How many zeros in a lakh, crore, arab?
A quick, exact reference for the number of zeros in each Indian scale term, with the international equivalent beside it.
The zero count at a glance
| Term | Value | Zeros | International |
|---|---|---|---|
| One Lakh | 1,00,000 | 5 | One Hundred Thousand |
| Ten Lakh | 10,00,000 | 6 | One Million |
| One Crore | 1,00,00,000 | 7 | Ten Million |
| Ten Crore | 10,00,00,000 | 8 | One Hundred Million |
| One Arab | 1,00,00,00,000 | 9 | One Billion |
| One Kharab | 1,00,00,00,00,000 | 11 | One Hundred Billion |
The two most-asked
A lakh has five zeros (1,00,000) and equals one hundred thousand. A crore has seven zeros (1,00,00,000) and equals ten million. Those two cover almost every everyday question. Note the Indian comma placement — three digits from the right, then twos — which is why a crore is written 1,00,00,000 rather than 10,000,000.
How the scale grows
The Indian system adds a new word every second power of ten above ten thousand: lakh (10⁵), crore (10⁷), arab (10⁹), kharab (10¹¹). Each step up is a factor of one hundred — one hundred lakh make a crore, one hundred crore make an arab. The lakh and crore guide explains the grouping in more detail.
Convert any value. To turn a specific number into words in either system, use the converter — it shows the words, the zeros via the place-value strip, and both Indian and international readings.