Topline
Almost one-third of American adults are permanently inked, a new Pew Research Center poll said Tuesday, pointing to increasing popularity of tattoos among people of all genders, races and political ideologies, which is expected to push the industry to a whopping $3.9 billion by 2030.
Angelina Jolie arrives to the DGA Theater for the New York premiere of ‘First They Killed My Father’ … [+]
Key Facts
Women are more likely to have tattoos than men, the data shows—27% of men have tattoos compared to 38% of women who admitted to getting inked, including 56% of women between the ages of 18 and 29.
Tattoos are most popular among Black people—39% of Black Americans have a tattoo—and least popular among those of Asian descent; 14% of Asian Americans have tattoos, compared to 35% of Hispanic people and 32% of white people.
Pew didn’t find any major differences in the rate of tattoos among people of differing political leaning or geographic location, but did find that tattoos are most common among those aged 30 to 49—46% of people in that age group have gotten at least one tattoo.
Nearly two-thirds of the tattooed respondents (69%) cited a desire to remember or honor something or someone as the reason they have a tattoo, followed by 47% who said their tattoos make a statement about their beliefs and 32% who think it makes them look better.
The increasing popularity of tattoos has led to a boom in two industries—those who give them and those who remove them: The global tattoo market was valued at $1.89 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow from $2 billion this year to $3.92 billion by 2030, according to Fortune Business Insights.
Similarly, Allied Market Research predicts the global tattoo removal industry, valued at $478 million in 2019, could be worth as much as $795 million by 2027.
Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian Barker attend the GQ Men of the Year Party 2022 at The West … [+]
Key Background
Tattoos have experienced a rise in popularity largely since the 1970s but more abruptly in the last 15 to 20 years—21% of people said they had tattoos in 2012 and 30% said they were inked in 2019. The last two decades have led to a more commonplace acceptance of tattoos in churches, schools and the workplace. Companies including Disney, UPS and Bank of America have relaxed rules surrounding visible tattoos and stigma around the permanent markings has largely faded in many industries. In 2020, the American Red Cross relaxed its donor eligibility criteria to make it easier for tattooed people to donate blood. The U.S. Army in 2022 eased its restrictions by cutting processing times for new recruits with tattoos and permitting current soldiers to have them in more places than previously allowed. Earlier this year, 80-year-old Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) announced she’d gotten her first tattoo with her granddaughter and Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.) has spoken openly about his ink, including the nine tattoos on his forearm that each represent “a day on which someone died violently while I was mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania.” The New York City Council last year proposed a bill that would make it illegal to discriminate against someone with tattoos in employment or housing.
Adam Levine of Maroon 5 performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show at Mercedes-Benz … [+]
Crucial Quote
“Our tattoo policy was more restrictive than the U.S. Army,” UPS CEO Carol Tomé said of the company’s policy on ink before her takeover in 2020.
Surprising Fact
Disney was the most tattooed brand in the world as of December 2021, according to a look at Instagram posts mentioning Disney in conjunction with a tattoo, Statistia reported. The second-most tattooed brand was Nintendo, followed by Harley Davidson, Lego and Nike.
Barbadian singer Rihanna poses as she arrives on May 19, 2017 for the screening of the film ‘Okja’ … [+]
Lady Gaga attends the 28th Screen Actors Guild Awards at Barker Hangar on February 27, 2022 in Santa … [+]
Further Reading
32% of Americans have a tattoo, including 22% who have more than one (Pew Research Center)
Rep. Rosa DeLauro gets her first tattoo for granddaughter’s 18th birthday (The Hill)
The Story Of Mad Rabbit: Identifying A Pain Point In The Tattoo Industry (Forbes)
Tattoo Removal Business Draws Up High-Growth Potential (Forbes)
Disney Theme Park Employees Can Now Have Tattoos And ‘Gender-Inclusive’ Hairstyles For First Time Ever (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2023/08/15/tattoo-usa-one-third-of-americans-have-ink-as-industry-projected-to-hit-4-billion/