Which Country's Residents Have the Most Tattoos?

By Daniel Maina Wambugu November 23 2018 in World Facts







Tattoos vary in popularity from country to country.

Tattoos have been around since the ancient times when they were done manually as a ceremonial rite or for identification. Currently, tattoo machines are used by professionals to make body modifications. The art of tattoos is more popular in some countries than others, with Italy having the highest percentage of tattooed people.

Which Country's Residents Have the Most Tattoos?

Italy is rated the top country with 48% of the population having at least one tattoo. Sweden and the United States follow closely with 47% and 46% of residents wearing a tattoo respectively. Research has further indicated that Americans and Swedes prefer multiple tattoos compared to Italians. Of the top three countries, most tattooed Americans have more than four tattoos on their bodies. Australia and Argentina have 43% of residents having at least one tattoo.

At sixth position is Spain with 42% of residents with at least one tattoo punctured on their bodies and 41% and 40% of the people living in Denmark and the UK have at least one tattoo respectively. Brazil and France have also embraced tattooing with a substantial portion of the population having tattoos on their bodies. 37% of Brazilians and 36% of the French people has at one tattoo on their body making them rank position 9 and 10 respectively.

Demographic Distribution of Tattoos

Middle-aged people are more likely to have tattoos according to the current survey. Women have embraced tattoos more than men with 40% of women and only 36% of men having tattoos. Holding age and gender constant, more educated people have tattoos compared to the less educated at 32% and 26% respectively. 32% of people living in urban centers have tattoos compared to 26% of the residents in the rural areas.

Tattoo Regrets

Some people may regret having a tattoo thereby opting to either alter or remove it completely. While altering is an easy process, the removal of a tattoo can be done by an expensive and painful procedure of surgery or laser surgery whereby the results are not guaranteed. 72% of people do not regret having a tattoo. The least regretful tattoo holders are Italians and Greeks at 15% and 17% respectively. The most regretful people are Danes at 38% and the Israelis at 37%.

Risks Associated With Tattoos

If not carried out professionally, the process of getting a tattoo posses a health risk of exposure to skin infections and allergic reactions. Pain can be experienced depending on the body part being punctured. There is a risk of exposure to HIV, hepatitis, tetanus, and herpes simplex virus especially if the process is carried out by amateurs using unsterilized equipment.

Which Country's Residents Have the Most Tattoos?