What is the number of pounds in a kilogram?

There are 2.20462 pounds in a kilogram. This is the rounded conversion from the international avoirdupois pound, the ordinary pound used for groceries, body weight, and most everyday measurements in the United States and the United Kingdom.

The exact relationship is based on the international definition of the pound: one pound equals exactly 0.45359237 kilograms. Dividing one kilogram by that value gives approximately 2.2046226218 pounds, commonly rounded to 2.20462 pounds.

The kilogram is the SI base unit of mass, while the pound belongs to the imperial and United States customary systems. In everyday conversation people often call both kilograms and pounds units of “weight,” although physics distinguishes mass from weight: mass is the amount of matter, while weight is the force caused by gravity.

A frequent mistake is using the avoirdupois pound for precious metals. Gold and silver are commonly measured in troy ounces, and a troy pound is different from the ordinary avoirdupois pound. For normal household conversions, however, 1 kilogram equals about 2.2 pounds.