Year of the Tiger in the Chinese zodiac
Tiger illustration
The Tiger is third in the cycle and one of the most eye-catching of the twelve. Festival art loves tiger stripes when that year rolls around.
Popular personality lists often cast Tiger years as bold and vigorous.
A short history of the cycle
The Chinese zodiac (shēngxiào) ties each year to one of twelve animals linked to the Earthly Branches, an older counting system used for years, hours, and more. Over time the animals became the memorable public face of that cycle. Festival culture, family lore, and almanacs kept the sequence alive long before online birthday charts.
The Tiger is the third animal in the traditional order still used across much of East Asia.
How this site counts Tiger years
We follow Chinese New Year, not January 1. The Year of the Tiger runs from New Year’s day for that animal through the day before the next New Year. Recent Chinese years that began as Tiger opened in 1986, 1998, 2010, and 2022 (and every twelve years around those dates).
A dramatic year name
Because the tiger carries such strong visual identity, Tiger years tend to get memorable branding in modern celebrations and media.
Western signs are a different chart
A birth date can also carry a tropical Western zodiac sign based on month and day. Chinese animals answer a year-cycle question. See Western zodiac for that system.
Try the calculator
Enter your birth date in the birthday calculator to see your Chinese zodiac animal beside weekday, age, and other birthday results.
Common questions
When does Year of the Tiger begin?
At Chinese New Year for that animal’s turn in the cycle. Recent New Years that opened a Tiger year include those in 1986, 1998, 2010, and 2022. The day before that New Year still belongs to the previous animal.
How is this different from Western zodiac signs?
Chinese animals follow a twelve-year cycle marked by Chinese New Year. Western tropical signs follow month-and-day ranges within each year. A birthday can carry both labels.
Do Tiger years always match the Gregorian calendar year?
Not exactly. If you were born in January or early February, check whether your birthday fell before that year’s Chinese New Year. Before New Year you still belong to the prior animal.