Worldwide prevalence of tattoos with a focus on younger age groups: a literature review

From 11.7% to 31.5% of the population in Western countries has tattoos. Given the potential health implications, it is important to obtain reliable estimates of the prevalence of the tattooed population.

To estimate the prevalence of tattoos in the general population and among younger age groups worldwide, and the settings in which tattoos are performed.

We conducted a literature review by searching MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science for relevant articles published between January 1, 2000, and September 17, 2025. Studies were included if they reported data on the prevalence of tattoos and/or the settings in which tattooing occurred, drawn from the general population or specific age groups and students.

From the 7,921 potential articles identified, 86 were included in our review. We found a global prevalence ranging from 0.18% to 63.9% (from 5.2% to 35.3% in developed countries), with a significantly increasing trend. The data revealed a higher tattoo prevalence among younger individuals. In Western countries, from 64% to 93.9% of the samples got their tattoos in authorized parlours.

The data demonstrate a clear increase in tattooing worldwide. This represents a matter of concern from a public health perspective, as it is likely to be accompanied by a corresponding increase in health risks and requests for tattoo removal.