diff --git a/include/fmt/format-inl.h b/include/fmt/format-inl.h
index 95afbebf..5809adc8 100644
--- a/include/fmt/format-inl.h
+++ b/include/fmt/format-inl.h
@@ -239,12 +239,27 @@ template <> FMT_FUNC int count_digits<4>(detail::fallback_uintptr n) {
 }
 
 template <typename T>
-const char basic_data<T>::digits[] =
-    "0001020304050607080910111213141516171819"
-    "2021222324252627282930313233343536373839"
-    "4041424344454647484950515253545556575859"
-    "6061626364656667686970717273747576777879"
-    "8081828384858687888990919293949596979899";
+const typename basic_data<T>::digit_pair basic_data<T>::digits[] = {
+    {'0', '0'},  {'0', '1'},  {'0', '2'},  {'0', '3'},  {'0', '4'},
+    {'0', '5'},  {'0', '6'},  {'0', '7'},  {'0', '8'},  {'0', '9'},
+    {'1', '0'},  {'1', '1'},  {'1', '2'},  {'1', '3'},  {'1', '4'},
+    {'1', '5'},  {'1', '6'},  {'1', '7'},  {'1', '8'},  {'1', '9'},
+    {'2', '0'},  {'2', '1'},  {'2', '2'},  {'2', '3'},  {'2', '4'},
+    {'2', '5'},  {'2', '6'},  {'2', '7'},  {'2', '8'},  {'2', '9'},
+    {'3', '0'},  {'3', '1'},  {'3', '2'},  {'3', '3'},  {'3', '4'},
+    {'3', '5'},  {'3', '6'},  {'3', '7'},  {'3', '8'},  {'3', '9'},
+    {'4', '0'},  {'4', '1'},  {'4', '2'},  {'4', '3'},  {'4', '4'},
+    {'4', '5'},  {'4', '6'},  {'4', '7'},  {'4', '8'},  {'4', '9'},
+    {'5', '0'},  {'5', '1'},  {'5', '2'},  {'5', '3'},  {'5', '4'},
+    {'5', '5'},  {'5', '6'},  {'5', '7'},  {'5', '8'},  {'5', '9'},
+    {'6', '0'},  {'6', '1'},  {'6', '2'},  {'6', '3'},  {'6', '4'},
+    {'6', '5'},  {'6', '6'},  {'6', '7'},  {'6', '8'},  {'6', '9'},
+    {'7', '0'},  {'7', '1'},  {'7', '2'},  {'7', '3'},  {'7', '4'},
+    {'7', '5'},  {'7', '6'},  {'7', '7'},  {'7', '8'},  {'7', '9'},
+    {'8', '0'},  {'8', '1'},  {'8', '2'},  {'8', '3'},  {'8', '4'},
+    {'8', '5'},  {'8', '6'},  {'8', '7'},  {'8', '8'},  {'8', '9'},
+    {'9', '0'},  {'9', '1'},  {'9', '2'},  {'9', '3'},  {'9', '4'},
+    {'9', '5'},  {'9', '6'},  {'9', '7'},  {'9', '8'},  {'9', '9'}};
 
 template <typename T>
 const char basic_data<T>::hex_digits[] = "0123456789abcdef";
diff --git a/include/fmt/format.h b/include/fmt/format.h
index 24969e7c..7bd6543c 100644
--- a/include/fmt/format.h
+++ b/include/fmt/format.h
@@ -752,7 +752,9 @@ template <typename T = void> struct FMT_EXTERN_TEMPLATE_API basic_data {
   static const uint64_t zero_or_powers_of_10_64[];
   static const uint64_t pow10_significands[];
   static const int16_t pow10_exponents[];
-  static const char digits[];
+  // GCC generates slightly better code for pairs than chars.
+  using digit_pair = char[2];
+  static const digit_pair digits[];
   static const char hex_digits[];
   static const char foreground_color[];
   static const char background_color[];
@@ -903,7 +905,7 @@ inline format_decimal_result<Char*> format_decimal(Char* out, UInt value,
     // of for every digit. The idea comes from the talk by Alexandrescu
     // "Three Optimization Tips for C++". See speed-test for a comparison.
     out -= 2;
-    copy2(out, data::digits + static_cast<unsigned>((value % 100) * 2));
+    copy2(out, data::digits[value % 100]);
     value /= 100;
   }
   if (value < 10) {
@@ -911,7 +913,7 @@ inline format_decimal_result<Char*> format_decimal(Char* out, UInt value,
     return {out, end};
   }
   out -= 2;
-  copy2(out, data::digits + static_cast<unsigned>(value * 2));
+  copy2(out, data::digits[value]);
   return {out, end};
 }
 
@@ -1085,12 +1087,12 @@ template <typename Char, typename It> It write_exponent(int exp, It it) {
     *it++ = static_cast<Char>('+');
   }
   if (exp >= 100) {
-    const char* top = data::digits + (exp / 100) * 2;
+    const char* top = data::digits[exp / 100];
     if (exp >= 1000) *it++ = static_cast<Char>(top[0]);
     *it++ = static_cast<Char>(top[1]);
     exp %= 100;
   }
-  const char* d = data::digits + exp * 2;
+  const char* d = data::digits[exp];
   *it++ = static_cast<Char>(d[0]);
   *it++ = static_cast<Char>(d[1]);
   return it;