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Shymea Research · Study 04

Which rising sign is the rarest? It depends where you were born.

The rising sign is the sign on the eastern horizon at the minute of birth, and some signs cross the horizon in an hour and a half while others take well over two. How long depends on latitude. So the rarest rising sign in London is not the rarest in Sydney, and at the equator there is almost no rarest sign at all. We computed the share of births under each rising sign for thirteen latitude bands and 65 cities, and checked that when in the day babies are born cannot change the answer.

Last updated: September 7, 2026

Why rising signs are not evenly spread

The zodiac is tilted 23.4° to the celestial equator. From anywhere off the equator, the signs from Cancer to Sagittarius rise at a steep angle and take longer to clear the horizon; the signs from Capricorn to Gemini rise at a shallow angle and pass quickly. In the northern hemisphere that makes Leo, Virgo, Libra and Scorpio rising common and Aries and Pisces rising rare. South of the equator the geometry mirrors, so Aries, Pisces, Taurus and Aquarius become the common ones. The effect grows with latitude: mild at Dubai, strong at London, extreme at Reykjavik, and near zero at Singapore.

Computed, not counted, and why that is the same thing

No registry records the minute of birth at a scale that could be published, so a counted table does not exist. It is also not needed. At any fixed clock time, every sidereal time occurs once over a year, which means every sign rises equally often at, say, 9 in the morning across a year. The share of babies born under a rising sign therefore depends only on how long that sign takes to rise at that latitude, not on when in the day babies tend to be born. We tested this against real birth-timing data: weighting every minute of the year by the United States hour-of-birth distribution (CDC/NCHS Data Brief 200, 2013 birth certificates, peaks at 8 a.m. and noon) moves no sign by more than 0.01 percentage points; the most skewed curve the CDC publishes, scheduled caesareans with 14.3% of births in the 8 a.m. hour, moves none by more than 0.03. The gaps between signs run to several points.

What this page is not

It is not a statement about what a rising sign means. It is the geometry of the horizon at your birthplace, computed from the same ephemeris the app uses, and published so that the answer to "is my rising sign rare" can be looked up rather than guessed. Byline Shymea Editorial.

The short answer, three latitudes

40° north (New York, Madrid, Beijing)

Most common: Leo 10.6%, Scorpio 10.6%

Rarest: Pisces 5.0%, Aries 5.0%

Slowest sign ÷ fastest: 2.1

Equator (Singapore, Nairobi, Quito)

Most common: Gemini 8.9%, Cancer 8.9%

Rarest: Pisces 7.8%, Libra 7.8%

Slowest sign ÷ fastest: 1.2

30° south (Sydney, Cape Town, Buenos Aires)

Most common: Aquarius 9.8%, Taurus 9.8%

Rarest: Libra 5.9%, Virgo 5.9%

Slowest sign ÷ fastest: 1.7

Share of births under each rising sign, by latitude

Percent of a year’s birth minutes. A flat spread is 8.3 in every cell. Rows are latitude; signs run Aries to Pisces.

LatitudeAriTauGemCanLeoVirLibScoSagCapAquPisMost / rarest
lat 60S13.513.611.56.43.12.02.03.16.411.513.613.5Aquarius / Libra
lat 50S11.611.610.47.55.03.93.95.07.510.411.611.6Aries / Libra
lat 40S10.510.69.98.06.05.05.06.08.09.910.610.5Taurus / Libra
lat 30S9.69.89.68.36.85.95.96.88.39.69.89.6Aquarius / Libra
lat 20S8.99.39.38.67.36.66.67.48.59.39.38.9Gemini / Libra
lat 10S8.38.89.18.87.87.27.27.88.89.18.88.3Capricorn / Libra
lat 07.88.38.98.98.37.87.88.38.98.98.37.8Gemini / Pisces
lat 10N7.27.88.89.18.88.38.38.89.18.87.87.2Sagittarius / Pisces
lat 20N6.67.38.69.39.38.98.99.39.38.57.46.6Cancer / Pisces
lat 30N5.96.88.39.69.89.69.69.89.68.36.85.9Scorpio / Pisces
lat 40N5.06.08.09.910.610.510.510.69.98.06.05.0Leo / Pisces
lat 50N3.95.07.510.411.611.611.611.610.47.55.03.9Virgo / Pisces
lat 60N2.03.16.411.513.613.513.513.611.56.43.12.0Scorpio / Pisces

68 cities

Sorted by population. Each row is computed at the city’s own coordinates; the last column is how many times longer the slowest sign takes to rise than the fastest.

