Chinese Zodiac by Year
2026 is a Fire Horse year (丙午, number 43 of 60). Lunar New Year falls on February 17.
How to use
- Enter the year you want to look up. It starts on the current year.
- If the birthday is in January or February, also enter the month and day. The tool shows the animal by Lunar New Year and by 1 January side by side.
- The tables below list the years for each animal and the stem-branch of the last 100 years.
How it works
The sexagenary cycle pairs 10 heavenly stems with 12 earthly branches, giving 60 combinations. Subtract 4 from the year, then the remainder after dividing by 10 gives the stem and the remainder after dividing by 12 gives the branch.
For 2026, 2022 mod 10 is 2 (Bing) and 2022 mod 12 is 6 (Wu, the Horse), so it is a Bing-Wu year. The year AD 4 is Jia-Zi, the first in the cycle, so 1984 and 2044 are Jia-Zi too.
The zodiac year changes at Lunar New Year, not on 1 January. A person born between 1 January and the day before Lunar New Year belongs to the previous zodiac year. Lunar New Year falls between 21 January and 20 February.
The dates come from a table for 1900 to 2099 based on the Chinese calendar. Some other East Asian calendars differ by one day in rare years, so check an official calendar if you were born right around Lunar New Year. Astrology systems such as BaZi use the start of spring (about 4 February) instead.
The twelve animals
| Branch | Animal |
|---|---|
| 子 | Rat |
| 丑 | Ox |
| 寅 | Tiger |
| 卯 | Rabbit |
| 辰 | Dragon |
| 巳 | Snake |
| 午 | Horse |
| 未 | Goat |
| 申 | Monkey |
| 酉 | Rooster |
| 戌 | Dog |
| 亥 | Pig |
FAQ
What is the zodiac animal for 2026?
2026 is a Bing-Wu year, the Year of the Horse (Fire Horse). It is number 43 in the 60-year cycle.
Is a January birthday in the previous zodiac year?
If it falls before Lunar New Year, yes. Enter the month and day and the tool shows both the Lunar New Year basis and the 1 January basis.
Is the eighth animal a goat or a sheep?
The Chinese character 未 covers goat, sheep and ram. This tool says Goat, and the choice does not change the year.
How often does the same zodiac animal return?
Every 12 years. The same stem and branch together return every 60 years.