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Year of the Rat
Chinese zodiac sign 1 of 12 · said to be quick-witted, resourceful, charming
The next year of the Rat is 2032, the Water Rat, from February 11, 2032.
Years of the Rat
| Year | Element | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 2032 | Water | Feb 11, 2032 – Jan 30, 2033 |
| 2020 | Metal | Jan 25, 2020 – Feb 11, 2021 |
| 2008 | Earth | Feb 7, 2008 – Jan 25, 2009 |
| 1996 | Fire | Feb 19, 1996 – Feb 6, 1997 |
| 1984 | Wood | Feb 2, 1984 – Feb 19, 1985 |
| 1972 | Water | Feb 15, 1972 – Feb 2, 1973 |
| 1960 | Metal | Jan 28, 1960 – Feb 14, 1961 |
| 1948 | Earth | Feb 10, 1948 – Jan 28, 1949 |
| 1936 | Fire | Jan 24, 1936 – Feb 10, 1937 |
| 1924 | Wood | Feb 5, 1924 – Jan 23, 1925 |
Rat compatibility
Best matches (same trine)
Secret friend
Clashes with
Traditional Chinese astrology, for fun.
Born in January or February?
Each Rat year starts at Lunar New Year, between January 21 and February 20. If you were born earlier in the year, you belong to the animal before — check your full birth date:
Other animals
About the Chinese Zodiac
Chinese Zodiac tells you your animal sign and element from your birth year — and gets it right for January and February birthdays, which most charts miss. The Chinese zodiac year starts at Lunar New Year, between January 21 and February 20, so someone born before it belongs to the previous year’s animal. Every year from 1924 to 2035 has a page with its exact start and end dates, its element and yin or yang, and every animal has a page listing its years and its best and worst matches.
How to use it
- 1 Enter your birth year, and the month and day if you were born in January or February.
- 2 See your animal, element and yin or yang.
- 3 Open your year to see when it started and ended.
- 4 Check the animals you match and clash with.
Frequently asked questions
What years are the year of the Rat?
Recent years of the Rat are 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 and 2032. Each starts at Lunar New Year (late January or February), not on January 1.
When is the next year of the Rat?
The next year of the Rat is 2032, the Water Rat, starting on February 11, 2032.
Who is the Rat compatible with?
Traditionally the Dragon and the Monkey (the same trine) and the Ox (its “secret friend”). The Horse, six signs away, is the classic clash.
What are the 12 Chinese zodiac animals in order?
Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The cycle repeats every 12 years, and each year also has one of five elements — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water — giving a full cycle of 60 years.
What is the Chinese zodiac for 2026?
2026 is the year of the Fire Horse. It starts at Lunar New Year on February 17, 2026 and runs until February 5, 2027, when the year of the Fire Goat begins.
Why is my Chinese zodiac different from my birth year?
Because the Chinese zodiac year begins at Lunar New Year, not on January 1. If you were born in January or early February before that year’s Lunar New Year, your animal is the one for the year before. Enter your full birth date to check.
Where do the Lunar New Year dates come from?
They are worked out from the Chinese lunisolar calendar (the same calculation used by the Unicode ICU calendar library), which places Lunar New Year on the second new moon after the winter solstice in Chinese time.
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