Tattoos Statistics And Pop Culture

Tattoo Statistics have been compiled since 1999 and has the best available data on the popularity of tattooing and basic information about the tattoo culture. For those interested in tattoo culture and its study and research, feel free to read or use this article.

Tattoos have gained an increasing amount of prominence in the past decade. Life magazine estimated in 1936 that 10 million Americans, or approximately 6% of the population had at least one tattoo. A Harris Poll, done in 2003, nearly triples those numbers and estimates that 16% of Americans now have one or more tattoos. For a complete breakdown of the Harris Poll numbers, see below.

-Thirty-six percent of those ages 18 to 25, and 40 percent of those ages 26 to 40, have at least one tattoo, according to a fall 2006 survey by the Pew Research Center.

-The National Geographic News stated in April 2000 that 15% of Americans were tattooed (or approximately 40 million people!)

-Esquire Magazine estimated in March 2002 that 1 in 8 Americans was tattooed.

-According to the American Society of Dermatological Surgery, they stated in 2005, that of all the people they treat with laser and light therapy, only only 6% are getting a tattoo removed.

-Harris Poll, 2003, estimates that fully 36% of those aged 25-29 have one or more tattoos.

-A 2006 a study done by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that 24% of Americans between 18 and 50 are tattooed; that’s almost one in four. And the survey showed that about 36% of Americans age 18 to 29 have at least one tattoo!

Make no mistake about it, the tattoo industry is hot property. There are an estimated 20,000+ parlors operating in the United States, according to a U.S. News & World Report article, which said, on the average, an establishment is being added in the country every day. The article ranked tattooing as the sixth fastest growing retail venture of the 1990s, right behind Internet, paging services, bagels, computer and cellular phone service

Tattoo industry spawns popular outgrowth

*Search Engine Lycos, ranks the Top 50 search terms every week. “Tattoos” was the third most popular search term in 2002, the fourth most popular search term in 2001, seventh most popular search term for the year 2000, and the eleventh most popular search term in 1999. “Tattoo and tattoos” is one of only seven search terms to never fall out of the Top 50 Search terms in the 199 weeks since Lycos has been keeping track. The other six are Dragon Ball, Pamela Anderson, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Las Vegas and the WWE/WWF.

*In July of 2002 “tattoos” reached its highest ranking ever, coming in as the number two most requested search term on the internet. “Tattoos” was requested more often than Britney Spears, marijuana or Kazaa, illustrating that skin ink is more popular than “sex, drugs and rock n’ roll!”

Lycos dropped the term “tattoos” from it’s Poll because the term was so popular. According to Lycos, tattoos rarely drops out of the top ten search terms requested on the Internet and Lycos dropped the term because they wanted to make room for other searches.

Search engine Ask.com found these stats about tattoo searches:

LA fashion week reminds us once again that trends come and go. But,
while the Devil may wear Prada, Search Engine Ask.com reveals that tattoos
have been stealing the scene as the #1 searched beauty term since 2003. No
longer taboo, the popularity of tattoos prove that skin is always in.

– Virtually every language is searched for in tattoo designs: from Aztec
sayings to Russian phrases, but Japanese and Chinese characters/symbols
are among the most frequently searched.

– Location, location, location: Backs rank the highest in searches
(lower, upper and all over). But, not far behind: necks, arms, wrists
and ankles. Unmentionables also rank high.

– Angelina’s number, choice and types of tattoos rank the highest in the
celebrity category. Ask.com searchers are also intrigued by other
celebs. Most notably, Nicole Richie, Alyssa Milano and heavy metal
rockers Metallica.

– As for who searches for tattoos more: given the top five ranked
designs, which are tribal, cross, stars, butterflies and fairies, we’d
say women.