What Chinese Zodiac Am I? Birth Year Chart 1936 to 2027 With Exact Dates

Your Chinese zodiac animal is set by the year you were born, but the year starts on Lunar New Year, not 1 January. Lunar New Year moves every year and always lands between 21 January and 20 February. Find your birth year in the chart below. If your birthday falls before that year's start date, your animal is the previous year's. 2026 is the Year of the Horse, and 2027 is the Year of the Fire Goat from 6 February 2027.

How do I find my Chinese zodiac animal?

1. Find your birth year in the chart below.
2. Check the start date. If you were born on or after it, that row is yours.
3. Born before the start date? Use the row above: the previous year's animal and element.

Prefer not to scroll? Enter your date of birth on the My Zodiac collection page and it does the maths for you.

Chinese zodiac chart by birth year (1936 to 2027)

Dates are for Lunar New Year in China Standard Time. Click an animal to see its tote.

I was born in January or February. Which animal am I?

This is where most online answers go wrong. A January or early February birthday can belong to either year, so you have to check the date. Three examples from the chart:

• Born 25 January 2004: Lunar New Year that year was 22 January 2004, so you are a Monkey (Wood Monkey, 2004).
• Born 1 February 1995: Lunar New Year that year was 31 January 1995, so you are a Pig (Wood Pig, 1995).
• Born 14 February 1988: Lunar New Year that year was 17 February 1988, so you are a Rabbit (Fire Rabbit, 1987).

If you were born on Lunar New Year's Day itself, or the day before, the time zone matters. The dates above are for China. If you were born elsewhere, the new year may have started a few hours later where you were.

What element am I in the Chinese zodiac?

Your element comes from the last digit of your birth year, once you've adjusted for Lunar New Year. Each element covers two years in a row, so the same animal and element only come round every 60 years.

Year ends in	Element
0 or 1	Metal
2 or 3	Water
4 or 5	Wood
6 or 7	Fire
8 or 9	Earth

Born in 1991? That is a Metal Goat. Born in 2003? A Water Goat. The full meanings are in our guide to the 12 Chinese zodiac animals.

What are the Chinese zodiac years for each animal?

The same chart, turned around. Remember the January and February rule for each year listed.

Frequently asked questions

What Chinese zodiac am I if I was born in 2000? A Metal Dragon, if you were born on or after 5 February 2000. Born before that? You are an Earth Rabbit (1999).

What is the Chinese zodiac for 2027? The Fire Goat. It starts on 6 February 2027 and ends on 25 January 2028.

What Chinese zodiac is 2026? The Fire Horse, from 17 February 2026 to 5 February 2027.

Does the Chinese zodiac change on 1 January? No. It changes on Lunar New Year, which falls between 21 January and 20 February.

Why do some websites give a different animal for my birthday? Many charts list only the calendar year and ignore the Lunar New Year start date. If you were born in January or February, use the start dates in this chart.

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