Ask three suppliers for a standard brick and you can get three different answers, all correct for where they work. An Indian modular brick is 190 × 90 × 90 mm. A UK brick is 215 × 102.5 × 65 mm. A US modular brick is 7⅝ × 3⅝ × 2¼ in. Australian bricks run 230 × 110 × 76 mm. Below are the sizes for 21 countries, what they turn into once mortar goes in, and how to check what actually lands on site.
There is no single worldwide standard brick size. Each country sets its own, and the figure quoted is normally the actual size, measured dry: India 190 × 90 × 90 mm, UK 215 × 102.5 × 65 mm, USA 7⅝ × 3⅝ × 2¼ in (194 × 92 × 57 mm), Australia 230 × 110 × 76 mm. Add the mortar joint and you get the nominal size used to plan walls, such as 200 × 100 × 100 mm in India and 225 × 112.5 × 75 mm in the UK.
How brick sizes are written
Every list uses the same order: length × width × height. The long side you see in a finished wall is the stretcher face. The short end is the header. The flat top is the bed. Mixing up the order is the most common reason two lists seem to disagree on the same brick.
Actual size vs nominal size
Most confusion about "standard brick size" comes from two different measurements sharing one name.
Actual size (also called work size or manufactured size) is what a tape reads on a dry brick. National standards such as IS 1077 in India and the UK and Australian brick standards define this one.
Nominal size (called coordinating size in the UK and modular size in India) is the actual size plus the mortar joint. It is the space one brick occupies in a wall, and it is what designers use to set out walls.
Check which one is quoted. 200 × 100 × 100 mm is not a brick you can pick up in India. It is the space a 190 × 90 × 90 mm brick takes in the wall. Counting with the actual face (190 × 90) gives 58 per m², about 17% too many.
If you are counting bricks, use the nominal face. A bricklayer lays 50 modular bricks per m² of wall, not 58. The step-by-step method is in calculate bricks needed.
Standard brick size by country
Sizes below are actual (dry) sizes. The "size with mortar" column adds a 10 mm joint in each direction unless the country has its own stated figure (UK, US and Pakistan do). Bricks per m² are for one stretcher face, one brick thick, 10 mm joints, no wastage. Divide mm by 10 for cm.
| Country | Actual size (mm) L × W × H | Actual size (in) | Size with mortar | Bricks per m² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India (modular, IS 1077) | 190 × 90 × 90 | 7.48 × 3.54 × 3.54 in | 200 × 100 × 100 mm | 50 |
| India (traditional) | 230 × 115 × 75 | 9.06 × 4.53 × 2.95 in | 240 × 125 × 85 mm | 49 |
| United Kingdom | 215 × 102.5 × 65 | 8.46 × 4.04 × 2.56 in | 225 × 112.5 × 75 mm | 59 |
| United States (modular) | 194 × 92 × 57 | 7⅝ × 3⅝ × 2¼ in | 203 × 102 × 68 mm 8 × 4 × 2⅔ in | 73 |
| Australia | 230 × 110 × 76 | 9.06 × 4.33 × 2.99 in | 240 × 120 × 86 mm | 48 |
| Japan | 210 × 100 × 60 | 8.27 × 3.94 × 2.36 in | 220 × 110 × 70 mm | 65 |
| Singapore | 218 × 100 × 68 | 8.58 × 3.94 × 2.68 in | 228 × 110 × 78 mm | 56 |
| Hong Kong | 290 × 130 × 70 | 11.42 × 5.12 × 2.76 in | 300 × 140 × 80 mm | 42 |
| Pakistan | 222 × 108 × 70 | 8¾ × 4¼ × 2¾ in | 229 × 114 × 76 mm 9 × 4½ × 3 in | 57 |
| Nepal | 240 × 115 × 57 | 9.45 × 4.53 × 2.24 in | 250 × 125 × 67 mm | 60 |
| Bangladesh | 229 × 114 × 76 | 9 × 4½ × 3 in | 239 × 124 × 86 mm | 49 |
| Sri Lanka | 205 × 95 × 75 | 8.07 × 3.74 × 2.95 in | 215 × 105 × 85 mm | 55 |
| Malaysia (common) | 215 × 96 × 70 | 8.46 × 3.78 × 2.76 in | 225 × 106 × 80 mm | 56 |
| Kenya | 225 × 110 × 75 | 8.86 × 4.33 × 2.95 in | 235 × 120 × 85 mm | 50 |
| Tanzania | 300 × 140 × 90 | 11.81 × 5.51 × 3.54 in | 310 × 150 × 100 mm | 32 |
| South Africa | 222 × 106 × 73 | 8.74 × 4.17 × 2.87 in | 232 × 116 × 83 mm | 52 |
| Romania | 240 × 115 × 63 | 9.45 × 4.53 × 2.48 in | 250 × 125 × 73 mm | 55 |
| Germany | 240 × 115 × 71 | 9.45 × 4.53 × 2.80 in | 250 × 125 × 81 mm | 49 |
| Denmark | 228 × 108 × 54 | 8.98 × 4.25 × 2.13 in | 238 × 118 × 64 mm | 66 |
| Sweden | 250 × 120 × 62 | 9.84 × 4.72 × 2.44 in | 260 × 130 × 72 mm | 53 |
| Russia | 250 × 120 × 65 | 9.84 × 4.72 × 2.56 in | 260 × 130 × 75 mm | 51 |
| China | 240 × 115 × 53 | 9.45 × 4.53 × 2.09 in | 250 × 125 × 63 mm | 63 |
For a real wall, take off door and window openings and add wastage. The full worked example is in how many bricks do I need.
