Tattoo and Tattoo Removal Research
Our data studies and statistics pages use public records, such as FDA recall and adverse event data and national surveys. Every figure names its source and the period it covers, and each page has a CSV you can download and reuse.
Tattoo, regret and tattoo ink statistics
32%
of U.S. adults have at least one tattoo; 22% have more than one
32% of U.S. adults have a tattoo and 24% of them say they ever regret getting one, Pew Research Center found in 2023. Together that is about 1 in 13 American adults, roughly 19 to 21 million people (our estimate).
Read the statistics →Data studyTattoo ink recalls in the FDA record
23
ink recalls in the FDA Enforcement Report, July 2003 to July 2026
The FDA Enforcement Report lists 23 recalls of tattoo and permanent makeup inks from July 2003 to July 2026, and 22 of the 23 were for contamination with bacteria or mold.
Read the study →Sources used in this section
- Pew Research Center: 32% of Americans have a tattoo, including 22% who have more than one
- Pew Research Center: survey topline (questions and totals)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2023 1-year, table S0101 (adults 18 and over)
- FDA, Tattoos, Temporary Tattoos & Permanent Makeup
- FDA Enforcement Report (iRES), recall records and CSV export
- openFDA cosmetic adverse event reports (bulk file)
- FDA, "FDA Issues Final Guidance on Tattoo Inks" (constituent update)
- FDA safety alert on contaminated tattoo inks
- FDA safety alert on Sacred Tattoo Ink
Each page lists its own sources with dates, its method and limits, and a CSV of the data (CC BY 4.0). General information, not medical advice.