Short answer
- To convert kilograms to pounds, multiply the number of kilograms by 2.20462. To convert pounds to kilograms, divide the number of pounds by 2.20462, or multiply by 0.45359237. One kilogram equals 2.20462 pounds, and one pound equals exactly 0.45359237 kilograms. | Conversion | Formula | Factor | |---|---|---| | Kilograms to pounds | Pounds = kilograms x 2.20462 | Multiply by 2.20462 | | Pounds to kilograms | Kilograms = pounds x 0.45359237 | Multiply by 0.45359237 | For a quick estimate, multiplying by 2.2 is close enough for most everyday purposes. It understates the true answer by only about 0.2 percent. For a luggage limit, a shipping weight, or anything else where a limit is enforced or money depends on the figure, use the full 2.20462 factor instead. One distinction matters before any numbers. The pound in this article is the avoirdupois pound, the ordinary pound used for body weight, groceries and parcels. It is defined as exactly 0.45359237 kilograms. The troy pound, used historically for precious metals, is a different unit and is not covered here. Every table and worked example below uses the avoirdupois pound.
By Emma Hudson
Kilograms and pounds are the two weight units most people meet in everyday life. Kilograms appear on food labels, luggage scales and gym plates in much of the world, while pounds appear on scales, recipes and body weight readings in the United States. Converting between them needs one number, and this guide gives that number, explains where it comes from, and works through the weights people actually search for, in both directions, with full tables you can check line by line.
Where the Conversion Factor Comes From
The factor is not a round number because the pound is defined in terms of the kilogram, not the other way round. Since 1959, under the international yard and pound agreement, one avoirdupois pound has been defined as exactly 0.45359237 kilograms. That definition is exact, with no uncertainty attached to it.
Dividing 1 by 0.45359237 gives the reverse factor: 1 kilogram equals 2.2046226218 pounds, with the decimal continuing beyond the digits shown. In practice the value is shortened to 2.20462, which is accurate enough that the rounding makes no difference at two decimal places for any weight in the tables below. Both tables in this article were recomputed from the exact definition, and each rounded value rounds correctly at the two decimal places stated.
NIST, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, publishes the same relationship in its Guide to the SI. Its tables give one pound (avoirdupois) as 4.535924 E-01 kilograms, the exact definition rounded to seven significant figures, and its metric conversion card gives the everyday approximation of 1 kilogram as 2.20 pounds.
Kilograms to Pounds: The Method
Multiply the kilograms by 2.20462 and then round sensibly. Body weights and luggage weights are usually quoted to one or two decimal places in pounds. There is no benefit in quoting five decimal places for a bathroom scale reading, and extra decimals can make a result look more precise than the scale that produced it.
Worked example: 23 kilograms. Multiply 23 x 2.20462 = 50.70626, which rounds to 50.71 pounds. That answers the question of how many pounds are 23 kg: 50.71 pounds. It is also a useful luggage figure, because 23 kg is a weight many travelers meet as a checked bag allowance, and 50.71 pounds is just over 50 pounds, a limit some United States airlines use for a checked bag. A bag that is exactly at a 23 kg allowance can therefore be slightly over a 50 pound limit, which is worth knowing before you pack rather than at the check in desk.
Worked example: 8 kilograms. Multiply 8 x 2.20462 = 17.63696, which rounds to 17.64 pounds. So how many pounds is 8 kg? 17.64 pounds, roughly the weight of a lightly packed carry on bag or a large bag of pet food.
Worked example: 3 kilograms. Multiply 3 x 2.20462 = 6.61386, which rounds to 6.61 pounds. So how many pounds is 3 kg? 6.61 pounds, about the weight of three liters of water together with a light container, since one liter of water weighs approximately one kilogram.
Worked example: 55 kilograms. Multiply 55 x 2.20462 = 121.2541, which rounds to 121.25 pounds. That answers both how many pounds is 55 kg and how many pounds is 55 kilos: 121.25 pounds in both cases. Kilos is simply the informal word for kilograms, so the two phrasings ask the same question and share the same answer. The same applies to how many pounds is 55 kilos, which is also 121.25 pounds.
Worked example: 52 kilograms. Multiply 52 x 2.20462 = 114.64024, which rounds to 114.64 pounds. So how many pounds is 52 kilograms? 114.64 pounds.
Worked example: 70 kilograms, a common body weight search. Multiply 70 x 2.20462 = 154.3234, which rounds to 154.32 pounds.
