Animal 09 · twelve-year cycle

Year of the
Monkey

Year of the Monkey runs from Chinese New Year to the day before the next, not 1 January to 31 December. See every exact Monkey year from 1900 to 2035 with its element.

Calendar and tradition: The Chinese New Year boundary is a calendar result. Personality, compatibility, career, and lucky-item material below are traditional interpretations, not scientific findings or predictions.

Immediate answer

The Monkey is #9 in the cycle

Most recent complete Monkey year: Earth Monkey 202826 January 2028 to 12 February 2029
Cycle length: Every 12 yearsThe element repeats every 60 years
Traditional colors: White · Blue · Gold
Exact lookup: Use the maintained date calculatorCoverage: 1900–2035 birth dates

Calendar fact

Every Monkey year and its exact dates

A Chinese zodiac year is not a Gregorian year. Each Monkey year opens on that year's Chinese New Year and closes the day before the next one, so it always straddles two Gregorian years. Every row below is derived from the maintained Chinese New Year boundary table rather than estimated, which is why the start and end dates move each cycle.

Monkey years from 1900 to 2035, with the element and yin or yang quality of each.
Zodiac year	Element & quality	First day	Last day
2028	Earth MonkeyYang	26 Jan 2028	12 Feb 2029
2016	Fire MonkeyYang	8 Feb 2016	27 Jan 2017
2004	Wood MonkeyYang	22 Jan 2004	8 Feb 2005
1992	Water MonkeyYang	4 Feb 1992	22 Jan 1993
1980	Metal MonkeyYang	16 Feb 1980	4 Feb 1981
1968	Earth MonkeyYang	30 Jan 1968	16 Feb 1969
1956	Fire MonkeyYang	12 Feb 1956	30 Jan 1957
1944	Wood MonkeyYang	25 Jan 1944	12 Feb 1945
1932	Water MonkeyYang	6 Feb 1932	25 Jan 1933
1920	Metal MonkeyYang	20 Feb 1920	7 Feb 1921
1908	Earth MonkeyYang	2 Feb 1908	21 Jan 1909

Why this matters: someone born in early 2029, before that year's Chinese New Year, is still a Monkey rather than the following animal. A Gregorian birth year on its own gives the wrong answer for roughly the first five to seven weeks of every year. The calculator checks the boundary for you.

Traditional profile

How tradition describes the Monkey

The Monkey represents cleverness, curiosity, and mischief. People born in the Year of the Monkey are quick-witted and intelligent, with excellent problem-solving abilities. They're natural entertainers and inventors.

SharpSmartCuriousMischievousClever

Traditional strengths

Common themes

Quick-witted · Charming · Lucky · Adaptable · Bright

Traditional challenges

Common cautions

Jealous · Suspicious · Cunning · Selfish · Arrogant

Traditional interpretation

Compatibility themes

This simplified animal-sign tradition is not a relationship assessment. Chinese astrology can also consider elements and other factors.

Commonly described as strongest

Ox · Rabbit

Commonly described as favorable

Rat · Dragon · Horse · Goat · Monkey

Commonly described as challenging

Tiger · Snake · Pig

Traditional associations

Numbers, colors, flowers, and directions

Traditional numbers: 4 · 9
Traditional colors: White · Blue · Gold
Traditional flowers: Chrysanthemum · Crape myrtle
Traditional directions: North · Northwest · West

Interpretation label: “Lucky” and “unlucky” lists are traditional correspondences. They do not alter probability or predict an outcome.

Traditional interpretation

Career themes in animal-sign guides

Traditional profiles often associate the Monkey with these fields. Career fit depends on the individual, not their zodiac animal.

AccountantBankerEngineerFilm directorTrader

Boundary note: People born before Chinese New Year belong to the preceding animal year. Use a complete date, not the Gregorian year alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which years are Year of the Monkey?▼

Monkey years repeat every 12 years: 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028. Each one begins at Chinese New Year rather than 1 January, so the 2028 Monkey year ran from 26 January 2028 to 12 February 2029.

Why can a January or February birthday have the previous animal?▼

Chinese New Year falls between 21 January and 21 February depending on the year, because the Chinese calendar is lunisolar. A birthday before that year's boundary belongs to the preceding zodiac year, so a Gregorian birth year alone is unreliable for anyone born in the first weeks of a year.

What element is the Monkey?▼

The animal repeats every 12 years while the five elements repeat every 10, so a full animal-and-element combination returns only every 60 years. The most recent complete Monkey year was a Earth Monkey (Yang).

Are Year of the Monkey personality readings scientific?▼

No. Animal traits, compatibility, lucky items, and career themes are cultural or astrological interpretations, not scientific measurements or predictions.