A product or spec sheet from a metric country
European and Asian listings give weight in kilograms. A 20-kilogram parcel is 44.09 pounds and a 5-kilogram tool is 11.02 pounds. Converting first tells you which shipping band it falls into.
Convert kilograms to pounds
A kilogram is 2.2046 pounds. Type a value in kilograms and the result appears straight away. The field takes fractions, so half a kilo can go in as 1/2 or 0.5. Below you will find a body-weight table in stone and a price-per-unit conversion.
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How many pounds are in a kilogram?
A kilogram is 2.2046 pounds. The other way round, a pound is exactly 0.45359237 kilograms, and that figure is defined rather than measured. The formula is pounds = kilograms × 2.2046.[1]
This is the direction you need whenever a metric figure lands in front of you: a European product weight, a spec sheet, a recipe from a metric country, or a doctor who works in kilograms even though you think in pounds. British body weight is the one exception in the English-speaking world: there the answer comes in two units at once, stones and pounds, which the kilograms to stones converter works out.
The multiplier worth remembering is 2.2046 rather than a round 2. The gap between them runs to more than 9%, which on 100 kilograms comes to over 20 pounds.
Where 0.45359237 comes from, and why a pound is written lb
The abbreviation lb has nothing to do with the word pound. It comes from the Roman unit of mass called the libra, and specifically from the phrase libra pondo, a pound by weight. Rome weighed in librae, and Europe inherited both the unit and the name. That is why the pound is still called libra in Spanish, livre in French and libbra in Italian, while English kept only the abbreviation.
For centuries every country had its own pound. The units were only pinned together on 1 July 1959, when six English-speaking nations, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, signed an agreement fixing the pound at exactly 0.45359237 kilograms.
Before that date the American and British pounds really did differ, but by an amount no scale will ever show: about six ten-millionths of a kilogram, under a milligram per pound. The agreement mattered to science and industry, not to shopping.
To do it in your head, double the kilograms and add a tenth of that. Eighty kilograms gives 160 plus 16, so 176 pounds against an exact 176.37. The shortcut is off by 0.2%.
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Three pounds share the name: trading, troy and local
The pound used for people, food and parcels is the avoirdupois pound. The name comes from the Old French aveir de peis, goods of weight, and it simply means the trading pound. This is the one that holds 0.45359237 kilograms and splits into 16 ounces, and it is the one the converter above calculates.[2]
Alongside it sits the troy pound, used only for precious metals. It holds 373.24 grams, a fifth less, and splits into 12 troy ounces instead of the usual 16, which you can break down in the ounces to pounds converter. If you are reading about the weight of gold or silver it is almost certainly this one, and converting it as a trading pound overstates the result by 21%.
You will recognise it by context: mints, bullion listings, commodity exchanges. Everywhere else, pound means the trading pound.
Kilograms to pounds conversion table
The table covers the values that come up most often in this conversion, from half a kilogram to 200 kilograms. The 23 kg airline allowance and the usual body weights are highlighted. Results are rounded to two decimal places, and any other value, including a fraction written as 1/2, goes into the converter above.
