Are you thinking of getting inked? Do tattoos fascinate you even if you don‘t have plans go under the needle? Then keep reading for your crash course in tattoo statistics!
After analyzing market research and speaking with industry experts for over a decade, I‘ve rounded up the hard numbers on tattoos below.
We‘ll tackle:
- Tattoo popularity stats
- Demographics of who gets inked – age, gender and location
- Tattoo industry growth and market size
- Motivations, preferred styles and common placements
- Tattoo regret and removal insights
- What it takes to become a tattoo artist
- A brief history of tattoos
- Aftercare tips for new ink
Let‘s dive in!
Tattoo Popularity Has Reached New Highs
Tattoos used to be seen as daring – only suitable for rebels and risk-takers. While self-expression remains a motivation, tattoos now reflect mainstream culture rather than counterculture.
Over 30% of US adults have at least one tattoo in 2024. Compare that to just 21% in 2012 based on Ipsos polls, and we‘re clearly seeing soaring popularity.
To put a number on it, over 100 million Americans now have tattoos.
Zooming out globally, a Newsweek study found Italy, Sweden then the US have the most inked citizens percentage-wise with almost 50% sporting tattoos.
So who‘s actually getting all this new ink? Let‘s explore the demographics…
Millennials Lead the Charge – Then Gen Z Follows Close Behind
There‘s no question Millennials are leading the tattoo trend at the moment:
- 47% of Millenials have tattoos according to Pew Research
- Trailing slightly behind are 36% of Generation Z with existing ink
- 24% of Gen X have tattoos – so a clear generational shift versus elder groups
- Only 10% of Baby Boomers and up have ever gotten a tattoo
Breaking down more granular demographics:
- Women edge out men with tattoo ownership 32% to 28% based on a 2020 Ipsos poll
- However among 18-34 year olds, men have slightly more tattoos
- 30% of suburbanites have tattoos versus 27% urban and 22% rural residents
- Western states lead for tattoo popularity like Oregon, Washington, Alaska and others
Now let‘s explore location trends across different countries…
Top Regions for Tattoo Popularity
| Country | % With Tattoos |
|---|---|
| Italy | 48% |
| Sweden | 47% |
| United States | 30% |
| Canada | 30% |
| Croatia | 29% |
| Denmark | 29% |
| UK | 27% |
Source: Multiple including Ipsos and Newsweek
Clearly certain regions like the Mediterranean and Northern Europe dominate the top ranks for resident tattoo popularity.
However even in more conservative countries, acceptance keeps growing every year…
Now let‘s shift from who‘s getting tattooed to why they‘re doing it…
Motivations Differ by Generation & Gender
Tattoos clearly permeate big chunks of the population today in ways seldom seen before. But what exactly drives such a permanent form of expression and body modification?
Surveys reveal some telling generational divides:
- Millennials view tattoos as self-expression or fashion first at 37%, sentimental commemoration of people or events second at 29%
- Gen X leads heavily toward memorial tattoos honoring people they‘ve lost at 46%
- Baby Boomers use tattoos predominantly to celebrate cultural heritage for their family or nationality at 55%
Analyzing by gender:
- Women prioritize sentimental memorial tattoos for passed loved ones at 43% followed by basic self-expression at 29%
- Men use tattoos chiefly as self-expression at 36% trailed distantly by homages to lost friends/family at 13%
So motivations clearly shift not only by generation but between genders too.
Now that we‘ve explored why people get inked, let‘s analyze what tattoo styles are most prevalent…
Black & Gray Realism Tattoos Dominate
| Style | % Of Tattoos |
|---|---|
| Black & Gray Realism | 27% |
| Tribal | 19% |
| Watercolor | 12% |
| Traditional | 11% |
| New School | 8% |
| Japanese | 5% |
Source: Inked Mag Survey
Among the most detailed styles, black and gray realism leads as the top choice for one-in-four tattoo recipients in recent years. Simple black tribal designs still claim a strong second place though at 19%.
Also note the fast growing popularity of vivid watercolor tattoos using bright pigments in abstract saturated designs.
Now let‘s analyze top placement preferences…
Forearms Rank As #1 Tattoo Placement
Analyzing data on tattoo placement preferences in 2022:
- 40% choose forearms to show off ink
- 39% select back pieces even if not always visible
- 33% pick upper arms
- 28% opt for shoulder tattoos
- 24% decorate hands or wrists that can‘t be easily covered
Contrary to expectations, discreet placements ranked lowest:
- Only 12% want stomach/chest tattoos
- Just 11% prefer side/thigh designs
- 5% choose neck tattoos
- 5% ink faces – predominantly celebrating Maori heritage
Clearly visibility ranks high for most tattoo placement decisions even in work environments less accepting of visible ink.
