There Is 0% or There Are 0%- Grammar Rules Explained

The Short Answer

Both "there is 0%" and "there are 0%" are grammatically defensible. The choice depends on whether you're following strict grammatical agreement or notional agreement.

Here's the deal: 0 is technically singular. It represents one thing — zero units. So by traditional grammar rules, "there is 0%" is technically correct.

But nobody talks that way. In practice, "there are 0%" sounds more natural to most ears because you're talking about multiple items (0 items, but still multiple potential items).

Why Zero Breaks the Rules

English subject-verb agreement usually follows the number of the subject. Singular subjects take singular verbs; plural subjects take plural verbs.

Zero is where this gets weird. Zero is a number. It's one value. So grammatically, it behaves as a singular:

• There is zero chance of that happening.
• Zero was the final score.
• Zero is a valid answer.

These all sound right. But when you pair zero with a plural noun, things get complicated:

• There are zero cookies left in the jar.
• Zero people showed up to the meeting.

These also sound right. The difference? The noun matters more than the number. "Cookies" and "people" are plural, so your ear wants a plural verb.

What Style Guides Actually Say

Scientific and Technical Writing

Most scientific journals and technical publications follow strict grammatical agreement. They treat percentages as fractions of one whole, so they use singular verbs:

• "There is 0% accuracy in the model."
• "The solution contains 0% alcohol."

The Chicago Manual of Style and scientific journals typically prefer this approach.

General and Business Writing

Most other style guides accept notional agreement — matching the verb to what the percentage represents:

• "There are 0% of the employees who agree."
• "Only 0% of the votes have been counted."

The Associated Press Stylebook generally allows plural verbs when the context calls for it.

The Rule That Actually Matters

Look at the noun that follows, not the number that precedes it.

If the noun is singular:

• Use singular verbs: "There is 0% chance of rain."

If the noun is plural:

• Use plural verbs: "There are 0% of the samples that tested positive."

The percentage is just a descriptor. The noun is what controls the verb.

Quick Reference Table

How to Apply This Today

Step 1: Find the noun. Look at what comes after "percent" or "of."

Step 2: Match the verb to the noun.

• Singular noun → singular verb
• Plural noun → plural verb

Step 3: Check your context. Scientific papers? Use singular. Business emails? Plural usually sounds better.

Step 4: Be consistent. Pick one approach and stick with it throughout your document.

Examples in action:

• ❌ "There is 0% of the customers who are satisfied." (mismatched)
• ✅ "There are 0% of the customers who are satisfied." (plural noun = plural verb)
• ❌ "There are 0% of the population affected." (mismatched)
• ✅ "There is 0% of the population affected." (singular noun = singular verb)

The Bottom Line

There's no single "correct" answer. The grammar rules exist, but real-world usage has accepted both forms depending on context.

If you're writing for school, academia, or scientific publications → use singular verbs with zero percentages.

If you're writing for business, marketing, or general audiences → plural verbs sound more natural when referring to plural nouns.

Your safest bet: look at the noun that follows. Match your verb to that noun. It's simple, it's defensible, and it will never sound wrong.