The Pig in the Chinese zodiac
The Pig is the twelfth and last animal of the Chinese zodiac. Tradition describes it as generous, good-natured and with a fine sense for life's pleasures. Here you can check which of that you meet in your own days.
Am I really a Pig? CheckBorn in January or February? Then the exact New Year date decides.
Your birth date is enough: we count from the real Chinese New Year, not from 1 January.
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Video · 35 seconds
Your Chinese Animal
Many people only know their Chinese zodiac animal by their birth year. But if you were born in January or February, you might be a different sign. We explain what it really depends on.
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Born in January or February? You might not be a Pig after all. That's because the Chinese calendar year doesn't start on January 1st. It follows the lunar calendar. So your exact date of birth is what counts. The Pig itself is the last of the 12 animals. A legend tells us why. It arrived late for a great race because it stopped for a snack and a nap. This can be an invitation to find your own pace, instead of letting others rush you. Find your correct animal for free at theastroacademy.com.
The Pig and the great race
A well-known legend tells how the Jade Emperor called all the animals to a race. The order in which they arrived would set their order in the calendar. The Pig came last – it had stopped to eat and then taken a nap. In many tellings this doesn't sound like a rebuke, more like a creature that won't let a contest rush it.
The Pig's fixed element is Water and its polarity is Yin, the calm, receiving side. Its double hour runs from 21:00 to 22:59, when the day settles down. As the last animal it closes the twelve-year cycle before the Rat starts it again. In China the Pig is traditionally also a sign of plenty and a well-stocked home.
When is the Year of the Pig?
The Year of the Pig returns every twelve years, each time with a different element. It never begins on 1 January but at Chinese New Year. The next one begins on 23 Jan 2031 as the Metal Pig.
| Year | Element | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Wood · Yin | 4 Feb 1935 | 23 Jan 1936 |
| 1947 | Fire · Yin | 22 Jan 1947 | 9 Feb 1948 |
| 1959 | Earth · Yin | 8 Feb 1959 | 27 Jan 1960 |
| 1971 | Metal · Yin | 27 Jan 1971 | 14 Feb 1972 |
| 1983 | Water · Yin | 13 Feb 1983 | 1 Feb 1984 |
| 1995 | Wood · Yin | 31 Jan 1995 | 18 Feb 1996 |
| 2007 | Fire · Yin | 18 Feb 2007 | 6 Feb 2008 |
| 2019 | Earth · Yin | 5 Feb 2019 | 24 Jan 2020 |
| 2031 | Metal · Yin | 23 Jan 2031 | 10 Feb 2032 |
| 2043 | Water · Yin | 10 Feb 2043 | 29 Jan 2044 |
Pleasure without hurry
Many people born in a Pig year know exactly what a good evening looks like – and they like to share it. Tradition links the Pig with warmth, hospitality and joy in simple things. Do you know any of these scenes?
- You cook for six when two guests are coming, and pack the leftovers into boxes for them.
- No alarm on Sundays – and you defend that even against your family's plans.
- When a friend is having a bad day, the first thing you send her is a photo of the cake you're baking.
When good nature gets used
Tradition describes the other side too: the Pig likes to believe in the good in others, sometimes longer than is wise. The colleague who has promised three times to take over the presentation may well get a fourth chance. Many with this animal find it hard to say no, because no feels like coldness.
There's also a tendency to put the unpleasant off a little – the reminder letter stays unopened one more day, the difficult talk waits for a better moment. Check for yourself: where are you being generous, and where is it really avoidance?
Money, plenty and family
Because the Pig stands for prosperity in tradition, people in China like to wish for a full house in a Pig year. Many people born in a Pig year have a relaxed relationship with money: it's there to be spent, on good food, gifts, time together. They're often the one who quietly picks up the bill at the family party. At work, tradition sees them at ease where the mood is friendly and nobody keeps showing their elbows. The question is more whether enough is left for yourself at the end of the month.