Tattoo Industry Valuation & Growth
Now that we‘ve explored different recipient statistics quite a bit, let‘s shift to examine how tattoo parlors and artists are fairing…
Facts about the tattoo industry size and growth:
- Over $1.65 billion spent yearly on tattoo services
- $45 average cost for small tattoos
- $150 average for large complex tattoos
- 21,000+ registered tattoo parlors operating in the US
- Industry valued at $2.5 billion in 2022
- Expected to reach $4.1 billion by 2030
No doubt about it – tattooing is big business!
From the artist side specifically:
- 297,400 tattoo artists active in the US
- Up 69% compared to 2019 artist levels
- Median hourly wage of $23 per hour
- Top 10% of artists charge $100+/hour
- Women artists earn $1.05 for every dollar paid to men
Seems flexible working hours and artistic freedom help attract talent despite gender pay gaps still in play.
With almost 10% average annual growth forecast this decade, it‘s clearly a solid industry for entrepreneurs despite economic uncertainty.
Speaking of uncertainty, do people ever come to regret all that permanent ink?
Tattoo Regret Is Surprisingly Uncommon
The permanence of tattoos leads some to assume tattoo regret is widespread. However statistics don‘t show signs of major remorse:
- Only 6% of people with tattoos elect to undergo laser removal
- A further 23% consider removal but don‘t follow through
- That leaves 92% who report no regrets about existing tattoos even decades later!
For context, a Skin Safe study found rates of regret holding steady over time:
- 5% of people with tattoos got ink removed pre-2000
- 7% underwent removal from 2000-2015
- 9% have gotten tattoos removed post-2015
So even newer recipients don‘t show growing regret rates as tattoo popularity swells.
Who accounts for that consistent 6-9% that do pursue removal?
- Women get tattoos lasered off 30% more than men
- Recipients aged 18-29 have the most regrets later on
- Names cause issues after relationships/marriages end
- Lower back tattoos fade and distort over time
Let‘s dig deeper on renaming and removal specifics…
The Painful Process of Tattoo Removal
Tattoo removal is no walk in the park:
- Multiple treatments needed for full removal
- 10+ sessions for large or colored tattoos
- Each session ranges from $250 up to $500
- Complete removal costs $1,000 to $4,000+
Ouch! Thankfully most people don‘t go down this route without cautious consideration first.
Laser removal works by blasting ink particles then allowing your immune system to clear the shattered pigment fragments between sessions.
Results can take 6 months per pass to fully manifest. It‘s most effective removing black ink over colors. Time between sessions allows your body to drain faded particles.
So in other words – don‘t embark down this path unless fully certain!
Moving on to a lighter note – let‘s uncover some fascinating historical tattoo facts…
The Ancient Heritage of Tattooing
While tattoo popularity feels relatively new in recent generations, this permanent body modification actually extends over 12,000 years!
Let‘s journey back to tattoo timeline highlights:
- 300 BC – Ancient Egyptian mummies bore simple geometric tattoos
- 700 AD – Polynesian cultures pioneered tattooing traditions still admired today
- 1769 – Explorer Captain James Cook first introduced the Tahitian word "tattoo"
- 1846 – The first professional tattoo shop opened in America by German immigrant Martin Hildebrandt
- 1891 – Tattooing leapt forward with Samuel O‘Reilly‘s electric tattooing machine patent
- 1960s – Tattoos began shaking their subversive reputation gaining pop culture acceptance
Of course everything we outlined barely scratches the surface of tattoo history‘s depth and cultural importance!
Now let‘s switch focus to discuss essential aftercare…
Caring Properly for A New Tattoo
With guidance from my tattoo artist colleagues, here are crucial aftercare tips for new ink:
- Carefully remove bandages after 24 hours then clean gently with unscented soap
- Apply balm 2-3 times daily to hydrate skin while healing over 2-4 weeks
- Avoid submerging new tattoos until scabs fully shed off around 10-14 days
- Absolutely no sun exposure or tanning beds until fully healed
- No abrasive scrubbing – allow ink to naturally flake off don‘t force the process!
- Schedule a 4 week touch-up for any uneven spots or patchy skin
Proper aftercare preserves your investment in quality artwork for maximal longevity. Don‘t cut corners just to save a few bucks upfront or you risk infections, fading issues down the road.
Closing Thoughts on Tattoos in 2024
We‘ve covered extensive ground analyzing tattoo statistics revealing so many surprising trends.
To wrap up, I believe tattoo popularity shows zero signs of slowing its growth trajectory far into the future. Artists continually hone talents even more advanced. Careers keep diversifying to support qualified candidates whether building clientele as a tattooist, learning permanent makeup for beauty services, or opening your own tattoo parlor.
What stuck out most to you reviewing all this body ink data today? Feel free to drop me questions in the comments section!