Floor Counting Around the World
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Floor numbering conventions vary significantly worldwide. In the United States and Canada, the ground floor is typically labeled as the “first floor,” with subsequent levels incrementing numerically (i.e., “second floor,” “third floor,” and so forth). Some buildings in these regions may designate the ground floor as the “lobby” instead.
Contrastingly, the United Kingdom utilizes “ground floor” for the bottom level, followed by “first floor,” “second floor,” and so on. Australia and New Zealand follow a similar pattern, using “ground floor” for the lowest level, then “first floor,” “second floor,” and beyond.
In many European countries like France, Germany, and Italy, the ground floor is also often referred to as the “ground floor” or “ground level” (such as “rez-de-chaussée” in French or “Erdgeschoss” in German). Subsequent levels are then numbered sequentially (e.g., “first floor,” “second floor,” etc.).
Similarly, in many Middle Eastern countries, the ground floor is identified as the “ground floor” or “ground level,” followed by the “first floor,” “second floor,” and onwards.
In most post-Soviet countries, the ground floor is typically designated as the “first floor,” followed by the “second floor,” and so forth, as in the United States. A similar floor numbering scheme has such East Asian nations as China, Mongolia, Japan, and South Korea.
Interestingly, while high-rise buildings in the US often skip the 13th floor when numbering, in some Asian countries, the fourth floor is skipped, with the numbering going from the 3rd floor directly to the 5th floor above. This practice stems from the superstition around the number 4, which is considered unlucky in some cultures. In Mandarin, for example, the word for the number four sounds similar to the word for “death,”.
Latin American countries exhibit varying floor numbering conventions, with some countries adopting the European model and others following the American practice.
Floor numbering in Africa can differ based on the country’s colonial past and cultural influences. Large or modern buildings might even implement distinct numbering systems for different sections of the structure, further complicating the understanding of these conventions.
