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How to Write Percent in LaTeX

In LaTeX % starts a comment, so everything after it on the line disappears. To print a percent sign, escape it with a backslash: 50\% gives 50%. The same \% works in text and in math mode.

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Percent commands

  • \%
    %

    Percent sign, in text and math mode.

  • 50\%
    50 %

    A percentage, no space (common US style).

  • 50\,\%
    50 %

    With a thin space, as SI and ISO style recommend.

  • \qty{50}{\percent}
    Text mode, no math preview

    siunitx: number and percent with consistent spacing.

  • \textperthousand
    Text mode, no math preview

    Per mille ‰ in text (textcomp).

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Templates

Percent sign examples

Each result below is drawn from the LaTeX under it. Copy the code, edit it on this page, or open it in the full editor.

Why % makes text disappear

% is LaTeX’s comment character: the rest of the line, including the line break, is ignored. That is useful for notes in the source, but it means a 20% discount compiles to "a 20" with no error message. Search your source for % that is not preceded by a backslash when text goes missing.

Other characters with the same problem are #, $, &, _, { and }: each has a job in LaTeX and needs a backslash to print literally.

Percentages with siunitx

For documents with many numbers, siunitx keeps percent formatting consistent: \qty{12.5}{\percent} prints the number and sign with the spacing you configure once, and \num groups long numbers. The space between number and sign is set once in \sisetup, so switching a whole document between "12.5 %" and "12.5%" style is a one-line change.

LaTeX
\usepackage{siunitx}
...
The error rate fell to \qty{12.5}{\percent}.

Common mistakes

  • Unescaped % comments out the rest of the line, so "discount" never appears.

    Instead of
    a 20% discount
    Write
    a 20\% discount

  • \percent is a siunitx unit macro and only works inside \qty or \unit.

    Instead of
    \percent  % without siunitx
    Write
    \%

  • Inside \text the percent sign is still a comment character and must be escaped.

    Instead of
    \text{%}
    Write
    \text{\%}

In Overleaf, MathJax and Word

  • Overleaf and pdfLaTeX

    \% works everywhere. The editor greys out anything after an unescaped %, which is a quick way to spot the problem. siunitx commands need \usepackage{siunitx}.

  • MathJax and KaTeX

    MathJax and KaTeX accept \% in math. MathJax, like LaTeX, treats a bare % as a comment: 50% x renders as just 50. Escape it in web formulas too.

  • Microsoft Word

    Word needs no escaping: type % directly, in text and in equations. Copy for Word from the editor here converts \% to a normal percent sign.

Percent sign in LaTeX: questions

How do I type a percent sign in LaTeX?
Write \%. A bare % starts a comment.
Does \% work in math mode?
Yes. $50\%$ prints 50% in math, and MathJax accepts it too.
Why is the rest of my line missing after a percentage?
An unescaped % turned the rest of the line into a comment. Replace it with \%.
Should there be a space before the percent sign?
SI and ISO style put a (thin) space before %, many US style guides do not. Write 50\,\% or 50\% consistently, or let siunitx decide from one setting.

Related LaTeX reference

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