Whether you're tracking your weight, calculating shipping costs, or following a recipe from another country, converting pounds to kilograms is one of the most common unit conversions in daily life. This guide gives you the formula, a complete reference chart, and everything you need to convert quickly and accurately.
Quick answer: 1 pound = 0.453592 kilograms. To convert pounds to kg, multiply by 0.4536. To convert kg to pounds, multiply by 2.2046.
The exact conversion factor between pounds and kilograms is defined by international agreement:
For quick mental maths, you can use the approximation of dividing by 2.2 to go from pounds to kg, or multiplying by 2.2 to go from kg to pounds.
| Pounds (lb) | Kilograms (kg) | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 lb | 0.45 kg | Butter, small package |
| 5 lb | 2.27 kg | Bag of flour |
| 10 lb | 4.54 kg | Dumbbells, carry-on limit |
| 20 lb | 9.07 kg | Checked baggage |
| 50 lb | 22.68 kg | Shipping freight |
| 100 lb | 45.36 kg | Weight milestone |
| 150 lb | 68.04 kg | Average person weight |
| 200 lb | 90.72 kg | Heavy person weight |
The pound is part of the Imperial system, primarily used in the United States, while the kilogram is part of the International System of Units (SI), used by most of the world. The kilogram is formally defined as exactly 1,000 grams and is the base unit of mass in the metric system.
The pound traces its roots to ancient Roman units of measurement and has been used in England and its territories for centuries. The US retained it after independence, making it one of only three countries in the world — along with Liberia and Myanmar — that hasn't officially adopted the metric system as its primary measurement standard.
| Kilograms (kg) | Pounds (lb) |
|---|---|
| 1 kg | 2.205 lb |
| 5 kg | 11.023 lb |
| 10 kg | 22.046 lb |
| 50 kg | 110.231 lb |
| 75 kg | 165.347 lb |
| 100 kg | 220.462 lb |
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