Worked example: 100 kilograms. Multiply 100 x 2.20462 = 220.462, which rounds to 220.46 pounds.
Kilograms to Pounds Table
All values are rounded to two decimal places.
| Kilograms | Pounds |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| 4 kg | 8.82 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 |
| 12 kg | 26.46 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 |
| 35 kg | 77.16 lb |
| 40 kg | 88.18 lb |
| 45 kg | 99.21 lb |
| 50 kg | 110.23 lb |
| 52 kg | 114.64 lb |
| 55 kg | 121.25 lb |
| 60 kg | 132.28 lb |
| 65 kg | 143.30 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 |
| 110 kg | 242.51 lb |
| 120 kg | 264.55 lb |
| 150 kg | 330.69 lb |
| 200 kg | 440.92 lb |
You can cross check the table against itself. The 50 kg row gives 110.23 pounds and the 55 kg row gives 121.25 pounds. The difference is 5 kg, and 5 x 2.20462 = 11.02 pounds, exactly the gap between the two rows: 121.25 minus 110.23 = 11.02.
Pounds to Kilograms: The Method
To convert pounds to kilograms, divide by 2.20462, or multiply by the exact factor 0.45359237. Both routes give the same answer at two decimal places. Multiplying by 0.45359237 is often easier on a calculator because it avoids a long division, and it uses the exact definition directly.
Worked example: 1.2 pounds. Multiply 1.2 x 0.45359237 = 0.544310844, which rounds to 0.54 kg. So the search phrased as 1.2 pounds kg resolves to 0.54 kilograms, roughly the weight of a small bag of sugar.
Worked example: 4 pounds. Multiply 4 x 0.45359237 = 1.81436948, which rounds to 1.81 kg. So the question behind 4 pounds how many kg has the answer 1.81 kilograms.
Worked example: 2 pounds. Multiply 2 x 0.45359237 = 0.90718474, which rounds to 0.91 kg. So 2 lbs in kg is 0.91 kilograms, just under a kilogram, which is why a 2 pound bag and a 1 kilogram bag look almost the same size on a shelf.
Worked example: 4.5 pounds. Multiply 4.5 x 0.45359237 = 2.041165665, which rounds to 2.04 kg. So 4.5 pounds in kg is 2.04 kilograms.
Worked example: 50 pounds. Multiply 50 x 0.45359237 = 22.6796185, which rounds to 22.68 kg. So how much is 50 pounds in kg? 22.68 kilograms, just under a 23 kg checked bag allowance. That is why a bag weighed at exactly 50 pounds is usually inside a 23 kg allowance, while a bag a little over 50 pounds may not be.
Worked example: 55 pounds. Multiply 55 x 0.45359237 = 24.94758035, which rounds to 24.95 kg. Note the asymmetry that confuses many people: 55 kilograms is 121.25 pounds, but 55 pounds is only 24.95 kilograms. The number stays the same while the unit changes, and the answer changes completely. Always check which direction you are converting.
Worked example: 250 pounds. Multiply 250 x 0.45359237 = 113.3980925, which rounds to 113.40 kg. So how many kg is 250lbs? 113.40 kilograms.
Pounds to Kilograms Table
All values are rounded to two decimal places.
| Pounds | Kilograms |
|---|---|
| 1 lb | 0.45 kg |
| 1.2 lb | 0.54 kg |
| 2 lb | 0.91 kg |
| 3 lb | 1.36 kg |
| 4 lb | 1.81 kg |
| 4.5 lb | 2.04 kg |
| 5 lb | 2.27 kg |
| 10 lb | 4.54 kg |
| 15 lb | 6.80 kg |
| 20 lb | 9.07 kg |
| 25 lb | 11.34 kg |
| 30 lb | 13.61 kg |
| 40 lb | 18.14 kg |
| 50 lb | 22.68 kg |
| 55 lb | 24.95 kg |
| 60 lb | 27.22 kg |
| 75 lb | 34.02 kg |
| 80 lb | 36.29 kg |
| 100 lb | 45.36 kg |
| 110 lb | 49.90 kg |
| 120 lb | 54.43 kg |
| 130 lb | 58.97 kg |
| 140 lb | 63.50 kg |
| 150 lb | 68.04 kg |
| 160 lb | 72.57 kg |
| 170 lb | 77.11 kg |
| 180 lb | 81.65 kg |
| 190 lb | 86.18 kg |
| 200 lb | 90.72 kg |
| 220 lb | 99.79 kg |
| 250 lb | 113.40 kg |
| 300 lb | 136.08 kg |
Check the 10 pound row against the 1 pound row: 10 x 0.45359237 = 4.5359237, which rounds to 4.54 kg, matching the table.
