Chinese New Year Dates and Zodiac Year Cutoffs (1900-2049)
The Chinese zodiac year does not start on January 1. It starts on the lunar new year, which falls between January 21 and February 20 depending on the year. If you were born in January or early February, your zodiac animal might be the previous year's sign. Below is the complete reference table of every Chinese New Year date from 1900 through 2049, with the exact start and end of each zodiac year.
Find your birth year in the first column, then check the start and end dates. If your birthday falls before the start date, your zodiac animal is the year before. For example, someone born January 25, 2001 was born during a year of the Dragon (which ran through January 23, 2001), not the Snake.
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| Year | Sign | Polarity | Year Started | Year Ended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 🐀Metal Rat | Yang | Jan 31, 1900 | Feb 18, 1901 |
| 1901 | 🐂Metal Ox | Yin | Feb 19, 1901 | Feb 7, 1902 |
| 1902 | 🐅Water Tiger | Yang | Feb 8, 1902 | Jan 28, 1903 |
| 1903 | 🐇Water Rabbit | Yin | Jan 29, 1903 | Feb 15, 1904 |
| 1904 | 🐉Wood Dragon | Yang | Feb 16, 1904 | Feb 3, 1905 |
| 1905 | 🐍Wood Snake | Yin | Feb 4, 1905 | Jan 24, 1906 |
| 1906 | 🐎Fire Horse | Yang | Jan 25, 1906 | Feb 12, 1907 |
| 1907 | 🐑Fire Goat | Yin | Feb 13, 1907 | Feb 1, 1908 |
| 1908 | 🐒Earth Monkey | Yang | Feb 2, 1908 | Jan 21, 1909 |
| 1909 | 🐓Earth Rooster | Yin | Jan 22, 1909 | Feb 9, 1910 |
| 1910 | 🐕Metal Dog | Yang | Feb 10, 1910 | Jan 29, 1911 |
| 1911 | 🐖Metal Pig | Yin | Jan 30, 1911 | Feb 17, 1912 |
| 1912 | 🐀Water Rat | Yang | Feb 18, 1912 | Feb 5, 1913 |
| 1913 | 🐂Water Ox | Yin | Feb 6, 1913 | Jan 25, 1914 |
| 1914 | 🐅Wood Tiger | Yang | Jan 26, 1914 | Feb 13, 1915 |
| 1915 | 🐇Wood Rabbit | Yin | Feb 14, 1915 | Feb 2, 1916 |
| 1916 | 🐉Fire Dragon | Yang | Feb 3, 1916 | Jan 22, 1917 |
| 1917 | 🐍Fire Snake | Yin | Jan 23, 1917 | Feb 10, 1918 |
| 1918 | 🐎Earth Horse | Yang | Feb 11, 1918 | Jan 31, 1919 |
| 1919 | 🐑Earth Goat | Yin | Feb 1, 1919 | Feb 19, 1920 |
| 1920 | 🐒Metal Monkey | Yang | Feb 20, 1920 | Feb 7, 1921 |
| 1921 | 🐓Metal Rooster | Yin | Feb 8, 1921 | Jan 27, 1922 |
| 1922 | 🐕Water Dog | Yang | Jan 28, 1922 | Feb 15, 1923 |
| 1923 | 🐖Water Pig | Yin | Feb 16, 1923 | Feb 4, 1924 |
| 1924 | 🐀Wood Rat | Yang | Feb 5, 1924 | Jan 23, 1925 |
| 1925 | 🐂Wood Ox | Yin | Jan 24, 1925 | Feb 12, 1926 |
| 1926 | 🐅Fire Tiger | Yang | Feb 13, 1926 | Feb 1, 1927 |
| 1927 | 🐇Fire Rabbit | Yin | Feb 2, 1927 | Jan 22, 1928 |
