Arab & Kharab — The Big Indian Numbers Explained
By WordsForNumbers Editorial Team · Updated 2026-09-30 · 24 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".
Reading a budget figure step by step
News headlines like "Rs 17,000 arab allocated" are easier once you decode them mechanically. Here is the routine:
- Convert the named scale to zeros: 1 arab = 1,000,000,000, so 17,000 arab = 17,000 × 1,000,000,000.
- Write the full digits: 17,000,000,000,000.
- Regroup Indian-style (3 digits, then pairs): 17,00,00,00,00,000.
- Read the new grouping: "one hundred seventy kharab rupees" — the same money, two valid names.
Real-world figures in digits and words
| Figure | Digits (Indian grouping) | In words |
|---|---|---|
| 500 arab | 5,00,00,00,00,000 | five hundred arab |
| 2.5 kharab | 2,50,00,00,00,000 | two kharab fifty arab |
| 75 arab | 75,00,00,00,000 | seventy-five arab |
| 1 kharab | 1,00,00,00,00,000 | one kharab |
Arab/kharab vs billion/trillion
Urdu media says arab, English media says billion — same value, different name. When comparing a budget figure across languages, convert first or you will compare mismatched scales.
| Indian name | International name | Digits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 arab | 1 billion | 1,000,000,000 |
| 1 kharab | 100 billion | 100,000,000,000 |
| 10 kharab | 1 trillion | 1,000,000,000,000 |
| 1 neel | 10 trillion | 10,000,000,000,000 |
| 1 padma | 1 quadrillion | 1,000,000,000,000,000 |
Common confusions
- People hear "kharab" and assume trillion — it is 100 billion, one tenth of a trillion.
- "Arab" in casual speech sometimes just means "a huge amount" — in finance it is exact: 10^9.
- Do not confuse kharab (کھرب) with the Urdu word for spoiled/broken — same sound, very different in a budget speech.
- English-language bank and SBP documents never use arab/kharab — they use billion/trillion, so convert before filing or comparing.
Arab and kharab in real figures
One arab equals 100 crore (1,00,00,00,000) and one kharab equals 100 arab. These units appear in Pakistani government budgets, large property deals and banking documents. In the International system, one arab is one billion and one kharab is 100 billion.
| Indian unit | Figure | International |
|---|---|---|
| 1 arab | 1,00,00,00,000 | 1 billion |
| 1 kharab | 1,00,00,00,00,000 | 100 billion |
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.
How do I read "5,00,00,00,00,000" aloud?
"Five hundred arab" (or "five kharab"). Chunk the digits from the right — 3, then pairs — to find the scale.
What is 10 kharab in trillion?
1 trillion. 1 kharab = 100 billion, so 10 kharab = 1,000 billion = 1 trillion.
Why does Pakistani media mix "arab" and "billion"?
Urdu outlets use arab/kharab while English outlets use billion/trillion for the same values. Convert to one system before comparing two figures.
How many crores are in one arab?
One arab equals 100 crore. In figures that is 1,00,00,00,000, or one billion in the International system.