Body Weight Conversions
Body weight is the most common reason people search for this conversion. A scale, a form, or a fitness app may use the unit you do not think in, and a single conversion makes the reading meaningful. Scale readings vary through the day, so a converted figure is only as steady as the reading behind it.
Common examples, rounded to two decimal places: 50 kg is 110.23 lb, 60 kg is 132.28 lb, 70 kg is 154.32 lb, 80 kg is 176.37 lb, 90 kg is 198.42 lb, and 100 kg is 220.46 lb. In the other direction: 120 lb is 54.43 kg, 140 lb is 63.50 kg, 160 lb is 72.57 kg, 180 lb is 81.65 kg, and 200 lb is 90.72 kg. This article gives unit conversions only and does not assess whether any weight is healthy for any person.
Luggage, Parcels, and Shipping Weights
Travel and shipping are where precision matters most, because a limit is enforced by someone else. Worked example: a suitcase weighs 20 kg. Multiply 20 x 2.20462 = 44.0924, which rounds to 44.09 pounds, comfortably below a 50 pound limit. A suitcase at 23 kg is 50.71 pounds, as shown above, which is over that same limit by 0.71 pounds. The gap between a comfortable bag and an overweight fee can be as small as 3 kg.
Worked example for a parcel: a box weighs 5 kg. Multiply 5 x 2.20462 = 11.0231, which rounds to 11.02 pounds. A 10 kg parcel is 22.05 pounds, and a 15 kg parcel is 33.07 pounds. If a courier prices or limits by kilograms and your scale reads in pounds, convert the other way: a 30 pound parcel is 13.61 kg, and a 40 pound parcel is 18.14 kg, both taken from the pounds to kilograms table above.
Allowances and limits vary by airline, route, ticket type, and courier, and they change over time. Check the current limit for your own booking or shipment before you travel or send anything.
Gym Plates and Training Weights
Gym equipment is a frequent source of mixed units. Plates and dumbbells in many countries are marked in kilograms, while some gyms in the United States mark equipment in pounds. Common plate sizes convert as follows, rounded to two decimal places: 1.25 kg is 2.76 lb, 2.5 kg is 5.51 lb, 5 kg is 11.02 lb, 10 kg is 22.05 lb, 15 kg is 33.07 lb, 20 kg is 44.09 lb, and 25 kg is 55.12 lb.
Worked example: two 20 kg plates on each side of a bar is 80 kg of plates. Multiply 80 x 2.20462 = 176.3696, which rounds to 176.37 pounds of plates, before the bar itself is counted. In the other direction, a 45 pound plate is 45 x 0.45359237 = 20.41165665, which rounds to 20.41 kg, close to but not exactly a 20 kg plate. Treating the two as identical adds about 0.41 kg per plate.
Kilograms, Pounds, and Ounces Together
Weights are sometimes given in pounds and ounces rather than as decimal pounds, for example for a newborn weight announcement or a parcel weighed on an older scale. Converting kilograms into that combined form takes one extra step: convert to pounds, keep the whole pounds, and multiply the decimal remainder by 16, because one pound equals 16 ounces.
Worked example: 23 kg is 50.70626 pounds using the 2.20462 factor. The whole part is 50 pounds, and the remainder is 0.70626 x 16 = 11.30 ounces, so 23 kg is about 50 pounds 11 ounces. Worked example: 8 kg is 17.63696 pounds, so 17 pounds plus 0.63696 x 16 = 10.19 ounces, or about 17 pounds 10 ounces. Worked example: 3 kg is 6.61386 pounds, so 6 pounds plus 0.61386 x 16 = 9.82 ounces, or about 6 pounds 10 ounces.
In the other direction, convert ounces to pounds first by dividing by 16, then convert the total pounds to kilograms. A weight of 10 pounds 8 ounces is 10.5 pounds, and 10.5 x 0.45359237 = 4.762719885, which rounds to 4.76 kg.
Mental Shortcuts, Labeled as Approximations
If you need a fast mental answer, use an approximation and know its error. Every shortcut in this section is an approximation, not the exact conversion.
