1971 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Metal Pig

1971: a Yin Metal Pig year

The Chinese zodiac year 1971 was the Year of the Pig. It began with Lunar New Year on 27 January 1971 and ended on 14 February 1972, the eve of the next Lunar New Year.

Each year also has an element and a Yin or Yang quality. 1971 ends in 1, which makes it a Metal year, and as an odd year it is Yin. In the traditional stem-and-branch count, 1971 is a Xin-hai year. The same Metal Pig combination comes round only once every 60 years: 1911 before it and 2031 after it.

Born in January or February 1971?

Lunar New Year 1971 fell on 27 January 1971. Anyone born from 1 January 1971 up to the day before belongs to the previous year's animal, the Dog; from 27 January 1971 on, the Pig.

The zodiac year starts at Lunar New Year, not on 1 January, which is why early-year birthdays need checking. Our guide Born in January? explains the rule, and the zodiac sign checker gives the exact answer for any birth date.

The Pig's personality

Our Pig guide describes the sign like this: “Warm-hearted, generous, and easygoing. Pigs value comfort, kindness, and honest relationships.” The usual watch-out: “Can be overly trusting or indulgent.”

The Metal element adds its own flavour. Metal years bring discipline, ambition, and strong will. People of this element tend to be determined, independent, and value-driven. Read more in our Metal element guide, or the full Year of the Pig page.

Careers often linked with the Pig: hospitality, food industry, teaching, healthcare.

Lucky colors, numbers and days for the Pig

• Lucky colors: yellow, gray and brown
• Lucky numbers: 2, 5 and 8
• Lucky days: Thursday and Sunday

These are the values used across this site. For a lucky color, number and time that change every day, see the daily fortune.

Best matches for someone born in 1971

In traditional compatibility, the Pig's best matches are the Tiger, Rabbit and Goat, and its clash sign is the Snake, which sits directly opposite it on the zodiac circle. Our compatibility calculator compares two full birth dates, elements included.

The Pig in 2026 and 2027

2026 (Fire Horse, until 5 February 2027): for the Pig, it has no special traditional relationship with the Horse, so 2026 is a neutral year.

2027 (Fire Goat, from 6 February 2027): for the Pig, it shares the Goat's triangle (Rabbit, Goat and Pig), so 2027 is traditionally favourable. See Chinese zodiac 2027 predictions for every sign.

Other Year of the Pig years

Years of the same animal come every twelve years, each with a different element: 1959 (Earth Pig); 1983 (Water Pig); 1995 (Wood Pig). The full list is in our Chinese zodiac years chart.

Frequently asked questions

What Chinese zodiac is 1971?

1971 is the Year of the Pig, a Yin Metal Pig year (Xin-hai).

When does the 1971 Year of the Pig start and end?

It starts on 27 January 1971 and ends on 14 February 1972.

I was born in January 1971. What is my Chinese zodiac?

If you were born before 27 January 1971, you are a Dog; from 27 January 1971 on, a Pig.

What element is 1971?

Metal. 1971 ends in 1, which belongs to Metal, and it is a Yin year.

Who is the Pig compatible with?

Traditionally the Tiger, Rabbit and Goat. The Pig's clash sign is the Snake.

Sources and further reading

• Hong Kong Observatory: “Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches” — the 60-part Gan-Zhi cycle used to name years, months, days and hours.
• Wikipedia: “Sexagenary cycle” — the ten stems and twelve branches, 1984 as the start of the present cycle, and the year changing at Lunar New Year.
• Farmers' Almanac: “When Is Lunar New Year 2027?” — Lunar New Year falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, between 21 January and 21 February.
• New World Encyclopedia: “Wu xing” — the five elements and the generating and overcoming cycles.
• Britannica: Chinese zodiac — the zodiac as a classification of years in a repeating twelve-year cycle.

Traditional Chinese zodiac reading for culture and entertainment, not a scientific prediction. Year dates follow the Lunar New Year table used by our zodiac checker.