One bit per second is exactly 0.001 kilobits per second, so converting bits per second to kilobits per second is a single multiplication. Enter any figure and the result appears as you type — the arithmetic runs in your browser, so nothing is sent anywhere.
Kilobits per second is the unit of audio bitrates and the old modem speeds. In networking a kilobit is exactly 1,000 bits, not 1,024. One bit per second is the base unit of data rate. Network speeds are always quoted in bits, which is why a 100 Mbps line downloads at about 12 MB/s.
Bits and bytes. Network speeds are sold in bits per second and file transfers are reported in bytes per second, and there are eight bits to a byte, so a 100 Mbps line downloads at about 12 MB/s. A connection is not underperforming by a factor of eight; it is being measured in different units. The tables underneath give both a plain step-by-step lookup and a list of real quantities expressed in kilobits per second, so you can sanity-check whether your answer is a plausible size.
The formula
bits per second- The amount you are converting, in bits per second
0.001- The exact number of kilobits per second in one bit per second
kilobits per second- The converted result
How it works, step by step
- Enter the value in bits per second.
- It is multiplied by 0.001, the exact factor between the two units.
- The answer is shown in kilobits per second, with the reverse conversion beneath it.
- Check the reference table if you want a figure of comparable size.
Worked examples
SD video stream: 3e+06 bit/s in kilobits per second
SD video stream comes to about 3e+06 bit/s. Multiplying by the factor: 3e+06 × 0.001 = 3000 kbit/s. Dividing the answer back by 0.001 returns the figure you started with, which is the quickest way to check you have the factor the right way up.
MP3 audio, 320 kbps: 3.2e+05 bit/s in kilobits per second
Take mp3 audio, 320 kbps, roughly 3.2e+05 bit/s. The conversion is a single multiplication — 3.2e+05 × 0.001 — giving 320 kbit/s. Because the relationship is proportional, doubling the input doubles the answer to 640 kbit/s.
How to read your score
Frequently asked questions
How many kilobits per second are in one bit per second?
Exactly 0.001. Every figure on this page is that one number multiplied by your input, so the only rounding is at the display step.
What is the formula to convert bits per second to kilobits per second?
kilobits per second = bits per second × 0.001. Reversed, bits per second = kilobits per second ÷ 0.001, which is the same as multiplying by 1000.
Which is the bigger unit, the bit per second or the kilobit per second?
The kilobit per second. One bit per second is only 0.001 of a kilobit per second, so it takes 1000 bits per second to make one kilobit per second.
What does this quantity actually measure?
Both units measure how much data moves per second. That is why a single factor is enough: there is no temperature offset and no material property involved, unlike conversions that cross between different quantities.
What is a bit per second?
One bit per second is the base unit of data rate. Network speeds are always quoted in bits, which is why a 100 Mbps line downloads at about 12 MB/s.
What is a kilobit per second?
Kilobits per second is the unit of audio bitrates and the old modem speeds. In networking a kilobit is exactly 1,000 bits, not 1,024.
Why does my answer differ from another converter?
Almost always because the other tool rounded the factor before multiplying. This page keeps full double precision through the calculation and rounds only for display, and it prints the factor it used so you can see where any difference came from.
Bits Per Second to kilobits per second reference tables
| Bits Per Second | Kilobits Per Second |
|---|---|
| 0.5 bit/s | 0.0005 kbit/s |
| 1 bit/s | 0.001 kbit/s |
| 2 bit/s | 0.002 kbit/s |
| 3 bit/s | 0.003 kbit/s |
| 5 bit/s | 0.005 kbit/s |
| 10 bit/s | 0.01 kbit/s |
| 20 bit/s | 0.02 kbit/s |
| 25 bit/s | 0.025 kbit/s |
| 50 bit/s | 0.05 kbit/s |
| 75 bit/s | 0.075 kbit/s |
| 100 bit/s | 0.1 kbit/s |
| 250 bit/s | 0.25 kbit/s |
| 500 bit/s | 0.5 kbit/s |
| 1000 bit/s | 1 kbit/s |
| 5000 bit/s | 5 kbit/s |
Exact factor: 1 bit per second = 0.001 kilobits per second.
| Quantity | bit/s | kbit/s |
|---|---|---|
| MP3 audio, 320 kbps | 3.2e+05 bit/s | 320 kbit/s |
| SD video stream | 3e+06 bit/s | 3000 kbit/s |
| HD video stream | 8e+06 bit/s | 8000 kbit/s |
| 4K video stream | 2.5e+07 bit/s | 2.5e+04 kbit/s |
| Wired gigabit Ethernet | 1e+09 bit/s | 1e+06 kbit/s |
| Wi-Fi 6 link rate | 1.2e+09 bit/s | 1.2e+06 kbit/s |
Published reference values, converted with the same factor this page uses.