Approximation for kilograms to pounds: multiply by 2.2. For 23 kg, 23 x 2.2 = 50.6 pounds, only 0.11 pounds below the exact 50.71 pounds. The error is about 0.2 percent, which is fine for estimating a body weight or a bag of groceries and not fine for an enforced limit.
A second approximation makes the same shortcut easier to do in your head: double the kilograms, then add 10 percent of the doubled amount. For 23 kg, double to 46, add 4.6, and you get 50.6 pounds, the same result as multiplying by 2.2, because doubling and adding a tenth is exactly multiplying by 2.2. Do not add 10 percent of the original kilograms instead: that gives 48.3 for 23 kg, which is a multiplication by 2.1 and understates the answer by about 5 percent.
Approximation for pounds to kilograms: divide by 2.2. For 50 pounds, 50 divided by 2.2 = 22.73 kg when rounded to two decimal places, only 0.05 kg above the exact 22.68 kg. A mental version of the same idea is to halve the pounds and then subtract about 10 percent of that half: half of 50 is 25, subtract 2.5, and you get 22.5 kg, close to the exact figure but a little further away than dividing by 2.2 directly.
The lesson is simple: 2.2 is a good everyday stand in, and 2.20462 is the figure to use when a limit, a price, or a record depends on the answer.
Related Conversions
Grams: one kilogram is exactly 1,000 grams, by the definition of the kilo prefix. So 2.5 kg is 2,500 grams, and 500 grams is 0.5 kg, which is 1.10 pounds. One pound is 453.59 grams when rounded to two decimal places, from the exact 453.59237 grams.
Ounces: one kilogram is about 35.27 ounces. The full calculation is 2.20462 pounds x 16 = 35.27392 ounces using the shortened factor, which rounds to 35.27 ounces. One ounce is 28.35 grams when rounded to two decimal places, from 453.59237 divided by 16 = 28.349523125 grams. NIST gives the same relationship in rounded form as one ounce (avoirdupois) equal to 2.834952 E-02 kilograms.
Metric tonnes and short tons: one metric tonne is exactly 1,000 kg, which is 2,204.62 pounds using the shortened factor. One short ton, the ton of 2,000 pounds used in the United States, is 2,000 x 0.45359237 = 907.18474 kg, which rounds to 907.18 kg. A tonne and a short ton are therefore not the same weight, and the difference is about 92.82 kg.
Stones: A Separate UK Note
This section is deliberately separate, because stone is not part of the kilogram to pound conversion itself. In the United Kingdom, body weight is often given in stone and pounds. One stone is exactly 14 pounds. That makes one stone equal to 14 x 0.45359237 = 6.35029318 kg, which rounds to 6.35 kg.
Examples, using pounds as the bridge and rounding the final pounds figure to one decimal place: 50 kg is 110.23 lb, which is 7 stone 12.2 lb. 60 kg is 132.28 lb, which is 9 stone 6.3 lb. 70 kg is 154.32 lb, which is 11 stone 0.3 lb. 80 kg is 176.37 lb, which is 12 stone 8.4 lb. 90 kg is 198.42 lb, which is 14 stone 2.4 lb. 100 kg is 220.46 lb, which is 15 stone 10.5 lb.
To go the other way, multiply the stone by 14, add any extra pounds, and then convert the total pounds to kilograms. For example, 11 stone is 154 pounds, and 154 x 0.45359237 = 69.85322498, which rounds to 69.85 kg. Stone is a third unit layered on top of pounds, so the safest route is always to pass through pounds rather than looking for a direct stone shortcut.
Common Mistakes
Multiplying when you should divide is the most common error, and it produces an answer that is off by a factor of nearly five. A useful check is built into the units themselves: for the same weight, the number of kilograms is always smaller than the number of pounds. If your kilograms answer is bigger than your pounds figure, you converted in the wrong direction.
Using 2.2 and then quoting five decimal places is a second mistake. A rounded factor cannot support a highly precise answer. If you use 2.2, round your answer to one decimal place at most, and label it as approximate.
Confusing the same number in different units is a third mistake. The phrases 55 kilos how many pounds and 55 pounds how many kilos look alike, but they give 121.25 pounds and 24.95 kilograms respectively. Read the unit that follows the number, not just the number itself.
Mixing up the troy pound and the avoirdupois pound is a fourth mistake, mostly relevant for precious metals. This article covers only the avoirdupois pound of exactly 0.45359237 kilograms, which is the pound used for body weight, food, luggage and parcels.
