If you’re wondering what a standard page is, we have covered this in a previous post. However, the term standard page doesn’t mean the same thing in every country. Let’s look at how they calculate the number of standard pages in different countries.
The Basics
A standard page (SP) is a strictly defined length of text. Generally, one standard page comprises 1,800 characters with spaces.
A standard page is not the same as a physical page. A physical page represents a certain surface size, such as the standard A4 document format. This tells you nothing about how much text there is. Thanks to the numerous formatting options offered by word processors, such as changing the font and its size as well as line spacing, you can fit different amounts of text into one A4 page. Meanwhile, the number of standard pages remains the same. That is why working with standard pages is more precise. It helps to determine the exact amount of text.
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When Do We Use Standard Pages?
You will encounter standard pages in any text-related profession. They’re used by writers, publishers, journalists, copywriters, and naturally, translators.
Working with standard pages in translation gets even trickier, as you will work with texts in at least two different languages. That is why we should clarify at the beginning whether we’re talking about the standard pages of the documents in the source (original) or target (translated) language. Given the different lengths of words in both languages, the extent of the documents can differ.
What Differences Are There Between Standard Pages in Different Languages?
Each country calculates standard pages in a different way. Some work with the source document, while others use the target document. In addition, some countries calculate standard pages using characters, and some operate with words.
EU institutions define a standard page as having 1,500 characters without spaces. They measure the extent of the source document to be translated. This means the original text in the language that is to be translated. Some national institutions work with the definition of a standard page used by EU institutions. However, this is not always the case.
The following table shows how a standard page is defined in some other countries. The data is based on the standards defined for translation. This overview is purely indicative, as the length of a standard page may differ based on the type of document, institution, situation, and so on.
| Belgium |
30 lines with 60 characters including spaces |
| Bulgaria |
1,800 characters without spaces |
| Czechia |
1,800 characters including spaces (target document) |
| Chile |
250 words |
| Croatia |
1,800 characters including spaces (target document)
certified translation – 1,125 characters including spaces |
| Germany |
1,500 characters including spaces (source document) |
| Poland |
1,800 characters including spaces (target document) |
| Portugal |
1,800 characters without spaces |
| Slovakia |
1,800 characters including spaces (target document) |
| Italy |
1,500 characters without spaces and special characters |
| USA |
250 words (source document) |
| Great Britain |
1,000 words (source document) |
| EU institutions |
1,500 characters without spaces (source document) |
If you order a translation from a foreign translator or agency, then we recommend that you clarify how exactly they calculate the extent of the text. This may help you prevent misunderstandings.
If you need a translation from a foreign language, then don’t look far. We can provide you with professional translations from various world languages.
15.04.2022 Meet the World with Lexika Reading time: 2 min. 
