TATTOO FACTS & STATISTICS

Tattoo Facts & Statistics has been compiled and updated since 1999 and contains the best available data on the prevalence and occurrence of tattooing and basic information about tattoo culture. This information is shared on our web site as a public service and as a resource for those interested in tattoo culture and its study and research. Please feel free to use this information, but also please acknowledge your source, www.vanishingtattoo.com

Emerging from their often unsavoury reputation of the recent past, tattoos have gained increasing 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 recent 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 numbers, see Harris Poll below:

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

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

According to the American Society of Dermatological Surgery, they stated in 2002 that 50% of the millions of Americans who get a tattoo eventually want it removed.

Make no mistake about it, the tattoo industry is hot property. There are an estimated 15,000 parlors operating in the United States, according to a U.S. News & World Report article (November 1996), 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.



A Third of Americans With Tattoos Say They
Make Them Feel More Sexy

National survey of adults shows that Democrats more likely to have tattoos, but regret for getting them is highest among Republicans.

ROCHESTER, NY, Oct 8, 2003 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- A recent Harris Poll finds that 16% of all adults have at least one tattoo. The highest incidence of tattoos was found among the gay, lesbian and bisexual population (31%) and among Americans ages 25 to 29 years (36%) and 30 to 39 years (28%). Regionally, people living in the West (20%) are more likely to have tattoos.

Democrats are more likely to have tattoos (18%) than Republicans (14%) and Independents (12%) while nearly equal percentages of males (16%) and females (15%) have tattoos.

This survey was conducted online between July 14 and 20, 2003 by Harris Interactive(R) among a nationwide sample of 2,215 adults.

How do tattoos make people feel?
Among Americans with tattoos, 34% said having a tattoo has made them feel sexier. Interestingly, more tattooed females (42%) feel this way than males (25%).

Additionally, those with tattoos said that having a tattoo has made them feel more rebellious (29%) while others said a tattoo makes them feel more attractive (26%). But tattoos apparently won't do much for your intelligence or your physique, as few Americans reported that tattoos make them feel more intelligent (5%), more healthy (4%), or more athletic (3%).

How do people without tattoos feel about those with them?
Many Americans who do not have tattoos said they think that people with tattoos are less attractive (42%), less sexy (36%) and less intelligent (31%). They also think that those with tattoos are more rebellious (57%). In contrast, only 29% of those with tattoos think they are more rebellious.

Do people regret getting tattoos?
A majority of Americans with tattoos (83%) do not regret getting them, while 17% do feel regret. The survey found that regret for getting a tattoo was highest among tattooed Republicans (24%) and among those living in the South (21%). And, the reason cited most often for feeling regret about getting tattoos was "because of the person's name in the tattoo" (16%).

TABLE 1
WHO HAS TATTOOS?
"How many tattoos do you currently have on your body?"
(People saying "one or more")

Base: All Adults
All Adults 16%
Region
East 14%
Midwest 14%
South 15%
West 20%
Age
18 - 24 13%
25 - 29 36%
30 - 39 28%
40 - 49 14%
50 - 64 10%
65 + 7%
Sex
Male 16%
Female 15%

Race/Ethnicity
White 16%
Black 14%
Hispanic 18%

Party I.D.
Republican 14%
Democratic 18%
Independent 12%
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual 31%


TABLE 2
REGRET HAVING A TATTOO?
"Do you ever regret getting a tattoo?"

Base: Currently Have a Tattoo
%
Yes 17
No 83

TABLE 3
WHY REGRET HAVING A TATTOO?
"Why do you regret getting a tattoo?"

Base: Yes, Regret Getting a Tattoo
Because of the person's name in the tattoo 16
Don't like the way it looks 12
Faded/unclear over time 11
It was stupid 11
It is visible even when I don't want it to be 8
It was a rash decision 3
Got an infection/disease 2
I'm a different person now 2
Effects my job/getting a job 2

TABLE 4

HOW HAVE A TATTOO MAKES ME FEEL
"Please complete the following sentence:"

"Compared to not having a tattoo having a tattoo has made me feel..."

Base: Currently Have a Tattoo
% More Less No Difference
Intelligent % 5 3 93
Sexy % 34 1 65
Spiritual % 20 1 79
Rebellious % 29 1 70
Attractive % 26 4 70
Athletic % 3 1 97
Healthy % 4 * 95
Strong % 16 * 84

TABLE 5

ATTITUDES OF THOSE WITHOUT A TATTOO
"Please complete the following sentence:"

"Compared to people without tattoos, I think people with tattoos are..."

Base: All Without Tattoos
% More Less No Difference
Intelligent % * 31 69
Sexy % 8 36 56
Spiritual % 3 29 68
Rebellious % 57 2 41
Attractive % 4 42 54
Athletic % 4 14 82
Healthy % 1 21 78
Strong % 8 8 84

Methodology

The survey was conducted online within the United States between July 14 and 20, 2003 among a nationwide cross section of 2,215 adults. Figures for age, sex, race, education and number of adults in the household were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. "Propensity score" weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

In theory, with probability samples of this size, one could say with 95 percent certainty that the results have a statistical precision of plus or minus two percentage points of what they would be if the entire adult population had been polled with complete accuracy. Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that are probably more serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. They include refusals to be interviewed (no response), question wording and question order, and weighting. It is impossible to quantify the errors that may result from these factors. This online survey is not a probability sample.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.

About Harris Interactive(R)

Harris Interactive (www.harrisinteractive.com) is a worldwide market research and consulting firm best known for The Harris Poll(R), and for pioneering the Internet method to conduct scientifically accurate market research. Headquartered in Rochester, New York, U.S.A., Harris Interactive combines proprietary methodologies and technology with expertise in predictive, custom and strategic research. The Company conducts international research through wholly owned subsidiaries London based HI Europe (www.hieurope.com) and Tokyo based Harris Interactive Japan as well as through the Harris Interactive Global Network of local market and opinion research firms, and various U.S. offices. EOE M/F/D/V

To become a member of the Harris Poll Online(SM) and be invited to participate in future online surveys, visit www.harrispollonline.com.

SOURCE Harris Interactive

Nancy Wong of Harris Interactive, +1-585-214-7316,
nwong@harrisinteractive.com
http://www.harrisinteractive.com