CityLatAriTauGemCanLeoVirLibScoSagCapAquPisMost commonRarestSlow ÷ fast
TokyoJapan35.7°5.46.48.29.710.210.110.110.29.78.26.45.4LeoAries1.88
Mexico CityMexico19.4°6.67.48.69.39.28.98.99.29.38.67.46.6CancerAries1.41
New York CityUnited States40.7°5.06.08.09.910.610.510.510.69.98.06.05.0ScorpioAries2.14
Buenos AiresArgentina-34.6°10.010.29.78.26.55.55.56.58.29.710.210.0TaurusVirgo1.84
Los AngelesUnited States34.1°5.66.58.29.710.19.99.910.19.78.26.55.6ScorpioAries1.82
ParisFrance48.9°4.05.27.610.311.511.511.511.510.37.65.14.0LibraAries2.86
LondonUnited Kingdom51.5°3.64.87.410.511.811.911.911.810.57.44.83.6VirgoPisces3.25
ChicagoUnited States41.9°4.85.97.99.910.710.710.710.710.07.95.94.8LeoAries2.22
DallasUnited States32.8°5.76.68.29.710.09.89.810.09.68.26.65.7LeoAries1.77
HoustonUnited States29.8°5.96.88.39.69.89.69.69.89.68.36.85.9ScorpioPisces1.67
MadridSpain40.4°5.06.08.09.910.610.510.510.69.98.06.05.0LeoAries2.12
Washington D.C.United States38.9°5.16.18.09.810.510.410.410.59.88.06.15.1ScorpioPisces2.04
TorontoCanada43.7°4.75.77.810.010.910.810.810.910.07.85.74.7LeoPisces2.34
PhiladelphiaUnited States40.0°5.06.18.09.910.610.510.510.69.98.06.15.0LeoAries2.10
MiamiUnited States25.8°6.27.08.49.59.69.39.39.69.58.47.06.2ScorpioPisces1.55
AtlantaUnited States33.7°5.66.58.29.710.19.99.910.19.78.26.55.6ScorpioPisces1.81
SingaporeSingapore1.4°7.78.38.99.08.47.87.88.49.08.98.27.7SagittariusAries1.17
JohannesburgSouth Africa-26.2°9.39.69.58.47.06.26.27.08.49.59.69.3AquariusLibra1.56
SydneyAustralia-33.9°9.910.19.78.26.55.65.66.58.29.710.19.9AquariusVirgo1.81
MelbourneAustralia-37.8°10.310.49.88.16.25.25.26.28.19.810.410.3AquariusVirgo1.98
PhoenixUnited States33.4°5.66.68.29.710.19.99.910.19.78.26.65.6ScorpioAries1.79
BostonUnited States42.4°4.85.87.910.010.810.710.710.810.07.95.84.8ScorpioAries2.25
San FranciscoUnited States37.8°5.26.28.19.810.410.310.310.49.88.16.25.2LeoPisces1.98
RiversideUnited States34.0°5.66.58.29.710.19.99.910.19.78.26.55.6ScorpioAries1.81
Cape TownSouth Africa-33.9°9.910.19.78.26.55.65.66.58.29.710.19.9TaurusVirgo1.81
DetroitUnited States42.3°4.85.87.910.010.810.710.710.810.07.95.84.8ScorpioAries2.25
RomeItaly41.9°4.85.97.99.910.710.710.710.710.07.95.94.8LeoAries2.22
MontrealCanada45.5°4.45.57.810.111.111.111.111.110.17.85.54.4ScorpioAries2.50
SeattleUnited States47.6°4.25.37.710.211.311.311.311.310.27.65.34.2ScorpioPisces2.71
MinneapolisUnited States45.0°4.55.67.810.111.011.011.011.010.17.85.64.5ScorpioPisces2.45
BerlinGermany52.5°3.54.67.310.612.012.012.012.010.67.34.63.5LibraAries3.45
DubaiUnited Arab Emirates25.2°6.27.18.49.49.59.39.39.59.48.47.16.2LeoPisces1.53
San DiegoUnited States32.7°5.76.68.29.610.09.89.810.09.68.26.65.7LeoPisces1.77
TampaUnited States28.0°6.06.98.49.59.79.59.59.79.58.46.96.0LeoPisces1.61
DenverUnited States39.7°5.06.18.09.910.610.410.410.59.98.06.15.0LeoAries2.09
BaltimoreUnited States39.3°5.16.18.09.810.510.410.410.59.98.06.15.1LeoAries2.06
OrlandoUnited States28.5°6.06.98.39.59.89.59.59.79.58.36.96.0LeoPisces1.63
ManchesterUnited Kingdom53.5°3.34.57.210.612.112.212.212.110.67.24.53.3VirgoPisces3.65
St. LouisUnited States38.6°5.26.28.19.810.410.310.310.49.88.06.25.2LeoPisces2.03
CharlotteUnited States35.2°5.56.48.29.710.210.010.010.29.78.26.45.5ScorpioAries1.87
San AntonioUnited States29.4°5.96.88.39.69.89.69.69.89.68.36.85.9LeoPisces1.65
VancouverCanada49.3°4.05.17.510.311.511.511.511.510.37.55.14.0VirgoAries2.91
BirminghamUnited Kingdom52.5°3.54.67.310.612.012.012.012.010.67.34.63.5VirgoPisces3.44
BrisbaneAustralia-27.5°9.49.79.58.46.96.16.16.98.49.59.79.4AquariusVirgo1.59
PortlandUnited States45.5°4.45.57.810.111.111.111.111.110.17.85.54.4ScorpioAries2.50
SacramentoUnited States38.6°5.26.28.19.810.410.310.310.49.88.16.25.2LeoPisces2.03
PittsburghUnited States40.4°5.06.08.09.910.610.510.510.69.98.06.05.0LeoPisces2.13
AustinUnited States30.3°5.96.88.39.69.99.69.79.89.68.36.85.9LeoAries1.68
CincinnatiUnited States39.1°5.16.18.09.810.510.410.410.59.88.06.15.1LeoAries2.05
Kansas CityUnited States39.1°5.16.18.09.810.510.410.410.59.88.06.15.1LeoAries2.05
Las VegasUnited States36.2°5.46.48.19.810.310.110.110.39.88.16.45.4LeoPisces1.91
ColumbusUnited States40.0°5.06.18.09.910.610.510.510.69.98.06.15.0LeoAries2.10
ClevelandUnited States41.5°4.95.97.99.910.710.610.610.79.97.95.94.9ScorpioAries2.20
IndianapolisUnited States39.8°5.06.18.09.910.610.510.410.69.98.06.15.0ScorpioPisces2.09
PerthAustralia-32.0°9.810.09.68.36.75.75.76.78.39.610.09.8AquariusVirgo1.74
San JoseUnited States37.3°5.36.38.19.810.410.210.210.39.88.16.35.3LeoAries1.96
NashvilleUnited States36.2°5.46.48.19.810.310.110.110.39.88.16.35.4LeoAries1.91
LeedsUnited Kingdom53.8°3.34.47.210.712.212.212.212.210.77.24.43.3LibraAries3.73
Virginia BeachUnited States36.9°5.36.38.19.810.310.210.210.39.88.16.35.3ScorpioPisces1.94
JacksonvilleUnited States30.3°5.96.88.39.69.99.69.79.89.68.36.85.9LeoAries1.68
ProvidenceUnited States41.8°4.85.97.99.910.710.710.710.79.97.95.94.8LeoPisces2.21
AucklandNew Zealand-36.8°10.210.39.88.16.35.35.36.38.19.810.310.2TaurusVirgo1.94
StockholmSweden59.3°2.23.36.511.413.413.313.313.411.46.53.22.2LeoPisces6.09
DublinIreland53.3°3.44.57.310.612.112.212.212.110.67.34.53.4VirgoAries3.62
HelsinkiFinland60.2°2.03.06.311.513.613.513.513.611.56.33.02.0ScorpioPisces6.82
OsloNorway59.9°2.13.16.411.513.513.413.413.511.56.43.12.1LeoAries6.57
AnchorageUnited States61.2°1.72.76.111.813.913.813.813.911.86.12.71.7LeoAries8.05
ReykjavikIceland64.1°0.91.55.012.915.114.614.615.112.95.01.50.9LeoAries17.25