Country notes: India, UK, US, Australia and others
India: two systems run side by side
The modular brick in IS 1077 is 190 × 90 × 90 mm and sets out on a 100 mm module, so walls come out at 90, 190, 290 and 390 mm. The traditional brick, still hand-moulded in many kilns and common in the northern plains, is around 230 × 115 × 75 mm and changes from kiln to kiln. One cubic metre of brickwork takes about 500 modular bricks but only about 390 traditional ones, so two estimates for the same wall can differ a lot just from the brick each one assumed.
UK: why 215 × 102.5 × 65
The numbers are not arbitrary. Two brick widths plus one joint equal one brick length, and three courses plus two joints also equal one length. That lets a bond turn a corner without cutting bricks. Drawings use the coordinating size of 225 × 112.5 × 75 mm. Some ranges, such as longer Roman-style formats, are not 215 × 102.5 × 65, so check the datasheet before ordering matching bricks.
United States: modular, not "standard"
Common modular brick is 7⅝ × 3⅝ × 2¼ in (about 194 × 92 × 57 mm), made to ASTM specifications. Its nominal size is 8 × 4 × 2⅔ in, so three courses stack to exactly 8 in, which works out to 6.75 bricks per ft² (about 73 per m²). An older "standard" brick is 8 in long (203 mm), and catalogues also carry jumbo, queen and king formats such as 9⅝ × 3⅛ × 2¾ in (244 × 79 × 70 mm).
Australia: the largest of the big four
The common work size is 230 × 110 × 76 mm, per AS 4455. Against a UK brick that is 15 mm longer, 7.5 mm wider and 11 mm taller, roughly 34% more volume per brick, which is why a square metre takes about 48 bricks instead of 59.
Pakistan and Bangladesh: inch-based bricks
Pakistan lists the brick at 8¾ × 4¼ × 2¾ in (about 222 × 108 × 70 mm) and the brick with mortar at 9 × 4½ × 3 in. Bangladesh gives 9 × 4½ × 3 in (about 229 × 114 × 76 mm) as the standard, though 9 × 4½ × 2¾ in is also made. India's traditional 230 × 115 × 75 mm sits in the same family. If a supplier quotes in inches, convert before comparing.
The 240 × 115 group and the 250 × 120 pair
Nepal, Romania, Germany and China all use a 240 × 115 mm footprint and differ only in height: 57, 63, 71 and 53 mm. Russia and Sweden share 250 × 120 mm with 65 and 62 mm heights. Same plan size, different height, so course lines will not match if you mix them.
Everywhere else
Japan is usually given as 210 × 100 × 60 mm, Singapore 218 × 100 × 68 mm, Malaysia 215 × 96 × 70 mm for common bricks (215 × 102 × 70 mm facing), Sri Lanka 205 × 95 × 75 mm, Kenya 225 × 110 × 75 mm (235 × 120 × 85 mm with mortar), South Africa 222 × 106 × 73 mm and Denmark 228 × 108 × 54 mm.
Brick faces drawn to scale
Numbers hide how different these bricks look side by side. Every face below is drawn at the same scale, so length and height can be compared directly. Note the Indian modular brick: shortest of the group, but the tallest.
What the size does to wall thickness
A one-brick wall is as thick as the brick is long, a half-brick wall as thick as it is wide. Add the joint for walls built from more than one brick width.
This is where wrong assumptions cost money. A detail drawn for a 230 mm one-brick wall built with 190 mm modular bricks comes out 40 mm thin, and every door frame, sill and slab edge that was dimensioned to 230 mm no longer lines up. Once the brick is fixed, size the wall on that brick, then work out weight with brick weight for loads and transport.
How to check brick size on delivery
- Ask whether the supplier's size is actual or nominal. A quote of 200 × 100 × 100 mm for an Indian brick usually means the nominal module, not the brick.
- Keep one approved sample on site and compare every delivery against it.