| Kilograms | Pounds (lb) |
|---|---|
| 0.5 kg | 1.10 lb |
| 1 kg | 2.20 lb |
| 1.5 kg | 3.31 lb |
| 2 kg | 4.41 lb |
| 2.5 kg | 5.51 lb |
| 3 kg | 6.61 lb |
| 3.5 kg | 7.72 lb |
| 4 kg | 8.82 lb |
| 4.5 kg | 9.92 lb |
| 5 kg | 11.02 lb |
| 6 kg | 13.23 lb |
| 7 kg | 15.43 lb |
| 8 kg | 17.64 lb |
| 9 kg | 19.84 lb |
| 10 kg | 22.05 lb |
| Kilograms | Pounds (lb) |
|---|---|
| 12 kg | 26.46 lb |
| 12.5 kg | 27.56 lb |
| 15 kg | 33.07 lb |
| 20 kg | 44.09 lb |
| 23 kg | 50.71 lb |
| 25 kg | 55.12 lb |
| 30 kg | 66.14 lb |
| 32 kg | 70.55 lb |
| 35 kg | 77.16 lb |
| 40 kg | 88.18 lb |
| 45 kg | 99.21 lb |
| 50 kg | 110.23 lb |
| 55 kg | 121.25 lb |
| 60 kg | 132.28 lb |
| 65 kg | 143.30 lb |
| Kilograms | Pounds (lb) |
|---|---|
| 70 kg | 154.32 lb |
| 75 kg | 165.35 lb |
| 80 kg | 176.37 lb |
| 85 kg | 187.39 lb |
| 90 kg | 198.42 lb |
| 95 kg | 209.44 lb |
| 100 kg | 220.46 lb |
| 105 kg | 231.49 lb |
| 110 kg | 242.51 lb |
| 120 kg | 264.55 lb |
| 130 kg | 286.60 lb |
| 140 kg | 308.65 lb |
| 150 kg | 330.69 lb |
| 175 kg | 385.81 lb |
| 200 kg | 440.92 lb |
Working from a figure in pounds instead? Head to the pounds to kilograms converter, which carries the American gym loading ladder.
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Body weight in pounds and in stone
In Britain body weight is quoted in stone and pounds, for example as 11 stone 4. One stone is 14 pounds, or 6.35 kilograms. The converter returns plain pounds, so the stone notation is read off this table. Values step every two kilograms so they land on a real reading from a scale.
| Body weight | Pounds (lb) | Stone and pounds |
|---|---|---|
| 40 kg | 88.18 lb | 6 st 4.2 lb |
| 42 kg | 92.59 lb | 6 st 8.6 lb |
| 44 kg | 97.00 lb | 6 st 13.0 lb |
| 46 kg | 101.41 lb | 7 st 3.4 lb |
| 48 kg | 105.82 lb | 7 st 7.8 lb |
| 50 kg | 110.23 lb | 7 st 12.2 lb |
| 52 kg | 114.64 lb | 8 st 2.6 lb |
| 54 kg | 119.05 lb | 8 st 7.0 lb |
| 56 kg | 123.46 lb | 8 st 11.5 lb |
| 58 kg | 127.87 lb | 9 st 1.9 lb |
| 60 kg | 132.28 lb | 9 st 6.3 lb |
| 62 kg | 136.69 lb | 9 st 10.7 lb |
| 64 kg | 141.10 lb | 10 st 1.1 lb |
| 66 kg | 145.51 lb | 10 st 5.5 lb |
| 68 kg | 149.91 lb | 10 st 9.9 lb |
| 70 kg | 154.32 lb | 11 st 0.3 lb |
| Body weight | Pounds (lb) | Stone and pounds |
|---|---|---|
| 72 kg | 158.73 lb | 11 st 4.7 lb |
| 74 kg | 163.14 lb | 11 st 9.1 lb |
| 76 kg | 167.55 lb | 11 st 13.6 lb |
| 78 kg | 171.96 lb | 12 st 4.0 lb |
| 80 kg | 176.37 lb | 12 st 8.4 lb |
| 82 kg | 180.78 lb | 12 st 12.8 lb |
| 84 kg | 185.19 lb | 13 st 3.2 lb |
| 86 kg | 189.60 lb | 13 st 7.6 lb |
| 88 kg | 194.01 lb | 13 st 12.0 lb |
| 90 kg | 198.42 lb | 14 st 2.4 lb |
| 95 kg | 209.44 lb | 14 st 13.4 lb |
| 100 kg | 220.46 lb | 15 st 10.5 lb |
| 105 kg | 231.49 lb | 16 st 7.5 lb |
| 110 kg | 242.51 lb | 17 st 4.5 lb |
| 120 kg | 264.55 lb | 18 st 12.6 lb |
Read the stone notation like this: 11 st 0.3 lb is eleven stone and three tenths of a pound. In practice the British round it to whole pounds.
How do you turn a price per kilo into a price per pound?
Metric suppliers quote a price per kilogram, American ones a price per pound. The two cannot be compared as they stand, and the price per pound always looks better, because a pound is less than half a kilogram.
