Million to Billion Converter
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How many million are in one billion?
The meaning of a billion is one thousand million (1,000,000,000). This figure was principally declared as the billion in American English, and was then adopted as the common measurement for billion in British English in the 1970s.
To give you some monetary context, if you were to earn $100,000 per year it would take you 10 years to earn $1 million. To reach $1 billion would require you to save every penny you earn for 10,000 years.
How to convert million to billion
1 million is equal to 0.001 billion. To convert your million figure to billion, divide it by 1000.
How to convert billion to million
1 billion is equal to 1,000 million. To convert your billion figure to million, multiply it by 1000.
How many zeros in 1 billion?
Well, like so many things when it comes to measuring up, it can vary a bit depending on where you are. In the US, a billion has always been < Dr. Evil > ONE THOUSAND MILLION < / Dr. Evil > . In numbers, that's 1,000,000,000 with, count 'em, nine zeroes.
In the UK, traditionally a billion was < Dr. Evil second attempt > ONE MILLION MILLION < / second attempt > . That's 12 zeroes (1,000,000,000,000). But what's a difference of three zeroes between friends? A lot, as it happens.
A doctor telling you that you have a billion seconds to live would receive a stony reception in the US, as that adds up to 32 years. In the land of red phone boxes, cups of tea and roast beef, though, it would mean 32,000 years. Suddenly, British immortality is explained: Doctor Who regenerating across centuries, and Mick Jagger, looking youthful at just 240 years old - it all makes sense.
BUT WAIT!
In 1974, the UK government decided to try on a leather jacket and talk like the Fonz, and it began using the US sense of "billion" for all official figures released - that's a thousand million. Nine zeroes. It's basically a universal now. 1
1,000,000,000
Million to billion chart
| Million to billion | Million to billion |
|---|---|
| 1 million = 0.001 billion | 20 million = 0.02 billion |
| 2 million = 0.002 billion | 30 million = 0.03 billion |
| 3 million = 0.003 billion | 40 million = 0.04 billion |
| 4 million = 0.004 billion | 50 million = 0.05 billion |
| 5 million = 0.005 billion | 60 million = 0.06 billion |
| 6 million = 0.006 billion | 70 million = 0.07 billion |
| 7 million = 0.007 billion | 80 million = 0.08 billion |
| 8 million = 0.008 billion | 90 million = 0.09 billion |
| 9 million = 0.009 billion | 100 million = 0.1 billion |
| 10 million = 0.01 billion | 110 million = 0.11 billion |
Billion to million chart
| Billion to million | Billion to million |
|---|---|
| 1 billion = 1,000 million | 11 billion = 11,000 million |
| 2 billion = 2,000 million | 12 billion = 12,000 million |
| 3 billion = 3,000 million | 13 billion = 13,000 million |
| 4 billion = 4,000 million | 14 billion = 14,000 million |
| 5 billion = 5,000 million | 15 billion = 15,000 million |
| 6 billion = 6,000 million | 16 billion = 16,000 million |
| 7 billion = 7,000 million | 17 billion = 17,000 million |
| 8 billion = 8,000 million | 18 billion = 18,000 million |
| 9 billion = 9,000 million | 19 billion = 19,000 million |
| 10 billion = 10,000 million | 20 billion = 20,000 million |
What does a billion look like?
Some things are too extraordinary to visualise. Can you even imagine a billion dollars? A billion cats? A billion jars of Nutella, all with your name on them?
Let's go back to the idea that a billion seconds is 32 years. How many years, then, is a million seconds? Have a little think. The answer? None. It is no years. It is less than 12 days. That's how vast the difference is between million and billion.
Now raid your piggy bank and see if you can find a billion pennies or cents to pile up. That's 10 million dollars, pounds or euros, so it's probably not worth wasting your time actually smashing open Percy Pig right now. But just imagine: one billion cents in a stack would be 870 miles high. Or if you laid them side by side in a line, it would stretch 6,213 miles, which would reach 2/3 of the way round the circumference of Mercury.
We hope you've found this article and converter helpful. When you next hear someone talk about money in the billions, you'll know how much that equates to.
If you think the billion is a huge number, though, it's nothing compared to the size of the trillion.
Calculator: Alastair Hazell. Article: Becky Kleanthous.References
- House of Commons Library. What is a billion? And other units.
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