Five kinds of Pig
Each element appears once in 60 years among the Pig years. Tradition reads the element as a tint on the animal. Check for yourself which line fits you better.
| Element | Years | What tradition describes |
|---|---|---|
| Wood Pig | 1935, 1995 | In the Wood Pig (1935, 1995) generosity may pair with drive – someone who doesn't just invite but also organises. |
| Fire Pig | 1947, 2007 | The Fire Pig (1947, 2007) is traditionally described as especially warm and spontaneous; check whether you sometimes wear yourself out with it. |
| Earth Pig | 1959, 2019 | In the Earth Pig (1959, 2019) the sense for plenty may turn practical – a well-stocked pantry rather than big parties. |
| Metal Pig | 1971, 2031 | In the Metal Pig (1971, 2031) good nature may gain clearer boundaries, with a no that comes more easily. |
| Water Pig | 1983, 2043 | The Water Pig (1983, 2043) meets its own fixed element, and many experience that as an especially deep compassion that also needs boundaries. |
Who goes with the Pig?
In tradition the Pig belongs to a San He – the three animals that traditionally complement each other – with the Rabbit and the Goat. All three like harmony and a kind way of being together, and many find such bonds gentle and warm. The secret friend (Liu He, the quiet pair) is the Tiger, whose courage can encourage the Pig to stand up for itself. The opposite pole (Liu Chong, the clash) is the Snake: the Pig shows openly what it feels, the Snake keeps much to itself. This is lore, not a forecast for your love life. Check for yourself: with whom are you allowed not only to give but also to take?
To checkWho did you last do a favour for when you actually wanted to say no?
Famous people born in the year of the Pig
These people were born in a year of the Pig, counted from Chinese New Year.
- Naguib Mahfouzwriter
- Anna Netrebkoopera singer
- Stephen Kingnovelist
- Johan Cruyfffootballer
- Nadine Gordimerwriter
- Wisława Szymborskapoet
- Jackson Pollockpainter
- Elton Johnsinger
- Kendall Jennermodel
- Lamine Yamalfootballer
- Donald Sutherlandactor
- "Weird Al" Yankovicsinger-songwriter
A birth date does not explain a person. Check for yourself whether you see anything in common.
Birth dates: Wikidata (CC0). The Chinese sign starts at Chinese New Year, not on January 1; people born on New Year’s day are left out because the hour decides.
How long is the Year of the Pig?
Between 1900 and 2100 the Year of the Pig begins 16 times, once every twelve years. These years are not equally long, though: the shortest, 1923, has 354 days, the longest, 2031, 384. 6 of the 16 Pig years have a leap month. The reason: a Chinese year counts lunar months of 29.5 days each. Twelve of them are eleven days shorter than a solar year, so every two to three years a thirteenth month is added.
It starts at the earliest on 22 Jan 1947 and at the latest on 18 Feb 2091. Together, 7.96% of all days in these 201 years belong to the Pig, rank 12 among the twelve animals. The same pairing of element and animal only returns every 60 years: the Earth Pig was 2019, next time 2079.
In the Year of the Pig 2019, from 5 Feb 2019 to 24 Jan 2020, 756,308 children were born in Germany, 2,136 a day on average. Among the 11 Chinese years the Federal Statistical Office has recorded completely, day by day, since 2014, that is rank 5. Per day, the trend matters most: births in Germany were high from 2016 to 2021 and have fallen clearly since 2022.
| Item | Pig |
|---|---|
| Years 1900–2100 | 16 |
| Length | 354–384 days |
| With a leap month | 6 of 16 |
| Earliest start | 22 Jan 1947 |
| Latest start | 18 Feb 2091 |
| Share of all days 1900–2100 | 7.96% |
| Births in Germany 2019/20 | 756,308 |
| Births per day | 2,136 (rank 5 of 11) |
| Well-known people | 156 of 2,208 |
New Year dates 1900–2100 computed with the Swiss Ephemeris using the full calendar rule (Beijing time). Births: Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), Statistischer Bericht Geburten 2025, table 12612-20 "live births by day", Germany 2014–2025, assigned day by day to the Chinese year. Well-known people: Wikidata.
Questions about the Year of the Pig
- Which years are Years of the Pig?
- 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031 and 2043. The Chinese year begins at Chinese New Year in late January or February. If you were born in January or early February, you often still belong to the Dog.
- Who is a good match for the Pig?
- Traditionally the Rabbit and the Goat, who form a triangle with the Pig, and the Tiger as secret friend. The Snake is the opposite pole. It's an old order, not a verdict – what matters is how you treat each other.
- Why is the Pig the last animal?
- The legend of the race says it stopped to eat and sleep along the way and so arrived last. In the calendar the order follows the twelve earthly branches, and the Pig owns the last one, the hours from 9 to 11 pm. After that a new cycle begins with the Rat.