Typing the per mille sign on your Linux machine seems like a chase for see-through swimming unicorns? Tired of copying the symbol from the web to paste? Find out here how to insert the per mille sign (‰) on Linux reliably using the “Compose” key ⤓.
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How to Insert the Per Mille Sign ( ‰ ) on Linux
Gnome Desktop and KDE Plasma
Time needed: 1 minute
To input a per mille symbol ( ‰ ) on Linux:
- Enable or set the Linux “Compose” key.
- Position the text cursor where you want to insert the per mille sign.
- Press the Compose key.
- After pressing Compose, type
%(the percent sign) followed byo(the letter ‘O’).
Per mille sign 1000‰ done?
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How to Insert the Per Mille Sign ( ‰ ) on Linux: FAQ
Wait, what does the per mille sign mean?
The per mille symbol ‰ represents per thousand. While percent (per centum) stand for parts in a hundred, per mille translate to thousandths; e.g., 5‰ equal 0.5%.
Can I also insert ‰ with a direct keyboard shortcut?
No.
The standard English-language keyboard layouts do not include key combination to insert the per mille sign.
On a Mac? How to Insert the Per Mille Symbol ‰ on a Mac
Using Windows? How to Make the Per Mille Symbol ‰ on Windows
How do I use the per mille sign in LaTeX?
In LaTeX, you can insert the ‰ (per mille) symbol using the following command from the textcomp package (which almost certainly is already installed):
\textperthousand
As an alternative, use \permil from the wasysym package. The two options differ slightly in their representation.
Example
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{textcomp}
% \usepackage{wasysym}
\begin{document}
By weight, they are some 4.5\textperthousand{} potassium.
% By weight, they are some 4.5\permil{} potassium.
\end{document}
(Tested with Gnome 46–50 and KDE Plasma 6; first published August 2024, last updated August 2026)