- Run the 20-brick test: lay 20 bricks dry, tight, end to end on a flat surface and read the total. Take them from different stacks, not one pile.
- Repeat for width and height by laying 20 bricks side by side, then stacking them.
- Compare the totals with the tolerance in the standard your project follows. Fired clay is never exact, so some spread is normal.
Expected 20-brick readings: India modular 3,800 mm, UK 4,300 mm, US modular 3,874 mm, Australia 4,600 mm.
Where published lists disagree
Many size lists copy each other, and a few slips have travelled with them. These are the ones worth knowing before you quote a figure.
| Item | What you will see | Use this | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| India, modular | 190 × 90 × 90 and 200 × 100 × 100 mm | 190 × 90 × 90 mm actual; 200 × 100 × 100 mm nominal | IS 1077 gives the 190 mm brick. The 200 mm figure includes the joint. |
| India, traditional | 230 × 110 × 75, 230 × 115 × 75, 224 × 114 × 76 mm | Measure your sample | Hand-moulded bricks vary by kiln and state. |
| US length | 203 mm next to 7⅝ in | 194 mm = 7⅝ in; 203 mm = 8 in | Lists often attach the inch figure of one size to the mm figure of the other. |
| Bangladesh | 10 × 5 × 3 in and 230 × 114 × 76 mm | 9 × 4½ × 3 in (about 229 × 114 × 76 mm) | 10 × 5 × 3 in would be 254 × 127 × 76 mm, which does not match the mm figure printed beside it. |
| China | 240 × 155 × 53 and 240 × 115 × 53 mm | 240 × 115 × 53 mm | The 155 looks like a transposed digit that keeps getting copied. 240 × 115 matches the footprint used by Nepal, Romania and Germany. |
| Russia | 250 × 120 × 65 and 250 × 120 × 62 mm | 250 × 120 × 65 mm | 62 mm is the Swedish height and sometimes gets repeated for Russia. |
| Pakistan | 8¾ × 4¼ × 2¾ in and 9 × 4½ × 3 in | Both, in the right place | The first is the brick, the second is the brick plus mortar. |
| Hong Kong, Tanzania | 290 × 130 × 70 and 300 × 140 × 90 mm | Treat as typical, confirm with the supplier | Found as common sizes, not as a single national specification. |
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard brick size?
There is no single worldwide standard. India uses 190 × 90 × 90 mm, the UK 215 × 102.5 × 65 mm, the US 7⅝ × 3⅝ × 2¼ in (194 × 92 × 57 mm) and Australia 230 × 110 × 76 mm. These are actual sizes without mortar.
What is the standard brick size in India in mm?
The modular brick in IS 1077 is 190 × 90 × 90 mm, which becomes 200 × 100 × 100 mm with a 10 mm mortar joint. Traditional hand-moulded bricks are around 230 × 115 × 75 mm.
What is the standard brick size in the UK?
215 mm long, 102.5 mm wide and 65 mm high. Drawings use the coordinating size of 225 × 112.5 × 75 mm, which includes a 10 mm joint.
What is the standard brick size in the US?
The common modular brick is 7⅝ × 3⅝ × 2¼ in, about 194 × 92 × 57 mm. Its nominal size is 8 × 4 × 2⅔ in, so three courses stack to 8 in.
What is the difference between actual and nominal brick size?
Actual size is the brick measured dry. Nominal size is the actual size plus the mortar joint, the space the brick takes up in a wall. India: 190 becomes 200 mm. UK: 215 becomes 225 mm.
Why is the Indian modular brick 190 mm and not 200 mm?
The 190 mm brick plus a 10 mm joint fills a 200 mm module. Building on a 100 mm module keeps wall lengths, heights and openings in round numbers.
How many bricks go into one square metre of wall?
For a one-brick-thick stretcher face with 10 mm joints and no wastage: about 50 for the Indian modular brick, 59 for the UK brick, 48 for the Australian brick and 73 for the US modular brick.
What is the standard brick size in inches and cm?
India: 7.48 × 3.54 × 3.54 in, or 19 × 9 × 9 cm. UK: 8.46 × 4.04 × 2.56 in, or 21.5 × 10.25 × 6.5 cm. Divide mm by 25.4 for inches, or by 10 for cm.
Can I mix bricks of different standard sizes in one wall?
Avoid it. Different heights break course lines, and different lengths break the bond. Order the whole job from one size and one supplier, and match any later top-up against a kept sample.
Sources and method
Sizes were cross-checked against the Indian standard IS 1077, UK brick-size references and manufacturer datasheets, US ASTM-based sizing guides and Australian manufacturer data. Bricks per m² and wall thicknesses are calculated from the sizes shown. Last checked 26 October 2026. Where only one source gave a national size (Hong Kong, Tanzania), that is flagged above.