The Goat is the eighth of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac. Recent and coming Goat years include 2003 (from 1 February 2003), 2015 (from 19 February 2015) and 2027 (from 6 February 2027). A Goat year begins on the lunar new year and not on 1 January, so a Goat birthday in January or February may belong to the animal before.
Folklore, not science, is the right frame: a Goat year says nothing certain about the people born in it. This page sets out the Goat as the tradition describes it, with every Goat year and its exact start date, and you can check a birth date with the Chinese zodiac calculator.
Years of the Goat
These Goat years run from 1948 to 2047, with dates from the Hong Kong Observatory’s table, as in the calculator. Each Goat year begins on the lunar new year in China and Hong Kong and ends the day before the next. The element column is the element of that particular year, and the last column names it in the sixty-year cycle, where the Goat is always paired with the branch wei.
| Chinese year | Begins | Ends | Element | Stem and branch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | 24 January 1955 | 11 February 1956 | Yin Wood | Yi-wei |
| 1967 | 9 February 1967 | 29 January 1968 | Yin Fire | Ding-wei |
| 1979 | 28 January 1979 | 15 February 1980 | Yin Earth | Ji-wei |
| 1991 | 15 February 1991 | 3 February 1992 | Yin Metal | Xin-wei |
| 2003 | 1 February 2003 | 21 January 2004 | Yin Water | Gui-wei |
| 2015 | 19 February 2015 | 7 February 2016 | Yin Wood | Yi-wei |
| 2027 | 6 February 2027 | 25 January 2028 | Yin Fire | Ding-wei |
| 2039 | 24 January 2039 | 11 February 2040 | Yin Earth | Ji-wei |
For example, someone born on 22 January 2003 was born before the lunar new year of 2003, which began on 1 February 2003, so that person is a Horse and not a Goat. If a Goat birthday falls within a day of the new year, check the family date, since the time zone can move it.
Its place in the zodiac
In the Great Race the Goat, the Monkey and the Rooster are said to have found a raft and worked together to cross, and the three arrived eighth, ninth and tenth. Tellings differ about who did what on the raft. The story praises cooperation over competition.
In the older calendar of earthly branches the Goat is wei (未), branch number 8. It is Yin, its fixed element is Earth, its double-hour is 1 pm to 3 pm and its compass direction is south-south-west. That fixed element stays the same in every Goat year, whereas the year element changes.
What the tradition says
The Goat is described as gentle, creative, kind and peaceable, a person who values harmony, art and a comfortable home. It is a symbol of calm and of generosity. The shadow side described is indecision and worry.
- Kindness. Real care for other people’s comfort.
- Creativity. An imaginative and artistic outlook.
- Calm. A peaceable way of settling disputes.
- Cooperation. Working well in a team more than at the front of one.
Growth edges
Descriptions of the Goat mention a tendency to worry, to hesitate over choices and to depend on others for reassurance. The suggested practice is to set a time limit on a decision and to build one small habit of independence, such as choosing the evening plan alone.
In relationships
In close relationships the Goat is pictured as tender, loyal and attentive, and as someone who needs to feel secure. The growth point is saying what it wants plainly. This is a prompt for reflection with no claim about any relationship.
In work
The tradition links the Goat with the arts, craft, teaching, caring work, gardening and design, among other things. This is a description of an approach found anywhere, and it says nothing about a career.
The Goat with each element
The Goat returns every twelve years while the elements turn in a cycle of ten, so Goat years carry five different year elements, and the tradition reads each as a variation on the Goat. Across 1948 to 2047 they fall as follows.
- Wood Goat, in 1955 and 2015: the Goat’s gentle creativity with a year that the tradition calls cooperative, idealistic and growth-minded. Read about Wood.
- Fire Goat, in 1967 and 2027: the Goat’s gentle creativity with a year that the tradition calls energetic, enthusiastic and expressive. Read about Fire.
- Earth Goat, in 1979 and 2039: the Goat’s gentle creativity with a year that the tradition calls patient, practical and loyal. Read about Earth.
- Metal Goat, in 1991: the Goat’s gentle creativity with a year that the tradition calls determined, precise and self-disciplined. Read about Metal.
- Water Goat, in 2003: the Goat’s gentle creativity with a year that the tradition calls intuitive, adaptable and thoughtful. Read about Water.
Compatibility in the tradition
The tradition compares animals by a handful of old pairings. For the Goat the list is:
- Trine allies: Rabbit and Pig, with the Goat in the gentle and creative trine.
- Secret friend (six harmonies): Horse.
- Opposite (a clash): Ox.
- Harm: Rat.
- Penalty: Ox and Dog.
None of these is a verdict on a Goat’s relationships. The compatibility overview explains each pairing, and the Chinese zodiac compatibility tool compares a Goat with anyone, from two birth dates.
Names and variations
The Chinese word yang covers goat, sheep and ram, and English writers use all three. The Year of the Goat, the Year of the Sheep and the Year of the Ram are therefore the same year. This site says Goat, and keeps Sheep and Ram as alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
↳ Which years are Years of the Goat?
Recent and upcoming Goat years are 2003, 2015, 2027. The next one begins on 6 February 2027 and is a Yin Fire year (Ding-wei). Every Goat year to 2047 is in the table above, with its end date.
↳ I was born in January or February: am I A Goat?
Only if your birth date falls on or after the lunar new year that opens a Goat year. For the Goat year 2003 the new year was 1 February 2003, so a birth before that date counts as the Horse. The calculator checks a Goat birthday, or any date from 1901 to 2100.
↳ Is the Year of the Goat lucky?
The Goat is traditionally a symbol of peace and good-heartedness. Some families are said to have hesitated over a Goat-year birth because of old beliefs, but nothing supports that, and it is best treated as folklore.
↳ Who is the Goat most compatible with?
By the traditional pairings, the Goat's trine allies are Rabbit and Pig, and its secret friend is Horse. The tradition gives no score, and a Goat can do well or badly with any animal.
Return to the Chinese zodiac hub, or read about the Horse and the Monkey.