diff --git a/django/conf/locale/cs/formats.py b/django/conf/locale/cs/formats.py
index d4ebb52cd0..56e9e73547 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 = u' ' # non-breaking space
+THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = u'\xa0' # 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 20a30f4cb9..af534e60ad 100644
--- a/django/conf/locale/es_MX/formats.py
+++ b/django/conf/locale/es_MX/formats.py
@@ -24,6 +24,5 @@ DATETIME_INPUT_FORMATS = (
     '%d/%m/%y %H:%M',
 )
 DECIMAL_SEPARATOR = '.'   # ',' is also official (less common): NOM-008-SCFI-2002
-THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = u' ' # non-breaking space
+THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = u'\xa0' # non-breaking space
 NUMBER_GROUPING = 3
-
diff --git a/django/conf/locale/fr/formats.py b/django/conf/locale/fr/formats.py
index 58a2e09bce..6d8e334f09 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 = u' ' # non-breaking space
+THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = u'\xa0' # non-breaking space
 NUMBER_GROUPING = 3
diff --git a/django/conf/locale/nb/formats.py b/django/conf/locale/nb/formats.py
index 8c232dc132..8de88512a0 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 = u' ' # non-breaking space
+THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = u'\xa0' # non-breaking space
 NUMBER_GROUPING = 3
diff --git a/django/conf/locale/nn/formats.py b/django/conf/locale/nn/formats.py
index 8c232dc132..8de88512a0 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 = u' ' # non-breaking space
+THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = u'\xa0' # non-breaking space
 NUMBER_GROUPING = 3
diff --git a/django/conf/locale/ru/formats.py b/django/conf/locale/ru/formats.py
index 430963a244..e825824751 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 = u' ' # non-breaking space
+THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = u'\xa0' # non-breaking space
 NUMBER_GROUPING = 3
diff --git a/django/conf/locale/sk/formats.py b/django/conf/locale/sk/formats.py
index adc31746be..0443efb376 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 = u' ' # non-breaking space
+THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = u'\xa0' # non-breaking space
 NUMBER_GROUPING = 3
diff --git a/django/conf/locale/sv/formats.py b/django/conf/locale/sv/formats.py
index 10a7e0016c..ad7d3b3fee 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 = u' ' # non-breaking space
+THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = u'\xa0' # 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 3a6f440e6a..d4f324a422 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 = u' '
+THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = u'\xa0' # non-breaking space
 NUMBER_GROUPING = 3
diff --git a/docs/topics/i18n/formatting.txt b/docs/topics/i18n/formatting.txt
index fa7da5d38e..a459b95042 100644
--- a/docs/topics/i18n/formatting.txt
+++ b/docs/topics/i18n/formatting.txt
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ To customize the English formats, a structure like this would be needed::
 
 where :file:`formats.py` contains custom format definitions. For example::
 
-    THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = u' '
+    THOUSAND_SEPARATOR = u'\xa0'
 
 to use a non-breaking space (Unicode ``00A0``) as a thousand separator,
 instead of the default for English, a comma.