How Many Grams Are In A Kilogram? (+ Conversion Guide!)

Everything you need to know about measuring grams, from terms and origin to how many grams are in a kilogram.

How Many Grams Are In A Kilogram?

There are 1,000 grams in a Kilo. This may be the easiest cooking conversion we’ve covered yet! This is the same regardless of what you’re measuring, because both grams and kilograms are methods of measuring weight. So whether the question is “how many grams are in a of gold” or even “protein”, the answer is always 1000 grams!

What Is A Gram?

The gram was introduced in France following the French Revolution. The word gramme was adopted by the French in a 1795 decree revising the metric system and defining the gram as the weight of one cubic centimeter of water. Republican France wanted to divest itself of all manner of “old ways”. This went well beyond beheading the king and queen. Standardizing measurements for trade was one such change in France, and it caught on.

Today only three nations don’t use the metric system: the USA, Liberia, and Myanmar (they would be converting grams to ounces or pounds!) To be fair the USA does use metric weights in most scientific and engineering applications, and you will increasingly find recipe ingredients measured in grams.

What Is A Kilogram (Kilo or Kg)?

Simplistically, a kilogram (Kilo or Kg) is 1,000 grams or the weight of 1 liter of water. The currently excepted mass of a kilogram is within 30 parts per million of the 1795 definition, so it hasn’t changed much in 227 years.