Year of the Rat 鼠: every year and its exact dates
Last checked · calculated, then checked against the Hong Kong Observatory tables
Most recent Year of the Rat
2020: Metal Rat, Jan 25, 2020 to Feb 11, 2021
Next Year of the Rat
2032: Water Rat, from Feb 11, 2032
Earthly Branch
子 Zi, 1st of 12
The Rat is the 1st of the twelve zodiac animals, the Earthly Branch 子 (Zi). From 1900 to 2100 there are 17 Years of the Rat. Their Chinese New Year comes as early as Jan 22 (2080) and as late as Feb 19 (1996), so check the exact start date for a January or February birthday. 7 of them have a leap month (1900, 1936, 1960, 1984, 2020, 2044, 2080). In the traditional calendar the branch 子 also marks the double hour from 11 pm to 1 am, the direction North and the fixed element Water; it is a Yang branch.
Every Year of the Rat, 1900 to 2100
Age is the age reached at the birthday in 2026. Open a year for its exact boundaries.
| Year | Element | Stem-branch | Starts | Ends | Age in 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | Yang Metal | 庚子 Geng-Zi | Jan 31, 1900 | Feb 18, 1901 | 126 years |
| 1912 | Yang Water | 壬子 Ren-Zi | Feb 18, 1912 | Feb 5, 1913 | 114 years |
| 1924 | Yang Wood | 甲子 Jia-Zi | Feb 5, 1924 | Jan 23, 1925 | 102 years |
| 1936 | Yang Fire | 丙子 Bing-Zi | Jan 24, 1936 | Feb 10, 1937 | 90 years |
| 1948 | Yang Earth | 戊子 Wu-Zi | Feb 10, 1948 | Jan 28, 1949 | 78 years |
| 1960 | Yang Metal | 庚子 Geng-Zi | Jan 28, 1960 | Feb 14, 1961 | 66 years |
| 1972 | Yang Water | 壬子 Ren-Zi | Feb 15, 1972 | Feb 2, 1973 | 54 years |
| 1984 | Yang Wood | 甲子 Jia-Zi | Feb 2, 1984 | Feb 19, 1985 | 42 years |
| 1996 | Yang Fire | 丙子 Bing-Zi | Feb 19, 1996 | Feb 6, 1997 | 30 years |
| 2008 | Yang Earth | 戊子 Wu-Zi | Feb 7, 2008 | Jan 25, 2009 | 18 years |
| 2020 | Yang Metal | 庚子 Geng-Zi | Jan 25, 2020 | Feb 11, 2021 | 6 years |
| 2032 | Yang Water | 壬子 Ren-Zi | Feb 11, 2032 | Jan 30, 2033 | – |
| 2044 | Yang Wood | 甲子 Jia-Zi | Jan 30, 2044 | Feb 16, 2045 | – |
| 2056 | Yang Fire | 丙子 Bing-Zi | Feb 15, 2056 | Feb 3, 2057 | – |
| 2068 | Yang Earth | 戊子 Wu-Zi | Feb 3, 2068 | Jan 22, 2069 | – |
| 2080 | Yang Metal | 庚子 Geng-Zi | Jan 22, 2080 | Feb 8, 2081 | – |
| 2092 | Yang Water | 壬子 Ren-Zi | Feb 7, 2092 | Jan 26, 2093 | – |
FAQ
Which years are Years of the Rat?
From 1900 to 2100: 1900, 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032, 2044, 2056, 2068, 2080, 2092. Each one starts on Chinese New Year, not on January 1, so the first weeks of each of those calendar years belong to the previous animal.
When is the next Year of the Rat?
The next one runs from February 11, 2032 to January 30, 2033; it is a Water Rat year (壬子).
Which elements can a Rat year have?
All five, each once every 60 years: Water Rat (1972), Wood Rat (1984), Fire Rat (1996), Earth Rat (2008), Metal Rat (2020).
Other animals
Dates are calculated with astronomical algorithms in China Standard Time (UTC+8) and checked against the Hong Kong Observatory, Gregorian-Lunar Calendar Conversion Table from 1901. This page describes the traditional calendar; it does not describe personality or fortune.