A fifth point, kept simple: in everyday use, kilograms and pounds are both used as scale readings, and the defined factor of 2.20462 already handles the conversion between them. No physics adjustment is needed to convert a bathroom, luggage, or parcel scale reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many pounds are in a kilogram?
One kilogram equals 2.20462 pounds, usually quoted as about 2.20 pounds for everyday estimates.
How many kilograms are in a pound?
One pound equals exactly 0.45359237 kilograms, usually quoted as about 0.454 kilograms.
Is 1 kg heavier than 2 pounds?
Yes, slightly. One kilogram is 2.20462 pounds, so it is about 0.20 pounds heavier than 2 pounds. In ounces, that difference is 0.20462 x 16 = 3.27 ounces, or about 3.3 ounces.
What is 100 kg in pounds?
100 x 2.20462 = 220.462, which rounds to 220.46 pounds.
How many pounds are 23 kg?
23 x 2.20462 = 50.70626, which rounds to 50.71 pounds.
How many pounds is 8 kg?
8 x 2.20462 = 17.63696, which rounds to 17.64 pounds.
How many pounds is 3 kg?
3 x 2.20462 = 6.61386, which rounds to 6.61 pounds.
How many pounds is 55 kg, and how many pounds is 55 kilos?
Both are the same question, because kilos is the informal word for kilograms. 55 x 2.20462 = 121.2541, which rounds to 121.25 pounds.
How many pounds is 52 kilograms?
52 x 2.20462 = 114.64024, which rounds to 114.64 pounds.
How much is 50 pounds in kg?
50 x 0.45359237 = 22.6796185, which rounds to 22.68 kg.
What is 1.2 pounds in kg?
1.2 x 0.45359237 = 0.544310844, which rounds to 0.54 kg.
How many kg is 4 pounds, and how many kg is 4.5 pounds?
4 pounds is 4 x 0.45359237 = 1.81436948, which rounds to 1.81 kg. 4.5 pounds is 4.5 x 0.45359237 = 2.041165665, which rounds to 2.04 kg. And 2 lbs in kg is 0.91 kg, from 2 x 0.45359237 = 0.90718474.
How many kg is 250lbs?
250 x 0.45359237 = 113.3980925, which rounds to 113.40 kg.
Why is the conversion factor not a round number?
Because the pound is defined in terms of the kilogram: one pound is exactly 0.45359237 kilograms. Dividing 1 by that exact value produces 2.2046226218 and continuing digits, conventionally shortened to 2.20462. The uneven number is a consequence of defining one unit from the other, not an approximation error.
How do I convert kilograms to pounds and ounces?
Convert to pounds first, keep the whole pounds, and multiply the decimal remainder by 16 to get ounces. For example, 23 kg is 50.70626 pounds, which is about 50 pounds 11 ounces.
How do I convert kilograms to stone?
Convert kilograms to pounds first, then divide the pounds by 14, because one stone is 14 pounds. For example, 70 kg is 154.32 pounds, which is 11 stone 0.3 pounds. Stone is covered in full in its own section above.
Keep reading: Ounces to Pounds
Keep reading: Kilograms to Ounces
Keep reading: How Many Grams in an Ounce? The Everyday Answer and the Exceptions
Sources & references
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B: Conversion Factors (SP 811). Used for the method of using conversion factors, for the example that 1 lb equals 4.535924 E-01 kg in the factor examples, and for the rounding guidance for converted values. https://www.nist.gov/pml/special-publication-811/nist-guide-si-appendix-b-conversion-factors
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST Guide to the SI, Appendix B.8: Factors for Units Listed Alphabetically. Used for pound (avoirdupois) to kilogram at 4.535924 E-01, for ounce (avoirdupois) to kilogram at 2.834952 E-02 and to gram at 2.834952 E+01, and for pound (troy or apothecary) as a distinct unit at 3.732417 E-01 kilograms. https://www.nist.gov/physical-measurement-laboratory/nist-guide-si-appendix-b8
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Approximate Conversions from Metric to U.S. Customary Measures (SP 365, Metric Conversion Card). Used for the approximate mass conversion of 1 kilogram to 2.20 pounds and for the note that exact factors are found in SP 811 Appendix B. https://www.nist.gov/pml/owm/metric-si/unit-conversion/approximate-conversions-metric-us-customary-measures
