The per mille sign ‰ is Alt+0137 on Windows and Option+Shift+R on a Mac. It means parts per thousand, so 5‰ is 0.5 percent. The extra zero in the denominator is the visual clue, and it is used for blood alcohol levels, salinity and fine engineering tolerances.
01 All shortcuts at a glance
| Platform | Shortcut | |
|---|---|---|
| Windows (Alt code) | Hold Alt, type 0137 on the numpad |
|
| Windows (any app) | Win+. or Win+; emoji/symbol picker, or Character Map (Win+R → charmap) |
|
| Mac | Control+Command+Space to open Character Viewer, search "Per Mille Sign" |
|
| Word / Outlook | Type 2030, then press Alt+X |
|
| Linux (IBus) | Ctrl+Shift+U, then 2030, then Enter |
|
| HTML / CSS | ‰ · \2030 (CSS) |
02 Step by step, per platform
A real, followable procedure for every platform, not a thin restatement of the shortcut.
Windows
- Make sure Num Lock is on.
- Hold Alt and type 0137 on the numeric keypad.
- Release Alt, ‰ appears.
Mac
- Press Control+Command+Space to open the Character Viewer.
- Type "Per Mille Sign" in the search field.
- Double-click the result to insert it.
Microsoft Word
- Type 2030.
- Press Alt+X immediately after, it converts the hex code to ‰.
03 Characters in this set
04 Troubleshooting & confusables
| Looks like it | But it's actually | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| % (U+0025) | Percent sign, parts per hundred | One zero below the bar rather than two. A tenfold difference in meaning. |
| ‱ (U+2031) | Per ten thousand sign, a basis point | Three zeros below the bar. Used in finance, where it is called a basis point. |
| o/oo | A typewriter-era substitute | Only where the real character is unavailable. It is ambiguous in running text. |
05 FAQ
What is the Unicode code point for the per mille sign?
It is U+2030, decimal 8240. Alt+0137 works because it is also in the Windows-1252 code page.
How do I convert per mille to percent?
Divide by ten. So 25‰ is 2.5%, and 1% is 10‰. The extra zero in the symbol is a reminder of the factor.
Where is per mille actually used?
Blood alcohol limits in most of Europe, seawater salinity, slope gradients on railways, and tolerances small enough that percentages would need awkward decimals.
What is the symbol with three zeros?
That is per ten thousand, U+2031, one basis point. It is used mainly in finance, where a rate change is quoted in basis points.
Is there a space before ‰?
The SI standard puts a space between the number and the sign. Many national styles close it up, so match whatever your document already does.