A price converts the opposite way to a mass. Mass multiplies by 2.2046, a unit price by 0.4536, because a smaller portion costs less. The formula is price per pound = price per kilogram × 0.4536.
Worked example: goods at 40 per kilogram cost 40 × 0.4536 = 18.14 per pound. Going the other way, 10 per pound is 10 × 2.2046 = 22.05 per kilogram. The multiplier is the same in every currency, because it converts the unit and not the money.
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Price per kilogram as a price per pound
The table carries no currency, because the multiplier is identical for dollars, pounds sterling and euros. Multiply the price per kilogram by 0.4536.
| Per kilogram | Per pound |
|---|---|
| 10.00 | 4.54 |
| 15.00 | 6.80 |
| 20.00 | 9.07 |
| 25.00 | 11.34 |
| Per kilogram | Per pound |
|---|---|
| 30.00 | 13.61 |
| 40.00 | 18.14 |
| 50.00 | 22.68 |
| 60.00 | 27.22 |
| Per kilogram | Per pound |
|---|---|
| 80.00 | 36.29 |
| 100.00 | 45.36 |
Going the other way, multiply the price per pound by 2.2046 to get the price per kilogram.
The kinds of pound side by side
Three units share the name pound and none of them weigh the same. The converter above handles only the trading pound in the first row. The other rows are given in grams, so run them through the <a class="inline-link" href="/en/tools/g-to-kg-converter">grams to kilograms converter</a> before typing them in.
| Kind of pound | Mass | Divides into | Where you meet it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avoirdupois (trading) pound | 453.59 g | 16 ounces | Apps, parcels, gym plates, body weight. This is what the converter calculates. |
| Troy pound | 373.24 g | 12 troy ounces | Gold and silver: mints, bullion listings, commodity exchanges. |
| Metric pound (continental Europe) | 500 g | — | German Pfund and French livre at the butcher, the market and in recipes. |
Converting a troy pound as a trading pound overstates the result by 21%, because 373.24 grams is a fifth short of 453.59.
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Gym weights – common loads in kg and lb
Gym equipment in the United States is labelled in pounds. The table below converts standard gym loads, from dumbbells to an Olympic barbell.
| Weight (kg) | Weight (lb) |
|---|---|
| 2.5 kg | 5.51 lb |
| 5 kg | 11.02 lb |
| 10 kg | 22.05 lb |
| 12.5 kg | 27.56 lb |
| 15 kg | 33.07 lb |
| Weight (kg) | Weight (lb) |
|---|---|
| 20 kg | 44.09 lb |
| 25 kg | 55.12 lb |
| 30 kg | 66.14 lb |
| 35 kg | 77.16 lb |
| 40 kg | 88.18 lb |
| Weight (kg) | Weight (lb) |
|---|---|
| 45 kg | 99.21 lb |
| 50 kg | 110.23 lb |
| 60 kg | 132.28 lb |
| 80 kg | 176.37 lb |
| 100 kg | 220.46 lb |
When do you need kilograms in pounds?
Four situations where a metric figure has to be read in pounds.
Talking about body weight across the Atlantic
An American gives weight in pounds, a Briton in stone and pounds, and everyone else in kilograms. Seventy kilograms is 154.32 pounds, or eleven stone and a fraction. The body-weight table above lines up all three.Comparing prices between metric and imperial suppliers
A price per kilogram and a price per pound are not comparable until one of them is converted. Goods at 40 per kilogram work out at 18.14 per pound. The section above sets out the sum.A newborn weight recorded in kilograms
Hospitals in metric countries record birth weight in kilograms, while American and British records use pounds and ounces. A 3.5-kilogram baby is 7.72 pounds, which is roughly 7 lb 11 oz. The decimal part converts to ounces in the pounds to ounces converter.
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Sources
Every figure in the tables was computed from the unit definitions and checked arithmetically before publication. Historical values and the names of local units come from the sources listed above.
Content last reviewed: · written and checked by the Arteon team
Frequently asked questions about converting kilograms to pounds
How many pounds are in 1 kilogram?
