Bigha to Acre: State-by-State Conversion
1 bigha is roughly 0.2 to 0.625 acre — because a bigha is not a fixed size. A pucca bigha in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan (27,225 sq ft) is ≈ 0.625 acre; West Bengal and Assam (14,400 sq ft) = 1/3 acre (0.3305785); Madhya Pradesh (12,000 sq ft) ≈ 0.2754821 acre; and Himachal Pradesh (8,712 sq ft) = 1/5 acre (0.2). The table below gives each state’s value in square feet, acres and m², computed from the standard defining values. Last updated 2026-07-13.
Values are multi-source corroborated and marked high or medium confidence. Where states genuinely disagree we show the documented variants rather than invent one figure. For any legal, property or financial decision, always confirm against your local revenue records (patwari / tehsil).
Why 1 bigha isn’t a fixed acre
The bigha is the legacy of a revenue system, not a measurement one. It was never standardised nationally — princely states, zamindari systems and the British province-by-province settlement surveys each kept their own bigha. That is why “how many acres in 1 bigha” has a different answer in each state. An acre is fixed at 43,560 sq ft, so to turn any state’s bigha into acres you divide that state’s bigha in square feet by 43,560.
The pucca vs kachha catch
In several northern states a pucca (“pakka”, large) bigha is the bigger official measure, while a kachha (small) bigha is a local fraction of it. The fraction is not constant — it runs from about a half to two-thirds and is set district by district (about two-thirds in Rajasthan, nearer a third in western UP), so there is no one universal ratio. Always confirm which version a local quote uses.
Bigha → acre table by state
| State / region | 1 Bigha (sq ft) | in acres | in m² | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh, Bihar & Rajasthan (pucca) | 27,225 | 0.625 | 2,529.285 | high |
| Rajasthan (kachha) | 17,424 | 0.4 | 1,618.743 | high |
| Uttar Pradesh (kachha, western UP) | 9,075 | 0.2083333 | 843.0951 | medium |
| West Bengal | 14,400 | 0.3305785 | 1,337.804 | high |
| Assam | 14,400 | 0.3305785 | 1,337.804 | high |
| Madhya Pradesh | 12,000 | 0.2754821 | 1,114.836 | high |
| Himachal Pradesh (1/5 acre) | 8,712 | 0.2 | 809.3713 | high |
| Gujarat (vigha) | 17,424 | 0.4 | 1,618.743 | high |
| Haryana & Punjab (kachha basis) * | 9,075 | 0.2083333 | 843.0951 | medium |
| Haryana & Punjab (pucca basis) * | 27,225 | 0.625 | 2,529.285 | medium |
- * Haryana & Punjab (kachha basis): Bigha is not standardised in Haryana/Punjab — local 1/5, 1/4 and 1/2-acre bighas (8,712 / 10,890 / 21,780 sq ft) also exist. Confirm against local records.
- * Haryana & Punjab (pucca basis): Bigha is not standardised in Haryana/Punjab — several local bases exist. Confirm against local records.
Haryana and Punjab bighas are genuinely unstandardised: alongside the values above, some sources give a Punjab/Haryana bigha of 21,780 sq ft (exactly half an acre). Treat any single figure there as one of several documented variants and confirm against the local patwari record.
Worked examples
- 5 bigha in UP = 5 × 0.625 = 3.125 acres.
- 10 bigha in West Bengal = 10 × 0.3305785 = 3.305785 acres (about 3.3 acres).
- 1 bigha in Rajasthan (kachha), 17,424 sq ft = 0.4 acre.
Bigha → hectare
Convert to acres first, then multiply by 0.404686 (1 acre = 0.404686 hectare); or take the sq-ft value straight to m² (× 0.09290304) and divide by 10,000. For example, a UP pucca bigha (27,225 sq ft) = 0.2529285 hectare, and a West Bengal bigha (14,400 sq ft) = 0.1337804 hectare.
Reverse: acre → bigha by state
Because 1 killa = 1 acre = 43,560 sq ft, the number of bigha per acre changes by state:
| State / region | Bigha in 1 acre |
|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh, Bihar & Rajasthan (pucca) | 1.6 bigha |
| Rajasthan (kachha) | 2.5 bigha |
| Uttar Pradesh (kachha, western UP) | 4.8 bigha |
| West Bengal | 3.025 bigha |
| Assam | 3.025 bigha |
| Madhya Pradesh | 3.63 bigha |
| Himachal Pradesh (1/5 acre) | 5 bigha |
| Gujarat (vigha) | 2.5 bigha |
| Haryana & Punjab (kachha basis) | 4.8 bigha |
| Haryana & Punjab (pucca basis) | 1.6 bigha |
Frequently asked questions
- How many acres is 1 bigha?
- It depends on the state, because a bigha is not a fixed size. A pucca bigha in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan (27,225 sq ft) is about 0.625 acre; a West Bengal or Assam bigha (14,400 sq ft) is 1/3 acre (0.3305785); Madhya Pradesh (12,000 sq ft) is about 0.2754821 acre; and a Himachal Pradesh bigha (8,712 sq ft) is exactly 1/5 acre (0.2). Use the table above for your state.
- How many bigha in 1 acre in UP?
- Because a UP pucca bigha is 27,225 sq ft and an acre is 43,560 sq ft, 1 acre = 43,560 ÷ 27,225 = 1.6 bigha (the inverse of 1 bigha = 0.625 acre). The same holds for Bihar and Rajasthan pucca bighas.
- How many bigha in 1 acre in West Bengal?
- A West Bengal bigha is 14,400 sq ft, so 1 acre = 43,560 ÷ 14,400 = 3.025 bigha — very close to 3 bigha per acre. In Madhya Pradesh (12,000 sq ft) it is 3.63 bigha, and in Himachal Pradesh (8,712 sq ft) it is exactly 5 bigha per acre.
- Is a bigha the same everywhere in India?
- No. The bigha is a traditional revenue unit that each state recorded separately, and many states keep a larger “pucca” and a smaller “kachha” version. So the only correct “bigha in acres” is the one for your specific state or district — there is no single national value.
- What is the difference between a pucca and kachha bigha?
- A pucca (“pakka”, large) bigha is the bigger official measure; a kachha (small) bigha is a local fraction of it — usually about a half to two-thirds, set district by district. In Rajasthan the pucca bigha is 27,225 sq ft (0.625 acre) while the kachha bigha is 17,424 sq ft (0.4 acre).
- How many acres is 5 bigha in UP?
- In Uttar Pradesh (pucca), 1 bigha ≈ 0.625 acre, so 5 bigha = 5 × 0.625 = 3.125 acres. In West Bengal, 10 bigha = 10 × 0.3305785 = 3.305785 acres. Always multiply by your own state’s acre-per-bigha value.
- How do I convert bigha to hectare?
- Convert to acres first, then multiply by 0.404686 (1 acre = 0.404686 hectare); or convert the sq-ft value straight to m² (× 0.09290304) and divide by 10,000. A UP pucca bigha (27,225 sq ft) is 0.2529285 hectare, and a West Bengal bigha (14,400 sq ft) is 0.1337804 hectare.
Convert these units
Use the by-state converters (they carry the same per-state values and a region selector):
Full state-by-state land-unit reference (bigha, biswa, katha, dhur) →