| 1928 | 🐉Earth Dragon | Yang | Jan 23, 1928 | Feb 9, 1929 |
| 1929 | 🐍Earth Snake | Yin | Feb 10, 1929 | Jan 29, 1930 |
| 1930 | 🐎Metal Horse | Yang | Jan 30, 1930 | Feb 16, 1931 |
| 1931 | 🐑Metal Goat | Yin | Feb 17, 1931 | Feb 5, 1932 |
| 1932 | 🐒Water Monkey | Yang | Feb 6, 1932 | Jan 25, 1933 |
| 1933 | 🐓Water Rooster | Yin | Jan 26, 1933 | Feb 13, 1934 |
| 1934 | 🐕Wood Dog | Yang | Feb 14, 1934 | Feb 3, 1935 |
| 1935 | 🐖Wood Pig | Yin | Feb 4, 1935 | Jan 23, 1936 |
| 1936 | 🐀Fire Rat | Yang | Jan 24, 1936 | Feb 10, 1937 |
| 1937 | 🐂Fire Ox | Yin | Feb 11, 1937 | Jan 30, 1938 |
| 1938 | 🐅Earth Tiger | Yang | Jan 31, 1938 | Feb 18, 1939 |
| 1939 | 🐇Earth Rabbit | Yin | Feb 19, 1939 | Feb 7, 1940 |
| 1940 | 🐉Metal Dragon | Yang | Feb 8, 1940 | Jan 26, 1941 |
| 1941 | 🐍Metal Snake | Yin | Jan 27, 1941 | Feb 14, 1942 |
| 1942 | 🐎Water Horse | Yang | Feb 15, 1942 | Feb 4, 1943 |
| 1943 | 🐑Water Goat | Yin | Feb 5, 1943 | Jan 24, 1944 |
| 1944 | 🐒Wood Monkey | Yang | Jan 25, 1944 | Feb 12, 1945 |
| 1945 | 🐓Wood Rooster | Yin | Feb 13, 1945 | Feb 1, 1946 |
| 1946 | 🐕Fire Dog | Yang | Feb 2, 1946 | Jan 21, 1947 |
| 1947 | 🐖Fire Pig | Yin | Jan 22, 1947 | Feb 9, 1948 |
| 1948 | 🐀Earth Rat | Yang | Feb 10, 1948 | Jan 28, 1949 |
| 1949 | 🐂Earth Ox | Yin | Jan 29, 1949 | Feb 16, 1950 |
| 1950 | 🐅Metal Tiger | Yang | Feb 17, 1950 | Feb 5, 1951 |
| 1951 | 🐇Metal Rabbit | Yin | Feb 6, 1951 | Jan 26, 1952 |
| 1952 | 🐉Water Dragon | Yang | Jan 27, 1952 | Feb 13, 1953 |
| 1953 | 🐍Water Snake | Yin | Feb 14, 1953 | Feb 2, 1954 |
| 1954 | 🐎Wood Horse | Yang | Feb 3, 1954 | Jan 23, 1955 |
| 1955 | 🐑Wood Goat | Yin | Jan 24, 1955 | Feb 11, 1956 |
| 1956 | 🐒Fire Monkey | Yang | Feb 12, 1956 | Jan 30, 1957 |
| 1957 | 🐓Fire Rooster | Yin | Jan 31, 1957 | Feb 17, 1958 |
| 1958 | 🐕Earth Dog | Yang | Feb 18, 1958 | Feb 7, 1959 |
| 1959 | 🐖Earth Pig | Yin | Feb 8, 1959 | Jan 27, 1960 |
| 1960 | 🐀Metal Rat | Yang | Jan 28, 1960 | Feb 14, 1961 |
| 1961 | 🐂Metal Ox | Yin | Feb 15, 1961 | Feb 4, 1962 |
| 1962 | 🐅Water Tiger | Yang | Feb 5, 1962 | Jan 24, 1963 |
| 1963 | 🐇Water Rabbit | Yin | Jan 25, 1963 | Feb 12, 1964 |
| 1964 | 🐉Wood Dragon | Yang | Feb 13, 1964 | Feb 1, 1965 |
| 1965 | 🐍Wood Snake | Yin | Feb 2, 1965 | Jan 20, 1966 |
| 1966 | 🐎Fire Horse | Yang | Jan 21, 1966 | Feb 8, 1967 |
| 1967 | 🐑Fire Goat | Yin | Feb 9, 1967 | Jan 29, 1968 |
| 1968 | 🐒Earth Monkey | Yang | Jan 30, 1968 | Feb 16, 1969 |
| 1969 | 🐓Earth Rooster | Yin | Feb 17, 1969 | Feb 5, 1970 |
| 1970 | 🐕Metal Dog | Yang | Feb 6, 1970 | Jan 26, 1971 |
