Why Pakistan Uses Traditional Land Units
Property in Pakistan is still measured in traditional units inherited from the Mughal and British colonial eras. Sale deeds, registry documents, and patwari records all quote area in marla, kanal, and murabba. Anyone buying, selling, or inheriting land quickly discovers that fluency in these units is not optional. The patwari, the local land-revenue officer, still maintains many of these records by hand, which is why buyers are strongly advised to verify measurements independently before signing a registry.
Marla — The Standard Small Unit
One standard marla equals 272.25 square feet, or 30.25 square yards. Residential plots are almost always quoted in marlas: 5 marla, 10 marla, and 1 kanal plots are the standard sizes in housing societies across Punjab. One marla is roughly the area of a large bedroom. Because the marla is defined as 30.25 square yards, it converts neatly: a 5-marla plot is 151.25 square yards, and a 10-marla plot is 302.5 square yards. If a seller quotes a plot in square feet instead, dividing by 272.25 gives the size in marlas.
Kanal — The Larger Residential Unit
One kanal equals 20 marlas: 5,445 square feet or 605 square yards. Kanal is the standard unit for larger houses and farmhouses. Housing societies often market plots as 1 kanal, 2 kanal, or 4 kanal, so knowing that each kanal breaks down into 20 marlas makes price comparisons much easier.
Gaj (Guz) — The Square Yard
The gaj is the South Asian square yard: 1 gaj = 9 square feet. “150 gaj ka plot” means a 150-square-yard plot, about 5 marlas. Divide square yards by 30.25 to get marlas. To convert gaj to marla, divide by 30.25; to go the other way, multiply marlas by 30.25. The words gaj, guz, and gaz all describe the same unit, so a guz-to-marla converter and a gaj-to-marla converter perform the same calculation.
Murabba and Acre
The murabba is the traditional large agricultural unit: 25 acres. One acre equals 4,840 square yards (43,560 square feet), exactly 8 kanals. For farm purchases, the acre is the unit you will encounter most often: at 4,840 square yards it equals exactly 8 kanals or 160 marlas, which makes it easy to cross-check a dealer’s figures. The murabba, at 25 acres, survives mainly in older agricultural records.
Quick Reference Chart
| Unit | Square feet | Square yards | Also equals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 marla | 272.25 sq ft | 30.25 sq yd | — |
| 1 kanal | 5,445 sq ft | 605 sq yd | 20 marla |
| 1 gaj | 9 sq ft | 1 sq yd | — |
| 1 acre | 43,560 sq ft | 4,840 sq yd | 160 marla |
| 1 murabba | 1,089,000 sq ft | 121,000 sq yd | 4,000 marla |
A Note on Regional Variation
Values above are standard in Punjab and most official records, but local custom can vary. Always confirm with the area patwari or registry office before a transaction. In some areas, notably parts of Karachi, a slightly different marla has historically been used, so the figures above describe the standard marla recognised in Punjab and in most official documentation. When in doubt, confirm the exact local factor with the area’s patwari or registry office before completing a transaction.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many square feet in 1 marla?
One standard marla equals 272.25 square feet, which is the same as 30.25 square yards.
How many marlas in 1 kanal?
Exactly 20 marlas make 1 kanal — that is 5,445 square feet or 605 square yards.
What is the difference between gaj and marla?
A gaj is the South Asian square yard (9 square feet), while a marla is much larger at 30.25 square yards. So 1 marla equals 30.25 gaj; to convert gaj to marla, divide the gaj figure by 30.25.
How many kanals in 1 acre?
Exactly 8 kanals make 1 acre, because 1 kanal is 605 square yards and 1 acre is 4,840 square yards.
What is a murabba?
A murabba is a traditional agricultural unit of 25 acres — equal to 100 kanals or 4,000 marlas. It appears mainly in agricultural revenue records rather than in residential dealings.
Related Conversions
Worked Examples
Example 1 — Gaj to marla: A dealer offers a 250-gaj residential plot. Divide 250 by 30.25 to get about 8.26 marlas — roughly an 8-marla plot with a little extra.
Example 2 — Marla to square feet: You are comparing two 5-marla plots quoted at different prices. Each 5-marla plot is 5 × 272.25 = 1,361.25 square feet, so you can work out the price per square foot and compare the two deals fairly.
Example 3 — Kanal to acre: A farmhouse plot is advertised as 4 kanals. Since 8 kanals make an acre, 4 kanals is exactly half an acre (2,420 square yards).
More Frequently Asked Questions
How do I convert marla to square metres?
One marla is 272.25 square feet, and one square foot equals 0.092903 square metres, so a marla is about 25.29 square metres. Multiply the number of marlas by 25.29 for a quick estimate — for example, 10 marlas is roughly 253 square metres.
Is the marla the same everywhere in Pakistan?
Not quite. The standard marla of 30.25 square yards is used in Punjab and in most official records, but some areas — notably parts of Karachi — have historically used a different marla. Always confirm the local standard with the area’s patwari or registry office before completing a transaction.