Chinese Zodiac Years Chart (1924–2031)
By Shah Rukh, software developer · Last updated:
The Chinese zodiac gives each year one of 12 animals, in a fixed order that repeats every 12 years, plus one of five elements. Use the chart below to find the animal and element for any year from 1924 to 2031.
Born in January or early February? The Chinese year starts at Lunar New Year (between January 21 and February 20). If your birthday came before it, you belong to the previous year’s animal. Our zodiac calculator warns you when this applies.
Chinese zodiac years chart
| Animal | Years (element) |
|---|---|
| 🐀 Rat | 1924 (Wood), 1936 (Fire), 1948 (Earth), 1960 (Metal), 1972 (Water), 1984 (Wood), 1996 (Fire), 2008 (Earth), 2020 (Metal) |
| 🐂 Ox | 1925 (Wood), 1937 (Fire), 1949 (Earth), 1961 (Metal), 1973 (Water), 1985 (Wood), 1997 (Fire), 2009 (Earth), 2021 (Metal) |
| 🐅 Tiger | 1926 (Fire), 1938 (Earth), 1950 (Metal), 1962 (Water), 1974 (Wood), 1986 (Fire), 1998 (Earth), 2010 (Metal), 2022 (Water) |
| 🐇 Rabbit | 1927 (Fire), 1939 (Earth), 1951 (Metal), 1963 (Water), 1975 (Wood), 1987 (Fire), 1999 (Earth), 2011 (Metal), 2023 (Water) |
| 🐉 Dragon | 1928 (Earth), 1940 (Metal), 1952 (Water), 1964 (Wood), 1976 (Fire), 1988 (Earth), 2000 (Metal), 2012 (Water), 2024 (Wood) |
| 🐍 Snake | 1929 (Earth), 1941 (Metal), 1953 (Water), 1965 (Wood), 1977 (Fire), 1989 (Earth), 2001 (Metal), 2013 (Water), 2025 (Wood) |
| 🐎 Horse | 1930 (Metal), 1942 (Water), 1954 (Wood), 1966 (Fire), 1978 (Earth), 1990 (Metal), 2002 (Water), 2014 (Wood), 2026 (Fire) |
| 🐐 Goat | 1931 (Metal), 1943 (Water), 1955 (Wood), 1967 (Fire), 1979 (Earth), 1991 (Metal), 2003 (Water), 2015 (Wood), 2027 (Fire) |
| 🐒 Monkey | 1932 (Water), 1944 (Wood), 1956 (Fire), 1968 (Earth), 1980 (Metal), 1992 (Water), 2004 (Wood), 2016 (Fire), 2028 (Earth) |
| 🐓 Rooster | 1933 (Water), 1945 (Wood), 1957 (Fire), 1969 (Earth), 1981 (Metal), 1993 (Water), 2005 (Wood), 2017 (Fire), 2029 (Earth) |
| 🐕 Dog | 1934 (Wood), 1946 (Fire), 1958 (Earth), 1970 (Metal), 1982 (Water), 1994 (Wood), 2006 (Fire), 2018 (Earth), 2030 (Metal) |
| 🐖 Pig | 1935 (Wood), 1947 (Fire), 1959 (Earth), 1971 (Metal), 1983 (Water), 1995 (Wood), 2007 (Fire), 2019 (Earth), 2031 (Metal) |
The 12 animals in order
The order is always Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat (also called Sheep or Ram), Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. Traditional folk tales explain the order with a great race, where the clever Rat rode on the Ox’s back and jumped ahead at the finish.
The five elements
| Year ends in | Element | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 0 or 1 | Metal | 2020 Metal Rat, 2021 Metal Ox |
| 2 or 3 | Water | 2022 Water Tiger, 2023 Water Rabbit |
| 4 or 5 | Wood | 2024 Wood Dragon, 2025 Wood Snake |
| 6 or 7 | Fire | 2026 Fire Horse, 2027 Fire Goat |
| 8 or 9 | Earth | 2028 Earth Monkey, 2029 Earth Rooster |
Each animal-and-element pair comes round once every 60 years. The last Fire Horse year before 2026 was 1966.
Yin and yang
Years ending in an even number are yang, and years ending in an odd number are yin. So the animals alternate between yang (Rat, Tiger, Dragon, Horse, Monkey, Dog) and yin (Ox, Rabbit, Snake, Goat, Rooster, Pig).
Want your Western star sign too? The zodiac sign calculator gives both from your birthday.
Want your exact number? Use the free Zodiac Sign Calculator. It takes about 30 seconds.
Frequently asked questions
What Chinese zodiac year is 2026?
2026 is the Year of the Fire Horse. It began at Lunar New Year in February 2026.
What is my Chinese zodiac animal?
Find your birth year in the chart. If you were born in January or early February, check whether your birthday was before Lunar New Year that year. If it was, you belong to the previous year’s animal.
How often does the Chinese zodiac repeat?
The 12 animals repeat every 12 years. Combined with the five elements, the full cycle repeats every 60 years.
What are the five elements in the Chinese zodiac?
Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. Each element covers two years in a row, and the element is linked to the last digit of the year.
Why is the Chinese zodiac year different from January to December?
The Chinese zodiac follows the lunar calendar, so each year starts at Lunar New Year, which falls between January 21 and February 20.