Pakistan officially uses the metric system, yet daily life mixes units: height in feet and inches, land in marla, gold in tola and fuel in litres. Online shopping and travel add pounds, miles and gallons. This guide explains metric vs imperial units simply, with the key conversions you need. For quick answers, use our all-in-one Unit Converter.
The metric system
The metric system (SI) is based on powers of ten: metre for length, kilogram for mass, litre for volume and degrees Celsius for everyday temperature. Prefixes make it simple: kilo = 1,000, centi = 1/100, milli = 1/1,000.
The imperial and US systems
Imperial units (inches, feet, miles, pounds, pints, gallons) come from Britain. The United States uses a similar “US customary” system, but some units, such as the gallon, differ from the British imperial versions.
Who uses what?
| Area | Common units |
|---|---|
| Pakistan (official) | Metric |
| Pakistan (everyday) | Feet and inches for height, marla and kanal for land, tola for gold |
| UK | Metric officially; miles on roads, pints for milk and beer |
| USA | US customary (miles, pounds, Fahrenheit) |
Key conversions
| From | To | Multiply by |
|---|---|---|
| inch | cm | 2.54 |
| foot | m | 0.3048 |
| mile | km | 1.609 |
| pound | kg | 0.4536 |
| US gallon | litre | 3.785 |
| UK gallon | litre | 4.546 |
Mental shortcuts
- kg to lb: double it and add 10% (70 kg ≈ 140 + 14 = 154 lb).
- km to miles: multiply by 0.6 (100 km ≈ 60 miles; exact 62.1).
- °C to °F: double and add 30 for a rough answer (25 °C ≈ 80 °F; exact 77 °F).
Single-unit converters
For common daily conversions, our dedicated tools are quicker: KG to LBS Converter, Feet to CM Converter, KM to Miles Converter and Celsius to Fahrenheit.
Why mistakes happen
- Mixing US and UK gallons
- Using feet and inches as decimals (5.6 ft is not 5 ft 6 in)
- Rounding too early in multi-step calculations
Read common unit conversion mistakes to avoid them.
Frequently asked questions
Does Pakistan use metric or imperial?
Metric officially, though feet, inches and local units are common in daily life.
How many cm are in an inch?
Exactly 2.54 cm.
Are US and UK gallons the same?
No, a US gallon is 3.785 litres and a UK gallon 4.546 litres.