| 1971 | 🐖Metal Pig | Yin | Jan 27, 1971 | Feb 14, 1972 |
| 1972 | 🐀Water Rat | Yang | Feb 15, 1972 | Feb 2, 1973 |
| 1973 | 🐂Water Ox | Yin | Feb 3, 1973 | Jan 22, 1974 |
| 1974 | 🐅Wood Tiger | Yang | Jan 23, 1974 | Feb 10, 1975 |
| 1975 | 🐇Wood Rabbit | Yin | Feb 11, 1975 | Jan 30, 1976 |
| 1976 | 🐉Fire Dragon | Yang | Jan 31, 1976 | Feb 17, 1977 |
| 1977 | 🐍Fire Snake | Yin | Feb 18, 1977 | Feb 6, 1978 |
| 1978 | 🐎Earth Horse | Yang | Feb 7, 1978 | Jan 27, 1979 |
| 1979 | 🐑Earth Goat | Yin | Jan 28, 1979 | Feb 15, 1980 |
| 1980 | 🐒Metal Monkey | Yang | Feb 16, 1980 | Feb 4, 1981 |
| 1981 | 🐓Metal Rooster | Yin | Feb 5, 1981 | Jan 24, 1982 |
| 1982 | 🐕Water Dog | Yang | Jan 25, 1982 | Feb 12, 1983 |
| 1983 | 🐖Water Pig | Yin | Feb 13, 1983 | Feb 1, 1984 |
| 1984 | 🐀Wood Rat | Yang | Feb 2, 1984 | Feb 19, 1985 |
| 1985 | 🐂Wood Ox | Yin | Feb 20, 1985 | Feb 8, 1986 |
| 1986 | 🐅Fire Tiger | Yang | Feb 9, 1986 | Jan 28, 1987 |
| 1987 | 🐇Fire Rabbit | Yin | Jan 29, 1987 | Feb 16, 1988 |
| 1988 | 🐉Earth Dragon | Yang | Feb 17, 1988 | Feb 5, 1989 |
| 1989 | 🐍Earth Snake | Yin | Feb 6, 1989 | Jan 26, 1990 |
| 1990 | 🐎Metal Horse | Yang | Jan 27, 1990 | Feb 14, 1991 |
| 1991 | 🐑Metal Goat | Yin | Feb 15, 1991 | Feb 3, 1992 |
| 1992 | 🐒Water Monkey | Yang | Feb 4, 1992 | Jan 22, 1993 |
| 1993 | 🐓Water Rooster | Yin | Jan 23, 1993 | Feb 9, 1994 |
| 1994 | 🐕Wood Dog | Yang | Feb 10, 1994 | Jan 30, 1995 |
| 1995 | 🐖Wood Pig | Yin | Jan 31, 1995 | Feb 18, 1996 |
| 1996 | 🐀Fire Rat | Yang | Feb 19, 1996 | Feb 6, 1997 |
| 1997 | 🐂Fire Ox | Yin | Feb 7, 1997 | Jan 27, 1998 |
| 1998 | 🐅Earth Tiger | Yang | Jan 28, 1998 | Feb 15, 1999 |
| 2000 | 🐉Metal Dragon | Yang | Feb 5, 2000 | Jan 23, 2001 |
| 2001 | 🐍Metal Snake | Yin | Jan 24, 2001 | Feb 11, 2002 |
| 2002 | 🐎Water Horse | Yang | Feb 12, 2002 | Jan 31, 2003 |
| 2003 | 🐑Water Goat | Yin | Feb 1, 2003 | Jan 21, 2004 |
| 2004 | 🐒Wood Monkey | Yang | Jan 22, 2004 | Feb 8, 2005 |
| 2005 | 🐓Wood Rooster | Yin | Feb 9, 2005 | Jan 28, 2006 |
| 2006 | 🐕Fire Dog | Yang | Jan 29, 2006 | Feb 17, 2007 |
| 2007 | 🐖Fire Pig | Yin | Feb 18, 2007 | Feb 6, 2008 |
| 2008 | 🐀Earth Rat | Yang | Feb 7, 2008 | Jan 25, 2009 |
| 2009 | 🐂Earth Ox | Yin | Jan 26, 2009 | Feb 13, 2010 |
| 2010 | 🐅Metal Tiger | Yang | Feb 14, 2010 | Feb 2, 2011 |
| 2011 | 🐇Metal Rabbit | Yin | Feb 3, 2011 | Jan 22, 2012 |
| 2012 | 🐉Water Dragon | Yang | Jan 23, 2012 | Feb 9, 2013 |
| 2013 | 🐍Water Snake | Yin | Feb 10, 2013 | Jan 30, 2014 |
| 2014 | 🐎Wood Horse | Yang | Jan 31, 2014 | Feb 18, 2015 |
| 2015 | 🐑Wood Goat | Yin | Feb 19, 2015 | Feb 7, 2016 |
