Percentage Symbol Copy and Paste (%, ‰, ‱)
Percent sign
Unicode U+0025 · HTML % · Alt code Alt+37
Tap any symbol to copy it. Each tap also adds it to the box above, so you can copy several together.
Codes for every symbol on this page (Unicode, HTML, Alt, Mac, Word)
| Symbol | Name | Unicode | HTML | Windows Alt code | Mac | MS Word |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | Percent sign | U+0025 | % | Alt+37 | - | 0025 then Alt+X |
| ‰ | Per mille (per 1000) | U+2030 | ‰ | Alt+0137 | Option+Shift+R | 2030 then Alt+X |
| ‱ | Per ten thousand | U+2031 | ‱ | - | - | 2031 then Alt+X |
| ٪ | Arabic percent sign | U+066A | ٪ | - | - | 066A then Alt+X |
| ％ | Full-width percent | U+FF05 | ％ | - | - | FF05 then Alt+X |
The percentage symbol % means "out of 100", so 45% marks means 45 out of every 100. It is printed on the 5 key of every keyboard, so you type it with Shift+5.
This page also covers its less common cousins: ‰ (per thousand) and ‱ (per ten thousand). Tap any of them in the grid to copy, and read on for Excel, LaTeX and the right way to space the percent symbol.
What the Percent Symbol Means, with Examples
Percent comes from the Latin "per centum", meaning "for each hundred". To find a percentage, divide the part by the whole and multiply by 100.
| Situation | Working | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Marks: 360 out of 500 | 360 ÷ 500 × 100 | 72% |
| 18% GST on ₹1,000 | 1,000 × 18 ÷ 100 | ₹180 |
| 20% discount on ₹2,500 | 2,500 × 20 ÷ 100 | ₹500 off, pay ₹2,000 |
| Battery at 75% | 75 of 100 parts left | three quarters full |
| Price goes from ₹200 to ₹250 | (250 − 200) ÷ 200 × 100 | 25% increase |
Remember that percentage points are different from percent. If an interest rate moves from 6% to 7%, it went up by 1 percentage point, but by about 16.7% of its old value. These examples are general maths, not financial advice.
How to Type the Percentage Symbol
| Where | How |
|---|---|
| Any keyboard | Shift+5 |
| Windows Alt code | Alt+37 on the number pad |
| Word | 0025 then Alt+X (though Shift+5 is easier) |
| Per mille ‰ on Windows | Alt+0137 |
| Per mille ‰ on Mac | Option+Shift+R |
| Per mille ‰ in Word | 2030 then Alt+X |
| ‱ in Word | 2031 then Alt+X |
| Android | ?123, % is on the first symbol page of most keyboards |
| iPhone | 123, % is on the #+= page |
| HTML | % or simply % |
The per ten thousand sign ‱ has no Alt code or Mac key, so copy it from the grid above.
Percentage Symbol in Excel: Add and Remove
How to add percentage symbol in Excel
- Select the cells that hold decimal values like 0.25.
- On the Home tab, click the % button in the Number group, or press Ctrl+Shift+%.
- 0.25 now shows as 25%. Use the Increase Decimal button for 25.0%.
If you type 25% directly into a cell, Excel stores it as 0.25 and formats it as a percentage at the same time. A formula like =B2/C2 gives a decimal; apply the % format to show it as a percentage.
How to remove percentage symbol in Excel
- Keep the value, remove the format: select the cells and set the format to General or Number (Home > Number list). 25% becomes 0.25.
- Want 25 instead of 0.25: in a new column write =A2*100 and format it as Number.
- Text cells like "25%" that will not calculate: use =VALUE(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"%","")) to get the number 25.
Per Mille ‰ and Basis Point ‱
| Symbol | Name | Means | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| % | Percent | per 100 | 5% = 5/100 = 0.05 |
| ‰ | Per mille | per 1,000 | 5‰ = 5/1,000 = 0.005 |
| ‱ | Per ten thousand (basis point) | per 10,000 | 25‱ = 0.25% |
Per mille is used for things like sea water salinity (about 35‰) and blood alcohol limits in some countries. In finance, one basis point is one hundredth of a percent, so a 25 basis point change is 0.25%. People usually write "bps" rather than the ‱ sign.
The Arabic percent sign ٪ and the wide ％ used in Chinese and Japanese text mean the same as %. Use the normal % in English documents.
Spacing, LaTeX and Common Mistakes
- Spacing: the SI style puts a space before % (50 %), but Indian and most English writing uses no space (50%). Choose one style and keep it.
- Percentage symbol in LaTeX: % starts a comment in LaTeX, so a plain % hides the rest of the line. Write
\%, for example50\%. - Percentile symbol: there is no special sign. The 90th percentile is written P90 in statistics, or just "90th percentile". Do not write 90% when you mean a percentile; scoring in the 90th percentile means you did better than 90% of candidates, not that you got 90% marks.
- Do not double up: write "50%" or "50 percent", never "50% percent".
For other signs used with numbers, see the math symbols list, the division symbol, the plus-minus symbol for tolerances like 5% ± 1%, and the rupee symbol for prices.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between percent symbol and percentage?
Percent (%) is the symbol and unit, meaning per hundred, used with a number: 40%. Percentage is the general word for the amount, as in "a high percentage of students passed".
How do I type the % sign on a laptop?
Hold Shift and press the 5 key in the top number row. This works on every Windows laptop, Mac and Chromebook.
Why does Excel change 25 into 2500%?
You typed 25 as a plain number and then applied the % format. Excel treats 1 as 100%, so 25 shows as 2500%. Enter 0.25, or type 25% with the sign, and Excel stores the right value.
What is the symbol for per thousand?
It is ‰, called per mille. Type Alt+0137 on Windows or Option+Shift+R on a Mac, or copy it from this page.