Tattoos Are Everywhere These Days — But Just How Popular Are They?

Although it might be hard for some of our younger readers to believe, there was once a time when tattoos were reserved mostly for those on the fringes of society.

Of course, times have changed a lot since then. And now it’s not uncommon to find someone with tons of tattoos working in just about any industry imaginable.

Whether you have a tattoo, are thinking about getting one, or just think they’re pretty cool, let’s take a look at some data that will reveal how common these permanent works of body art have become.

Nearly 1 in 3 Americans

According to a new study by the Pew Research Center, roughly 32% of American adults have at least one tattoo — and more than one-fifth have two or more.

Of course, that proportion isn’t evenly divided among all groups:

• Gender: In a reverse from generations past, women are more likely than men to have at least one tattoo these days, by a margin of 38% to 27%.
• Ethnicity: Across racial lines, Black Americans (39%) are the most likely to have tattoos, followed by Hispanics (35%), Whites (32%), and Asians (14%).
• Income: Among upper-income households, only about 21% of individuals have tattoos, but that number jumps to 31% of middle-income folks, and 43% in lower-income homes.
• Age: It might not be surprising to learn that younger adults are more likely to have tattoos, but they’re most common among those between 30-49 years old.
• Religion: While tattoos are becoming pretty common in modern houses of worship, just 29% of religious individuals have tattoos, compared to 41% of those without such affiliations.
• Education: Folks with a postgraduate degree are least likely to have tattoos at just 21%, compared with 24% of bachelor’s degree holders and 37% with less formal education.

Chris Agee August 18th, 2023

Share this story: