The Associated Press Stylebook now uses the % symbol when paired with a number (no space). This was a change for AP in 2019. 

Examples: 

  • The project was completed 75% faster.
  • Her grade improved by 4.5%.

At AVC, we prefer the symbol over the word for efficiency and clarity. 

 

Bonus tip: For amounts less than 1%, remember to precede the decimal with a zero as in: 

  • The rate increased by 0.6%. 

If you prefer to spell out “percent,” it’s an easy tweak in your style guide—just be consistent.