NumbersAbout 1 trillion
A trillion is a thousand billion, or one lakh crore. Here the two systems meet on a round name again. "Lakh crore" is the unit in which the very largest money figures in India, such as national budgets, are stated.
1 trillion 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 trillion is |
|---|---|
| Thousands | 1,000,000,000 |
| Lakhs | 10,000,000 |
| Millions | 1,000,000 |
| Crores | 100,000 |
| Billions | 1,000 |
| Trillions | 1 |
Where the commas go
In the Indian system the first comma comes after three digits from the right and then after every two: 10,00,00,00,00,000. In the international system a comma comes after every three digits: 1,000,000,000,000. The digits are the same in both. The Indian form has 5 commas and the international form has 4.
Place value
1 trillion has 13 digits. Its leading digit, 1, is in the lakh crores (ten kharab) place in the Indian system, which the international system calls the trillions place. Every place after it holds a zero.
How big is 1 trillion?
- In time. 10,00,00,00,00,000 seconds make 31,709 years, 289 days, 1 hour, 46 minutes and 40 seconds. Counting aloud from 1 at one number a second, without a break, would take that long to reach 1 trillion.
- In minutes. 10,00,00,00,00,000 minutes are 1,902,587 years, 189 days, 10 hours and 40 minutes.
- In money. 10,00,00,00,00,000 paise are ₹10,000,000,000. 10,00,00,00,00,000 one-rupee coins are, of course, ₹10,00,00,00,00,000, written on a cheque as "Rupees One Lakh Crore Only".
- In length and weight. 10,00,00,00,00,000 metres are 1,000,000,000 km, and 10,00,00,00,00,000 grams are 1,000,000,000 kg, which is 1,000,000 tonnes.
Ten times more and ten times less
Ten times 1 trillion is 1,00,00,00,00,00,000 (10 lakh crore), which is 10 trillion. One tenth of it is 1,00,00,00,00,000 (10,000 crore), which is 100 billion. Each step adds or removes one zero.
Mistakes to avoid
- Count the zeros before you write: 1 trillion has 12. One zero too many makes it ten times larger.
- Do not mix the comma styles in one number. Write 10,00,00,00,00,000 or 1,000,000,000,000.
- In words, the unit stays singular after a number: "1 trillion", not "1 trillions".
Common questions
How many zeros are there in 1 trillion?
1 trillion is written 10,00,00,00,00,000. It has 12 zeros and 13 digits in all.
What is 1 trillion in lakhs and crores?
1 trillion is 1 lakh crore. In lakhs it is 10,000,000 lakh, in crores 100,000 crore and in millions 1,000,000 million.
How do you write 1 trillion in words?
In the Indian system: one lakh crore. In the international system: one trillion. In Hindi: दस खरब.