Nisab explained: the gold and silver thresholds
Nisab is the threshold that decides whether Zakat is owed at all. If your net Zakatable wealth is below it, no Zakat is due; if you are at or above it for a lunar year, the 2.5% applies.
Nisab is the minimum amount of wealth that triggers Zakat: the value of 87.48 grams of gold or 612.36 grams of silver. Convert the grams to your currency at the current price on your Zakat date. The silver standard sets a lower bar, so more people become liable — many give on that basis, but the choice is yours.
Two benchmarks, expressed in metal.
Nisab is defined in weights of precious metal rather than a fixed cash figure, because currencies change value over time while the metal benchmarks are stable. There are two recognised standards:
- Gold Nisab: 87.48 grams of pure gold.
- Silver Nisab: 612.36 grams of pure silver.
To use either, you convert the grams into your reporting currency using the market price on your Zakat date. The resulting cash figure is the line your net Zakatable wealth is compared against.
Why the choice changes your threshold.
Gold and silver are not worth the same per gram, so the two Nisab values differ significantly. In modern prices the silver standard usually produces a lower cash threshold than the gold standard. That has a practical consequence: the silver benchmark makes Zakat due at a lower level of wealth, so more people qualify and, in aggregate, more reaches those in need.
Because the silver standard captures more givers, many scholars and charities encourage using it, particularly for those whose wealth sits between the two thresholds. It is a considered choice, not an automatic rule.
Whichever you choose, apply it consistently and keep the choice visible in your records. Silently switching between standards from year to year to produce a lower number undermines the calculation.
Turning grams into a cash figure.
The arithmetic is simple: multiply the Nisab weight by the current price per gram of that metal in your currency.
- Find today's price per gram.
Use a trusted live price for gold or silver in your reporting currency on your Zakat date.
- Multiply by the Nisab weight.
Gold: price per gram × 87.48. Silver: price per gram × 612.36.
- Compare with your net wealth.
If your assets minus eligible liabilities meet or exceed that figure, Zakat is due at 2.5%.
The calculator on this site does this step for you and lets you edit the price, so you can match it to a source you trust on the day you calculate.
Nisab has to hold across the lunar year.
The threshold is not only checked once. In the common view, your wealth should be at or above Nisab at the start and the end of the lunar year for Zakat to be due, and brief dips in between do not necessarily break the year. If your wealth falls below Nisab and stays there, the counting of that year can reset.
Keep it practical: Note the date your wealth first reached Nisab. That anchor date, one lunar year later, becomes your recurring Zakat date.
Questions people ask.
Is Nisab a fixed amount of money?+
No. It is a fixed weight of metal — 87.48g of gold or 612.36g of silver — whose cash value changes with the market price. That is why you convert it fresh on your Zakat date.
Should I use the gold or silver Nisab?+
Both are valid. The silver standard usually sets a lower threshold, so it captures more givers; many use it for that reason. Follow qualified guidance you trust and keep the choice consistent and documented.
What if my wealth dips below Nisab mid-year?+
In the common view, short dips do not necessarily reset the year as long as you are above Nisab at the start and end of the lunar year. If your wealth falls below and stays there, the year can restart when you next reach the threshold.
Use the private calculator.
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