| 2016 | 🐒Fire Monkey | Yang | Feb 8, 2016 | Jan 27, 2017 |
| 2017 | 🐓Fire Rooster | Yin | Jan 28, 2017 | Feb 15, 2018 |
| 2018 | 🐕Earth Dog | Yang | Feb 16, 2018 | Feb 4, 2019 |
| 2019 | 🐖Earth Pig | Yin | Feb 5, 2019 | Jan 24, 2020 |
| 2020 | 🐀Metal Rat | Yang | Jan 25, 2020 | Feb 11, 2021 |
| 2021 | 🐂Metal Ox | Yin | Feb 12, 2021 | Jan 31, 2022 |
| 2022 | 🐅Water Tiger | Yang | Feb 1, 2022 | Jan 21, 2023 |
| 2023 | 🐇Water Rabbit | Yin | Jan 22, 2023 | Feb 9, 2024 |
| 2024 | 🐉Wood Dragon | Yang | Feb 10, 2024 | Jan 28, 2025 |
| 2025 | 🐍Wood Snake | Yin | Jan 29, 2025 | Feb 16, 2026 |
| 2026 | 🐎Fire Horse | Yang | Feb 17, 2026 | Feb 5, 2027 |
| 2027 | 🐑Fire Goat | Yin | Feb 6, 2027 | Jan 25, 2028 |
| 2028 | 🐒Earth Monkey | Yang | Jan 26, 2028 | Feb 12, 2029 |
| 2029 | 🐓Earth Rooster | Yin | Feb 13, 2029 | Feb 2, 2030 |
| 2030 | 🐕Metal Dog | Yang | Feb 3, 2030 | Jan 22, 2031 |
| 2031 | 🐖Metal Pig | Yin | Jan 23, 2031 | Feb 10, 2032 |
| 2032 | 🐀Water Rat | Yang | Feb 11, 2032 | Jan 30, 2033 |
| 2033 | 🐂Water Ox | Yin | Jan 31, 2033 | Feb 18, 2034 |
| 2034 | 🐅Wood Tiger | Yang | Feb 19, 2034 | Feb 7, 2035 |
| 2035 | 🐇Wood Rabbit | Yin | Feb 8, 2035 | Jan 27, 2036 |
| 2036 | 🐉Fire Dragon | Yang | Jan 28, 2036 | Feb 14, 2037 |
| 2037 | 🐍Fire Snake | Yin | Feb 15, 2037 | Feb 3, 2038 |
| 2038 | 🐎Earth Horse | Yang | Feb 4, 2038 | Jan 23, 2039 |
| 2039 | 🐑Earth Goat | Yin | Jan 24, 2039 | Feb 11, 2040 |
| 2040 | 🐒Metal Monkey | Yang | Feb 12, 2040 | Jan 31, 2041 |
| 2041 | 🐓Metal Rooster | Yin | Feb 1, 2041 | Jan 21, 2042 |
| 2042 | 🐕Water Dog | Yang | Jan 22, 2042 | Feb 9, 2043 |
| 2043 | 🐖Water Pig | Yin | Feb 10, 2043 | Jan 29, 2044 |
| 2044 | 🐀Wood Rat | Yang | Jan 30, 2044 | Feb 16, 2045 |
| 2045 | 🐂Wood Ox | Yin | Feb 17, 2045 | Feb 5, 2046 |
| 2046 | 🐅Fire Tiger | Yang | Feb 6, 2046 | Jan 25, 2047 |
| 2047 | 🐇Fire Rabbit | Yin | Jan 26, 2047 | Feb 13, 2048 |
| 2048 | 🐉Earth Dragon | Yang | Feb 14, 2048 | Feb 1, 2049 |
| 2049 | 🐍Earth Snake | Yin | Feb 2, 2049 | Jan 22, 2050 |
Why does the date change every year?
The Chinese zodiac follows the lunisolar calendar, not the Gregorian calendar most of the world uses. Each lunar month begins on a new moon, and the new year is the second new moon after the winter solstice. Because new moons fall on different solar dates each year, Chinese New Year shifts within a 30-day window from late January to mid-February.
The window is bounded: Chinese New Year never falls earlier than January 21 or later than February 20. The earliest in our table is January 21, 1966 (Year of the Horse), and the latest is February 20, 1985 (Year of the Ox). Most years cluster around late January and early February.
