Percent Sign %
% (U+25) is a standard Unicode character that you can copy and paste anywhere text is accepted. This page provides a concise reference with safe tips, internal links, and practical guidance so you can use it reliably across apps and platforms.
What it is and where it’s used: Percent Sign is part of the Symbols family (block: Basic Latin). If you need styled or decorative alternatives, try our Fancy Text tool to generate compatible text that works in most modern interfaces.
History & usage: The PERCENT SIGN has codepoint U+25 in the Basic Latin block. Its hex is 25. In text, it appears as a single character. The symbol is used in many places. It marks a part of a whole when numbers are shown as a portion of 100. In math, it is a common symbol for percentages. In formulas, it helps show ratios and comparisons. In user interfaces, it appears beside numbers to show a part of a total. This usage is supported by basic rules of math symbols. The history of the symbol is tied to tally marks and later decimal notation. Over time, the percent sign became a standard sign in many languages. It is read as “percent” or “per cent” in everyday speech. People rely on it for quick numeric meaning. In calculations, the sign helps compare values or express a rate. It is one of the most widely used symbols in daily life. Overall, the percent sign communicates a familiar idea: a portion of a hundred. It appears in many contexts with little variation in form.
Copy and input: the quickest method is to copy the character here. You can also insert it by its codepoint U+25 in many development tools or editors. Some operating systems provide a character viewer or input palette that lets you search by name or code and insert the glyph into documents.
Display and fallback: if you see an empty box (tofu) or a placeholder rectangle, the active font might not include this codepoint. Switching to a font with broader Unicode coverage or using a fallback font usually fixes the issue. On the web, ensure the page’s font stack includes a general‑purpose fallback.
Related references: browse the Categories for similar characters. When choosing a symbol, prefer the official codepoint for semantic clarity and better compatibility with search, copy, and accessibility tooling.
See our category page for related symbols.
Technical details
- Codepoint:
U+25 - General Category:
Po - Age:
1.1 - Bidi Class:
ET - Block:
Basic Latin - Script:
Common - UTF-8:
25 - UTF-16:
0025 - UTF-32:
00000025 - HTML dec:
% - HTML hex:
% - JS escape:
\u0025 - Python \N{}:
\N{PERCENT SIGN} - Python \u:
\u0025 - Python \U:
\U00000025 - URL-encoded:
%25 - CSS escape:
\25
How to type / insert
Fast copy: click the Copy button near the top of this page.
By codepoint: in many editors and IDEs, you can insert via the Unicode code U+25 or a built‑in character picker.
HTML: use the numeric entity % (hex) or % (decimal) when an HTML entity is needed.
Compatibility & troubleshooting
Font support: if the symbol does not render, the current font likely lacks this codepoint. Choose a font with broad Unicode coverage or allow a fallback font.
Web pages: ensure your CSS font stack includes a general fallback; avoid relying on images for common symbols to preserve accessibility and copyability.