NumbersAbout 1 million
A million is a thousand thousands. The international system has no word for a lakh, so its first big unit after the thousand is the million, which is ten lakh. City populations, video views and app downloads are usually quoted in millions.
1 million in other units
The same amount can be named in thousands, lakhs, millions, crores or billions. Divide by the size of the unit: a thousand has 3 zeros, a lakh 5, a million 6, a crore 7, a billion 9 and a trillion 12.
| Unit | 1 million is |
|---|---|
| Thousands | 1,000 |
| Lakhs | 10 |
| Millions | 1 |
| Crores | 0.1 |
| Billions | 0.001 |
| Trillions | 0.000001 |
Where the commas go
In the Indian system the first comma comes after three digits from the right and then after every two: 10,00,000. In the international system a comma comes after every three digits: 1,000,000. The digits are the same in both. The Indian form has 2 commas and the international form has 2.
Place value
1 million has 7 digits. Its leading digit, 1, is in the ten lakhs place in the Indian system, which the international system calls the millions place. Every place after it holds a zero.
How big is 1 million?
- In time. 10,00,000 seconds make 11 days, 13 hours, 46 minutes and 40 seconds. Counting aloud from 1 at one number a second, without a break, would take that long to reach 1 million.
- In minutes. 10,00,000 minutes are 1 year, 329 days, 10 hours and 40 minutes.
- In money. 10,00,000 paise are ₹10,000. 10,00,000 one-rupee coins are, of course, ₹10,00,000, written on a cheque as "Rupees Ten Lakh Only".
- In length and weight. 10,00,000 metres are 1,000 km, and 10,00,000 grams are 1,000 kg, which is 1 tonne.
Ten times more and ten times less
Ten times 1 million is 1,00,00,000 (1 crore), which is 10 million. One tenth of it is 1,00,000 (1 lakh), which is 100 thousand. Each step adds or removes one zero.
Mistakes to avoid
- Count the zeros before you write: 1 million has 6. One zero too many makes it ten times larger.
- Do not mix the comma styles in one number. Write 10,00,000 or 1,000,000.
- In words, the unit stays singular after a number: "1 million", not "1 millions".
Common questions
How many zeros are there in 1 million?
1 million is written 10,00,000. It has 6 zeros and 7 digits in all.
What is 1 million in lakhs and crores?
1 million is 10 lakh. In lakhs it is 10 lakh, in crores 0.1 crore and in millions 1 million.
How do you write 1 million in words?
In the Indian system: ten lakh. In the international system: one million. In Hindi: दस लाख.