Age Calculator

What does this age calculator do?

This age calculator tells you your exact age in years, months, days, hours and minutes based on your date of birth. It also shows your next birthday countdown and your age in zhousui (周岁, the legal standard) and xusui (虚岁, the traditional Chinese nominal age). The calculation runs entirely in your browser — your birth date is never uploaded or stored.

How age is calculated

The calculation is based on the Gregorian calendar. Your age is the difference between the current date and your birth date:

The calculator breaks this down into years, months and days. For example, if you were born on 1990-06-15 and today is 2026-09-11, you are 36 years, 2 months and 27 days old. The calculator also accounts for leap years automatically.

Zhousui (周岁) vs Xusui (虚岁)

In China, two age systems coexist:

• Zhousui (周岁, exact age): Starts at 0 at birth. Increments by 1 on each birthday. This is the international standard and is used for all legal purposes — ID cards, marriage, voting, criminal responsibility, retirement, etc.
• Xusui (虚岁, nominal/virtual age): Starts at 1 at birth. Increments by 1 at each Lunar New Year (春节), not on birthdays. Xusui is usually 1–2 years higher than zhousui. It is a traditional concept still used in some cultural contexts.

Example: A baby born on the day before Chinese New Year is 1 sui (虚岁) at birth and becomes 2 sui the next day. Their zhousui is 0. By Western standards this seems odd, but it reflects the traditional view that life begins at 1 (after 9 months in the womb) and that everyone ages together at the New Year.

Legal age milestones in China

• 6 years: Compulsory primary education begins.
• 14 years: Minimum age of criminal responsibility for serious crimes (murder, intentional injury causing death/disability, rape, robbery, drug trafficking, arson, explosion,投放危险物质).
• 16 years: Full criminal responsibility. Can apply for a ID card (can be obtained earlier).
• 18 years: Age of majority — voting rights, independent civil liability, C1 driver's license.
• 20 (women) / 22 (men): Legal marriage age.
• 50–60+: Retirement age (being gradually raised: men 60→63, women workers 50→55, women cadres 55→58).

Age in different cultures

• International standard: Age starts at 0 and increments on birthdays. Used globally for official documents.
• Traditional Chinese (xusui): Age starts at 1 and increments at Lunar New Year.
• Korean (yeon-hai, 연세): Similar to xusui — starts at 1, increments at January 1 (solar). However, South Korea switched to the international standard for official purposes in 2023.
• Some traditional cultures: A child is not considered a full person until a certain milestone (e.g., first tooth, first steps, or a naming ceremony).

Tips for using the age calculator

• Use your Gregorian birth date. Most official documents (ID card, passport) use the Gregorian calendar. If you only know your lunar birthday, convert it first.
• Check your time zone. If you were born near midnight, the date may differ by time zone. Use the date on your birth certificate.
• Zhousui is what matters legally. For marriage, voting, driving and retirement, use zhousui (exact age), not xusui.
• Next birthday countdown. The calculator also shows how many days until your next birthday — handy for planning.