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Permille Ratios Out Of 1,000

Guide

How To Write The Permille Symbol (‰) In LaTeX

LaTeX is a typesetting system useful in preparing technical and scientific documents for its handling of complex symbols. This page is a practical reference for writing the per-mille symbol in LaTeX, and what to check when a build or renderer fails.

Tap To Copy Permille Symbol

Using a supporting font? Tap anywhere in this box to copy ‰.

Copy Common LaTeX Strings

Tap any box to copy the exact command string.

Text command

Primary text-mode command for the per-mille sign in LaTeX text workflows.

wasysym command

Command provided by the wasysym package.

Package line

Add this to your preamble before using \permil.

Math-mode wrapper

Useful when you want the text command inside an equation context.

What The Symbol Means

The permille sign ‰ means “per thousand.” It is the Unicode character U+2030. The related “per ten thousand” sign is ‱ (U+2031).

Text Mode: Standard Approach

For normal text, \textperthousand is the standard command-style approach in LaTeX text symbol workflows.

The salinity was 35\textperthousand.

wasysym Option: \permil

The wasysym package documentation lists \permil among its provided symbols. If you use it, load the package in your preamble first.

\usepackage{wasysym}

x = 2\permil

pdfLaTeX

Use command-based input (\textperthousand, and package-backed commands like \permil where needed). This is the safest compatibility path for legacy projects.

XeLaTeX / LuaLaTeX

Direct Unicode input (‰) is often practical in modern workflows if your selected font contains the glyph. This is generally the most straightforward Unicode-first route.

Overleaf

Overleaf uses UTF-8, but behavior still depends on the selected engine. For broader Unicode input, XeLaTeX/LuaLaTeX are typically more predictable than older pdfLaTeX setups.

Troubleshooting Checklist

  • Wrong context: text command used where math behavior is expected.
  • Missing package: \permil requires wasysym.
  • Font coverage: direct Unicode ‰ fails if the font lacks the glyph.
  • Renderer subset: browser renderers and plotting engines may not implement full LaTeX command coverage.

KaTeX / MathJax / Plot Tools

These are often LaTeX-like, not full LaTeX. KaTeX’s supported-function list does not include \textperthousand or \permil as built-in commands. MathJax exposes textcomp-style macros via an explicit extension. For plotting systems, verify what subset is implemented by your environment.

Related Notation

  • % percent (per 100)
  • ‰ permille (per 1,000)
  • ‱ per ten thousand (per 10,000)

FAQ

  • What is the fastest command?
    \textperthousand is the fastest command-style answer for text.
  • Can I use \permil?
    Yes, with \usepackage{wasysym}.
  • Can I paste ‰ directly?
    Yes in many modern Unicode-aware setups, especially XeLaTeX/LuaLaTeX with supporting fonts.
  • What if it fails in a web renderer?
    Check the renderer’s supported-function list and extension setup.
  • Unicode value of ‰?
    U+2030.

Suggested Default

For a general LaTeX project, start with \textperthousand in text. If your stack is modern and Unicode-first, direct ‰ can be cleaner. Use \permil only when you intentionally depend on wasysym.