If you were born in January or February
Pay attention to the start date for your birth year. If your birthday is before the start date, your zodiac animal belongs to the previous year. This is the most common source of confusion when people calculate their Chinese zodiac sign.
Example: Someone born February 4, 1992 might assume they are a Monkey (since 1992 was the Year of the Monkey overall), but the Year of the Monkey did not actually begin until February 4, 1992. Anyone born February 3, 1992 or earlier was born in the Year of the Goat. Read more about January and February birthdays and the lunar new year cutoff.
The element pattern
Each zodiac year is also paired with one of five elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) that cycles every two years. The pairing follows the year's last digit:
Years ending in 4 or 5 are Wood. Years ending in 6 or 7 are Fire. Years ending in 8 or 9 are Earth. Years ending in 0 or 1 are Metal. Years ending in 2 or 3 are Water. This means each animal-element combination repeats every 60 years, which is the foundation of the traditional sexagenary cycle. Learn more about the five elements.
Frequently asked questions
When is the next Chinese New Year?
Chinese New Year 2027 falls on February 6, 2027, beginning the Year of the Goat. Chinese New Year 2028 falls on January 26, 2028, beginning the Year of the Monkey.
What if I was born exactly on Chinese New Year?
If your birthday matches the new year date exactly, you belong to the new zodiac year. The new year begins at midnight (China time) on the listed date. Note that for births in different time zones, the cutoff may differ by a day.
Why do some sources say a different zodiac year for my birthday?
Some traditional astrologers use the solar Stem-Branch calendar, which marks the year change at Lichun (the start of spring, around February 4) instead of the lunar new year. This affects a small window of dates between the two calendars. Most popular Chinese astrology, including this site, follows the lunar new year as the boundary.
How accurate are the dates beyond 2030?
Lunar calendar dates can be calculated precisely from astronomical data, so future dates are accurate. However, in practice, official observance is determined by China and may occasionally be adjusted for time zone or political reasons. The dates above follow the standard astronomical calculation in the China time zone.