Common questions

What is the rarest rising sign?
It depends on latitude. In the northern mid-latitudes (around 40°N, which covers New York, Madrid and Beijing) the rarest are Pisces and Aries at about 5.0% each, and the most common are Leo and Scorpio at about 10.6%. Further north the gap widens; at the equator it almost disappears.
What is the rarest rising sign in the southern hemisphere?
At 30°S (Sydney, Cape Town, Buenos Aires latitudes) the rarest are Libra and Virgo and the most common Aquarius and Taurus: the mirror image of the north, because the same signs that rise steeply in one hemisphere rise shallowly in the other.
Is my rising sign rare?
Look up the latitude band closest to your birthplace in the table, or your city if it is listed. A share below 8.3% is rarer than a flat spread; below 5% is genuinely uncommon for that latitude.
Why can this be computed instead of counted?
Because at any clock time, every sidereal time occurs once across a year, the share of births under each rising sign depends only on how long the sign takes to rise at that latitude, not on when in the day babies are born. The CDC hour-of-birth check on this page moves no sign by more than 0.03 points.

How this was computed

Greenwich apparent sidereal time from JPL DE442 through Skyfield 1.53 for every four minutes of 2025 (131,400 instants), converted to local sidereal time at each longitude. For each instant the Ascendant was found as the ecliptic point crossing the eastern horizon at that latitude, obliquity 23.4367°, by scanning the ecliptic in quarter-degree steps. Shares are the fraction of instants whose Ascendant fell in each sign. Verification: mirror-image signs (Aries and Pisces, Cancer and Sagittarius, and so on) agree to 0.01 points as the geometry requires, and the equator row reproduces the pure right-ascension spans. Hour-of-birth check: CDC/NCHS Data Brief 200 (2013) hourly percentages used as weights on the same instants; see the text above. Related: Study 03, Sun signs from the registries; rising sign calculator.

The dataset

All 68 cities with coordinates, population and the twelve shares. Published under CC BY 4.0 — reuse it, with attribution.

Download the table (CSV)