Canonical page: https://popularinchina.com/culture/chinese-zodiac