Chinese zodiac · Yin · animal number 12 of 12

Year of the Pig: years, element cycle and traits

The twelfth animal, traditionally linked with generosity, sincerity and enjoyment of good company.

Animal: 豬 zhū · Earthly branch: 亥 hài

The Pig comes last in the zodiac, and in the best-known telling of the Great Race it stopped to eat and rest on the way, which is why it arrived twelfth. The Pig is not an insult in China: the written character for home is traditionally explained as a pig under a roof, which reflects the animal's place in the household.

Pig years from 1924 to 2031

The Chinese zodiac animal changes at Lunar New Year, not on 1 January. Each row shows the date the Pig year begins and the last day before the next animal takes over. Dates follow China Standard Time (UTC+8) and are computed from the positions of the Sun and the new Moon.

If you were born in January or February, check the start date before assuming your animal. For example, a person born on 15 January 2031 was born before the 2031 Lunar New Year on 2031-01-23, so their zodiac animal is the Dog from the previous year, not the Pig. Birth place can also matter near the boundary, because the date is set in China time.

The element cycle for the Pig

The Chinese calendar pairs the 12 animals with five elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. Each element covers two consecutive years, first yang and then yin, so the full pairing of animal and element repeats only every 60 years. The Pig is a yin animal, and in the Four Pillars (BaZi) system its own fixed element is Water, which is separate from the element of the year.

• Wood Pig (1935, 1995): the Wood element is read as growth, planning and reaching outward.
• Fire Pig (1947, 2007): the Fire element is read as warmth, expression and quick action.
• Earth Pig (1959, 2019): the Earth element is read as steadiness, care and holding things together.
• Metal Pig (1971, 2031): the Metal element is read as clarity, precision and firm edges.
• Water Pig (1983): the Water element is read as adaptability, depth and flowing around obstacles.

The traditional hour of the Pig is 21:00 to 23:00. The popular zodiac year begins at Lunar New Year, while the Four Pillars system begins its year at Lichun, around 4 February; the two can give different animals for dates in early February, as explained on how we calculate.

Traits as reflection

People born in a Pig year are traditionally described as generous, sincere and fond of good company. The character is often said to be easygoing, to enjoy simple pleasures and to be slow to suspect others of bad faith. None of this describes every person born in a Pig year; read it as a mirror to hold up, not a rule.

Pig compatibility table

Traditional folk compatibility compares animals by position on the 12-step cycle. The Pig's trine allies are the Rabbit and Goat; its sixth-harmony partner is the Tiger; the opposite animal, the traditional clash, is the Snake. These are folk groupings, offered as conversation starters rather than verdicts on any relationship.

The animal is only one part of a Chinese chart, and Western signs add another layer. See the compatibility report for two-chart comparisons, or browse the 12 zodiac signs.

Questions to reflect on

• What small pleasure have I been postponing?
• Where have I trusted before I checked?
• What conversation have I left waiting while I was comfortable?

Explore other animals

Next in the cycle: Rat. Before: Dog. The full year-by-year table lists every year from 1924 to 2031, and the origins and sources page explains where these traditions come from.

Astrology is a symbolic framework that mainstream science does not recognize. These lines are prompts for reflection, not advice or a forecast. Orrery Lane offers astrology for reflection and entertainment. It does not predict events and is not professional advice.