Year of the Pig: Pig Zodiac Years, Dates, Traits and Compatibility

The Pig (猪) is the twelfth animal in the Chinese zodiac, and a Year of the Pig is traditionally linked with generosity, warmth and an easygoing nature. Whether you were born in a Year of the Pig or simply want to understand this sign better, this guide covers the exact start and end dates, traditional personality associations, compatibility and the Tai Sui notes for 2026 and 2027.

Year of the Pig dates

A Pig year begins on Chinese New Year, not on January 1, and it runs until the day before the next Chinese New Year. Because that festival follows the lunar calendar, the start date moves from one year to the next. If your birthday falls in January or early February, check the table below or use the zodiac finder before deciding which sign applies.

The dates come from the Hong Kong Observatory calendar conversion tables, which set the year boundary at Chinese New Year.

Worked examples

• Born 5 February 2019: Pig. The 2019 Year of the Pig started on that day, so someone born on 4 February 2019 still belongs to the Dog year.
• Born 7 February 2008: Rat. The 2007 Pig year ended on 6 February 2008, and the Rat year began the following day.
• Born 30 January 1995: Dog. The 1995 Pig year did not start until 31 January, so a late-January birthday falls under the previous animal.

These examples show why a Gregorian birthday alone is not enough. The lunar boundary decides the sign.

Where the Year of the Pig fits in the zodiac

The Chinese calendar is lunisolar. It is built from months of 29 or 30 days, and intercalary months are added from time to time to keep it aligned with the seasons, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica. Years are named by pairing ten heavenly stems with twelve earthly branches, which makes a 60-year cycle. The twelve zodiac animals are the twelve earthly branches, as explained by the Smith College Museum of Art.

The Pig corresponds to the branch Hai (亥), which covers the hours from 9 to 11 pm and closes the twelve-year cycle. In many versions of the folk tale about the Great Race, the Pig arrives last because it stopped to eat and nap, a story that is often used to explain the sign's easygoing reputation.

Pig personality in Chinese tradition

Traditional descriptions of the Pig focus on generosity, warmth and a relaxed outlook. People often enjoy these as a cultural story rather than a fixed portrait. The Victoria and Albert Museum notes that personality-by-sign ideas are a fairly recent development and do not appear in older Chinese texts.

Think of these traits as cultural associations shared by everyone born in the same animal year. They are not a scientific measure. A full Four Pillars (Bazi) chart considers far more than the year animal, so no single sign can describe a person completely.

Pig compatibility

In the tradition, compatibility describes patterns rather than scores. The main relationships for the Pig are set out below.

For every pairing, including harm, break and punishment tags, open the compatibility tool. Use the results as a conversation starter, not as a verdict on any relationship.

Tai Sui and the Pig in 2026 and 2027

Tai Sui is a group of gods associated with the years in the sixty-year cycle. According to the Kew Ong Yah Temple in Singapore, sixty Tai Sui gods take turns by year within the Jiazi cycle, and temples may honour a natal god linked to a person's birth year. General background is also available on Wikipedia's Tai Sui page.

Under the folk year-sign rule used by our Tai Sui checker:

• 2026 (Horse year): no traditional Tai Sui relationship for the Pig
• 2027 (Goat year): no traditional Tai Sui relationship for the Pig

Encyclopaedia Britannica confirms that 2026 is the Year of the Horse. Meeting Tai Sui is a traditional reminder to be steady and considerate. It is not a forecast of what will happen.

Read more about the Pig

• Pig horoscope today, this week and this year
• Pig in the 2027 Year of the Goat
• How Chinese New Year decides your sign

How to check your sign

Start with your exact birth date, not just the year. Compare it with the start and end dates in the table above, remembering that Chinese New Year can fall anywhere from late January to mid-February. If your birthday is close to the boundary, confirm it against the table or use the home page to run a quick check.

Frequently asked questions

When does the Year of the Pig start and end?

A Pig year starts on Chinese New Year and lasts until the day before the next Chinese New Year. The exact dates change each cycle. For example, the 2019 Year of the Pig began on 5 February 2019 and ended on 24 January 2020, while the 2031 Year of the Pig begins on 23 January 2031. Always check the exact date rather than assuming January 1.

Is someone born in January always a Pig?

No. A person born in January may belong to the previous animal year if Chinese New Year had not yet arrived. For instance, someone born on 30 January 1995 falls under the Dog year, because the Pig year that began in 1995 started on 31 January. Compare your birthday with the Chinese New Year date for your birth year.

Which signs are most compatible with the Pig?

In the traditional system, the Tiger is the Pig's Six Harmonies partner, the Rabbit and Goat are its Three Harmonies allies, and the Snake is its clash sign. These are cultural patterns rather than scores or guarantees. Our compatibility tool lists every pairing, including harm, break and punishment tags.

Are Pig personality traits scientifically proven?

No. Traits such as generosity, warmth and an easygoing manner are cultural associations. The Victoria and Albert Museum notes that personality-by-sign descriptions are a fairly recent development and are not found in older Chinese texts. Treat them as a story to enjoy rather than a measure of who someone is.

Is 2026 or 2027 a Tai Sui year for the Pig?

Under the folk year-sign rule used by our Tai Sui checker, neither 2026 (Year of the Horse) nor 2027 (Goat year) is a traditional Tai Sui relationship for the Pig. Tai Sui is a traditional reminder to be steady and considerate, not a prediction. Check the Tai Sui page for details on how the rule works.

Do zodiac years affect birth rates?

Research has not given a clear answer. A 2010 study by Ma Yan in Population Research found no zodiac birth preference at the national level in mainland China from 1949 to 2008, and noted that year-to-year fluctuations were better explained by population momentum. Studies of specific places and years have reported different results, so the evidence is mixed.

Sources

• Chinese New Year — Encyclopaedia Britannica
• Chinese calendar — Encyclopaedia Britannica
• Right Hall (Tai Sui Xingjun) — Kew Ong Yah Temple, Singapore
• Lunar Year and the Art of Chinese Cosmology — Smith College Museum of Art
• The 12 zodiac animals at the V&A — Victoria and Albert Museum
• Tai Sui — Wikipedia