Lakh vs Million — and Crore vs Billion
1 million = 10 lakh. 1 crore = 10 million. 1 billion = 100 crore (which the South-Asian system calls 1 arab). The two systems describe the same numbers — they just name and group the digits differently. This page lines them up so you can convert either way in seconds.
Quick facts
South-Asian vs international, place by place
| Value | South-Asian | International | Digits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10³ | Hazaar (thousand) | Thousand | 1,000 |
| 10⁵ | Lakh | Hundred thousand | 1,00,000 |
| 10⁶ | Ten lakh | Million | 10,00,000 |
| 10⁷ | Crore | Ten million | 1,00,00,000 |
| 10⁸ | Ten crore | Hundred million | 10,00,00,000 |
| 10⁹ | Arab | Billion | 1,00,00,00,000 |
| 10¹¹ | Kharab | Hundred billion | 1,00,00,00,00,000 |
The conversions people search for
| This | Equals |
|---|---|
| 1 lakh | 0.1 million |
| 10 lakh | 1 million |
| 50 lakh | 5 million |
| 1 crore | 10 million |
| 10 crore | 100 million |
| 100 crore | 1 billion (1 arab) |
| 1 million | 10 lakh |
| 1 billion | 100 crore |
| 1 trillion | 1 lakh crore |
The comma trap that flips a number's meaning
The two systems group digits differently, and misreading the grouping is how people misjudge a figure by a factor of ten or more:
- ·International: groups in threes from the right — 1,000,000 = one million.
- ·South-Asian: groups the rightmost three digits, then in twos — 10,00,000 = ten lakh, and 1,00,00,000 = one crore.
The tell: if a number's commas sit in twos after the first group of three, it's written in the South-Asian system — read the leftmost group as lakh or crore, not million.
Worked example: reading "2 crore" in millions
- 1Start with the South-Asian figure: 2 crore.
- 21 crore = 10 million, so multiply: 2 × 10 = 20 million.
- 3Cross-check the digits: 2 crore = 2,00,00,000 = 20,000,000 = 20 million. ✓
- 4Going the other way, 75 million ÷ 10 = 7.5 crore.
Frequently asked questions
How many lakh are in 1 million?
1 million = 10 lakh. A million is 1,000,000 (10⁶) and a lakh is 100,000 (10⁵), so ten lakh make one million.
How many million are in 1 crore?
1 crore = 10 million. A crore is 10,000,000 (10⁷), which is ten times a million. So 5 crore = 50 million, and 1 crore = 0.01 billion.
How many crore are in 1 billion?
1 billion = 100 crore. A billion is 1,000,000,000 (10⁹), and in the South-Asian system that exact value is called 1 arab. So 1 arab = 1 billion = 100 crore.
What is 1 lakh in million?
1 lakh = 0.1 million (one-tenth of a million). You need ten lakh to make a full million.
Why are the commas placed differently?
The two systems group digits differently. The international system groups in threes — 1,000,000 — while the South-Asian system groups the rightmost three digits, then in twos — 10,00,000. That's why a crore is written 1,00,00,000. Spotting the comma pattern instantly tells you which system a number is written in.
Are lakh and crore used outside India and Pakistan?
Yes — they're standard across South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal) and widely understood in the Gulf and among the South-Asian diaspora. International finance, science, and most Western media use million and billion instead.
More side-by-side comparisons
Working with big numbers in measurements too? See our metric vs imperial guide.