Indian vs international numbering system
One lakh is 100,000 and one crore is 10 million. Here is the full comparison with the comma rules.
Two ways to group digits
Both systems use the same place values up to a thousand. After that they diverge. The international system names every third power of ten (thousand, million, billion). The Indian system names every second power after the thousand (lakh, crore, arab).
Comparison chart
| Value | Indian grouping | Indian name | International grouping | International name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | 1,000 | Thousand | 1,000 | One Thousand |
| 10,000 | 10,000 | Ten thousand | 10,000 | Ten Thousand |
| 100,000 | 1,00,000 | One lakh | 100,000 | One Hundred Thousand |
| 1 million | 10,00,000 | Ten lakh | 1,000,000 | One Million |
| 10 million | 1,00,00,000 | One crore | 10,000,000 | Ten Million |
| 100 million | 10,00,00,000 | Ten crore | 100,000,000 | One Hundred Million |
| 1 billion | 1,00,00,00,000 | One arab | 1,000,000,000 | One Billion |
| 100 billion | 1,00,00,00,00,000 | One kharab | 100,000,000,000 | One Hundred Billion |
| 10 trillion | 1,00,00,00,00,00,000 | One neel | 10,000,000,000,000 | Ten Trillion |
| 1 quadrillion | 1,00,00,00,00,00,00,000 | One padma | 1,000,000,000,000,000 | One Quadrillion |
Handy conversions
- 1 lakh = 100 thousand = 0.1 million
- 1 million = 10 lakh
- 1 crore = 100 lakh = 10 million
- 1 billion = 100 crore = 1 arab
- 1 trillion = 1 lakh crore
Where each system is used
The Indian system is standard in Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Nepali banking, government documents and newspapers. The international system is used in global finance, science and most English-speaking countries. If you write for an international audience from India, add the Western figure in brackets to avoid confusion.
Example
The figure 12,34,56,789 reads “Twelve Crore Thirty-Four Lakh Fifty-Six Thousand Seven Hundred Eighty-Nine” in the Indian system. The same quantity, 123,456,789, reads “One Hundred Twenty-Three Million Four Hundred Fifty-Six Thousand Seven Hundred Eighty-Nine” in the Western system.
Try your own number in the lakh, crore and million converter or write it as a cheque amount in the main converter.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries use lakh and crore?
India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka use lakh and crore in everyday speech and writing, along with parts of the diaspora.
Why is the comma placed differently in Indian numbers?
Indian grouping puts the first comma after three digits and then one after every two, so 12,34,56,789. The Western system uses a comma after every three digits, 123,456,789.
Is 1 billion the same as 1 arab?
Yes. Both are 1,000,000,000. One arab is 100 crore.