Chinese Zodiac Years Chart

How the Cycle Works

The Chinese zodiac assigns one of twelve animals to each year in a repeating cycle: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. But the animal alone is only half the picture. Each year also carries one of the Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and a yin or yang polarity, determined by the sexagenary cycle (六十甲子).

The sexagenary cycle combines 10 Heavenly Stems (天干) with 12 Earthly Branches (地支). Because the least common multiple of 10 and 12 is 60, the full cycle takes 60 years to complete before repeating. Each of the 60 combinations produces a unique pairing of element, animal, and polarity. This is the system used in BaZi (Four Pillars of Destiny) and the traditional Chinese calendar.

The 10 Heavenly Stems and their associated elements are:

The 12 Earthly Branches correspond to the 12 zodiac animals: 子 (Rat), 丑 (Ox), 寅 (Tiger), 卯 (Rabbit), 辰 (Dragon), 巳 (Snake), 午 (Horse), 未 (Goat), 申 (Monkey), 酉 (Rooster), 戌 (Dog), 亥 (Pig). Yang stems pair only with yang branches, and yin stems pair only with yin branches, producing exactly 60 unique combinations.

Quick Lookup by Animal

To quickly find years for each animal within the 1924–2043 range:

Important: The Chinese year does not begin on 1 January. If you were born in January or early February, check the Lichun boundary section below to determine whether you belong to the current or previous year’s animal.

Full Chart 1924–2043

The following table lists every year from 1924 to 2043 with its sexagenary pillar, Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch characters, element, animal, and yin-yang polarity. The cycle of 60 begins with 甲子 (Jiǎzǐ, Wood Rat) in 1924 and completes in 1983, then restarts in 1984.

Understanding the Five Elements

Each element in the Five Elements (五行) system carries distinct qualities that colour the zodiac animal’s personality. A Wood Rat and a Fire Rat share the Rat’s core traits but express them differently.

The element follows a two-year pattern: each element governs one yang year and one yin year before the next element takes over. For example, Wood governs 1924 (yang) and 1925 (yin), then Fire governs 1926 (yang) and 1927 (yin), and so on. This pattern repeats throughout the 60-year cycle.

The Lichun Boundary

A common source of confusion is the start date of the Chinese zodiac year. There are two systems in use:

1. Lichun (立春) — Start of Spring: Used in BaZi (Four Pillars) astrology. Lichun falls on approximately February 4 each year (the exact date and time vary slightly). In the BaZi system, the zodiac year changes at Lichun, not at Chinese New Year. This is the method used by professional practitioners for chart calculation.

2. Chinese New Year (農曆新年): Used in popular culture and folk tradition. Chinese New Year falls between January 21 and February 20, depending on the lunisolar calendar. Many people consider the zodiac year to change on this date.

If you were born between January 21 and February 20, you should check the specific Lichun date and Chinese New Year date for your birth year to determine which zodiac animal applies to you. For example, someone born on February 2, 1990, would be a Snake (1989) under the BaZi system (since Lichun 1990 falls on February 4), even though 1990 is a Horse year.

The chart above uses the Gregorian calendar year for simplicity. For births in January or early February, consult the Chinese calendar page for exact transition dates.

Notable Years in the Cycle

Certain sexagenary years carry special cultural significance:

甲子 Jiǎzǐ (Wood Rat, 1924 / 1984 / 2044): The first combination in the cycle, Jiǎzǐ marks the beginning of a new 60-year era. The term 甲子 is so closely associated with the cycle that the entire system is sometimes simply called “Jiǎzǐ” in Chinese.

丙午 Bǐngwǔ (Fire Horse, 1966 / 2026): The Fire Horse year is the subject of the Japanese Hinoeuma superstition, which caused a dramatic birth-rate decline in Japan in 1966. In classical Chinese astrology, however, the Bǐngwǔ pillar carries no negative connotation. 2026 is the current Fire Horse year. See our detailed article for the full story.

辛亥 Xīnhài (Metal Pig, 1911 / 1971 / 2031): The Xīnhài year of 1911 lends its name to the Xinhai Revolution (辛亥革命), which overthrew the Qing Dynasty and established the Republic of China. It is one of the most historically significant sexagenary years in modern Chinese history.

甲午 Jiǎwǔ (Wood Horse, 1894 / 1954 / 2014): The Jiǎwǔ year of 1894 gives its name to the First Sino-Japanese War (甲午戰爭), a pivotal conflict that reshaped East Asian geopolitics. The war is still commonly referred to by its sexagenary year name in Chinese historiography.

庚子 Gēngzǐ (Metal Rat, 1900 / 1960 / 2020): The Gēngzǐ year of 1900 is associated with the Boxer Rebellion and the Eight-Nation Alliance intervention in China. The 2020 Gēngzǐ year became globally significant due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to widespread discussion of the “Gēngzǐ year curse” in Chinese social media — a modern folk belief with no classical basis.

Frequently Asked Questions