Arab & Kharab — The Big Indian Numbers Explained
Updated 2026-09-28 · 8 min read
Quick answer
1 arab = 100 crore = 1 billion (1,000,000,000). 1 kharab = 100 arab = 100 billion (100,000,000,000). Above kharab come neel and padma, rarely used outside textbooks.
The full Indian scale
| Indian name | Value | International | Urdu | Hindi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| thousand (ہزار/हज़ार) | 1,000 | thousand | ہزار | हज़ार |
| lakh (لاکھ/लाख) | 1,00,000 | 100 thousand | لاکھ | लाख |
| crore (کروڑ/करोड़) | 1,00,00,000 | 10 million | کروڑ | करोड़ |
| arab (ارب/अरब) | 1,00,00,00,000 | 1 billion | ارب | अरब |
| kharab (کھرب/खरब) | 1,00,00,00,00,000 | 100 billion | کھرب | खरब |
Where you actually see arab/kharab
- Government budgets — Pakistan's federal budget runs into thousands of arab rupees.
- GDP figures — quoted in arab/kharab in Urdu media, billions/trillions in English media.
- Lottery and prize bonds — big draws advertised in arab.
- Everyday speech rarely goes past crore; arab appears in news and finance.
Writing them in words
- 250 arab = "two hundred fifty arab" (Urdu: دو سو پچاس ارب).
- 1.5 kharab = "one kharab fifty arab".
- In English business writing, convert: 3 arab → "3 billion rupees".
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Frequently asked questions
How many zeros in 1 arab?
Nine: 1,000,000,000 — same as a billion.
How many zeros in 1 kharab?
Eleven: 100,000,000,000 — same as 100 billion.
What comes after kharab?
Neel (100 kharab) and padma — mostly textbook terms.
Is arab used in India too?
Yes — arab (अरब) and kharab (खरब) are standard in Indian Hindi usage as well.