diff --git a/django/conf/locale/cs/formats.py b/django/conf/locale/cs/formats.py
index 1c03615f8bb..d4ebb52cd01 100644
--- a/django/conf/locale/cs/formats.py
+++ b/django/conf/locale/cs/formats.py
@@ -33,5 +33,5 @@ DATETIME_INPUT_FORMATS = (
     '%Y-%m-%d',             # '2006-10-25'
 )
 DECIMAL_SEPARATOR = ','
-THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = ' '
+THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = u' ' # non-breaking space
 NUMBER_GROUPING = 3
diff --git a/django/conf/locale/es_MX/formats.py b/django/conf/locale/es_MX/formats.py
index fdedb0d06a7..7f14b976bdf 100644
--- a/django/conf/locale/es_MX/formats.py
+++ b/django/conf/locale/es_MX/formats.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ DATETIME_INPUT_FORMATS = (
     '%d/%m/%y %H:%M:%S',
     '%d/%m/%y %H:%M',
 )
-DECIMAL_SEPARATOR = '.' 		# ',' is also official (less common): NOM-008-SCFI-2002
-THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = ' '		# white space
+DECIMAL_SEPARATOR = '.'   # ',' is also official (less common): NOM-008-SCFI-2002
+THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = u' ' # non-breaking space
 NUMBER_GROUPING = 3
 
diff --git a/django/conf/locale/fr/formats.py b/django/conf/locale/fr/formats.py
index 2ad05b89473..58a2e09bced 100644
--- a/django/conf/locale/fr/formats.py
+++ b/django/conf/locale/fr/formats.py
@@ -37,5 +37,5 @@ DATETIME_INPUT_FORMATS = (
     '%Y-%m-%d',             # '2006-10-25'
 )
 DECIMAL_SEPARATOR = ','
-THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = ' '
+THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = u' ' # non-breaking space
 NUMBER_GROUPING = 3
diff --git a/django/conf/locale/nb/formats.py b/django/conf/locale/nb/formats.py
index f20d7121976..8c232dc1323 100644
--- a/django/conf/locale/nb/formats.py
+++ b/django/conf/locale/nb/formats.py
@@ -39,5 +39,5 @@ DATETIME_INPUT_FORMATS = (
     '%d.%m.%y',              # '25.10.06'
 )
 DECIMAL_SEPARATOR = ','
-THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = ' '
+THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = u' ' # non-breaking space
 NUMBER_GROUPING = 3
diff --git a/django/conf/locale/nn/formats.py b/django/conf/locale/nn/formats.py
index f20d7121976..8c232dc1323 100644
--- a/django/conf/locale/nn/formats.py
+++ b/django/conf/locale/nn/formats.py
@@ -39,5 +39,5 @@ DATETIME_INPUT_FORMATS = (
     '%d.%m.%y',              # '25.10.06'
 )
 DECIMAL_SEPARATOR = ','
-THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = ' '
+THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = u' ' # non-breaking space
 NUMBER_GROUPING = 3
diff --git a/django/conf/locale/ru/formats.py b/django/conf/locale/ru/formats.py
index f3a8f2be4d2..430963a2441 100644
--- a/django/conf/locale/ru/formats.py
+++ b/django/conf/locale/ru/formats.py
@@ -36,5 +36,5 @@ DATETIME_INPUT_FORMATS = (
     '%Y-%m-%d',           # '2006-10-25'
 )
 DECIMAL_SEPARATOR = ','
-THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = ' '
+THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = u' ' # non-breaking space
 NUMBER_GROUPING = 3
diff --git a/django/conf/locale/sk/formats.py b/django/conf/locale/sk/formats.py
index 9eeee6685a9..adc31746be1 100644
--- a/django/conf/locale/sk/formats.py
+++ b/django/conf/locale/sk/formats.py
@@ -33,5 +33,5 @@ DATETIME_INPUT_FORMATS = (
     '%Y-%m-%d',             # '2006-10-25'
 )
 DECIMAL_SEPARATOR = ','
-THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = ' '
+THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = u' ' # non-breaking space
 NUMBER_GROUPING = 3
diff --git a/django/conf/locale/sv/formats.py b/django/conf/locale/sv/formats.py
index c04abfa1328..10a7e0016c8 100644
--- a/django/conf/locale/sv/formats.py
+++ b/django/conf/locale/sv/formats.py
@@ -36,5 +36,5 @@ DATETIME_INPUT_FORMATS = (
     '%m/%d/%y',              # '10/25/06'
 )
 DECIMAL_SEPARATOR = ','
-THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = ' '
+THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = u' ' # non-breaking space
 NUMBER_GROUPING = 3
diff --git a/django/contrib/localflavor/de_CH/formats.py b/django/contrib/localflavor/de_CH/formats.py
index 3993ef6fb7c..3a6f440e6a7 100644
--- a/django/contrib/localflavor/de_CH/formats.py
+++ b/django/contrib/localflavor/de_CH/formats.py
@@ -39,5 +39,5 @@ DATETIME_INPUT_FORMATS = (
 # For details, please refer to http://www.bk.admin.ch/dokumentation/sprachen/04915/05016/index.html?lang=de
 # (in German) and the documentation
 DECIMAL_SEPARATOR = ','
-THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = " "
+THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = u' '
 NUMBER_GROUPING = 3
diff --git a/docs/topics/i18n/formatting.txt b/docs/topics/i18n/formatting.txt
index 2ca96ed57e5..4c80786edcd 100644
--- a/docs/topics/i18n/formatting.txt
+++ b/docs/topics/i18n/formatting.txt
@@ -176,11 +176,10 @@ To customize the English formats, a structure like this would be needed::
 
 where :file:`formats.py` contains custom format definitions. For example::
 
-    THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = ' '
-
-to use a space as a thousand separator, instead of the default for English,
-a comma.
+    THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = u' '
 
+to use a non-breaking space (Unicode ``00A0``) as a thousand separator,
+instead of the default for English, a comma.
 
 Limitations of the provided locale formats
 ==========================================