One kilogram is 2.2046 pounds. The figure follows from the definition: since a pound is 0.45359237 kilograms, a kilogram is 1 ÷ 0.45359237 pounds. Rounded, 1 kg is 2.2 lb.
Is 1 kilogram 2 pounds?
No, and this is the most common mistake in the conversion. A kilogram is 2.2046 pounds. Counting two pounds to the kilo undershoots by more than 9%, and on 100 kilograms the gap grows past 20 pounds. In your head, multiply by 2.2, not by 2.
Is half a kilo the same as a pound?
No. Half a kilo is 500 grams and a pound is 453.59 grams, so the pound is 46 grams lighter. The distinction matters when you read German or French sources, where Pfund and livre mean exactly 500 grams in everyday speech rather than the Anglo-Saxon pound.
How many pounds are 23 kg and 32 kg, the airline limits?
23 kilograms is 50.71 pounds and 32 kilograms is 70.55 pounds. The first is the standard checked-bag allowance on European carriers, the second the maximum weight for a single piece. American carriers quote the same two limits as 50 and 70 pounds.
How many pounds are 70, 80 and 100 kg?
Seventy kilograms is 154.32 pounds, eighty is 176.37 pounds and a hundred is 220.46 pounds. Each comes from multiplying the kilograms by 2.2046.
How do I type half a kilo or a quarter of a kilo?
You can type the decimal, 0.5 or 0.25, but the field also accepts common fractions. Type 1/2 or 1/4 and the converter handles it. Mixed fractions such as 1 1/2 work too.
What is a stone and how do I convert kilograms to stone?
A stone is a British unit of mass equal to 14 pounds, or 6.35 kilograms. British body weight is quoted in stone and pounds, written as 11 stone 4. To get stone, divide the kilograms by 6.35. Ready values for 40 to 120 kilograms are in the body-weight table above.
How many pounds and ounces is a 3.5 kg newborn?
3.5 kilograms is 7.72 pounds, which in the Anglo-Saxon notation is about 7 lb 11 oz. You convert the decimal part to ounces by multiplying it by 16: 0.72 × 16 is just under 12 ounces. A healthy newborn usually weighs 3 to 4 kilograms, or 6.6 to 8.8 pounds.
What is the formula for converting kilograms to pounds?
The formula is: pounds = kilograms × 2.2046226218. The other way round: kilograms = pounds × 0.45359237. Both figures come from the 1959 six-nation agreement that fixed the pound at exactly 0.45359237 kilograms.
How do you convert kilograms to pounds in your head?
Double the kilograms and add a tenth of that result. Eighty kilograms gives 160 plus 16, so 176 pounds against an exact 176.37. The error is 0.2%, which is fine for an estimate.
How do you turn a price per kilo into a price per pound?
Multiply the price per kilogram by 0.4536. Goods at 40 per kilogram cost 18.14 per pound. Mind the direction: mass multiplies by 2.2046 but a price multiplies by 0.4536, because a lighter portion costs less.
What is the difference between an avoirdupois pound and a troy pound?
The avoirdupois, or trading, pound is 453.59 grams and splits into 16 ounces. The troy pound is 373.24 grams and splits into 12 troy ounces, and it is used only for precious metals. The gap is a fifth, so weighing gold as a trading pound overstates it by 21%. The converter above uses the trading pound.
Why is a pound abbreviated lb?
The abbreviation comes from the Roman unit libra, specifically the phrase libra pondo, a pound by weight. The same root gave the Romance names for the unit: libra in Spanish, livre in French and libbra in Italian.
What unit does medicine use for body weight?
Kilograms, including in English-speaking countries. Many drug doses are calculated per kilogram of body mass, so medical records work in kilograms regardless of what the patient steps onto at home.
How do I switch a bathroom scale from kilograms to pounds?
Electronic scales have a small button or slider marked UNIT or KG/LB, on the underside or beside the display. Each press cycles the unit, often through a third stone setting. On scales paired with an app, the unit lives in the profile settings.
Have a question or a suggestion?
If you have spotted an error in the tables or have an idea for improving the converter, drop us a line. We reply to every message.
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