Tattoos in Australia; Perceptions, trends and regrets.

With Summer upon us, Australians are opting for the usual holiday attire of shorts and beachwear. Now with more skin on display, if Australians this Summer have the perception that we’ve become more tattooed than ever – that’s because we have.

Australia is experiencing growth in the proportion of the nation becoming ‘inked’, with 20% of Australians in 2018 admitting they have a tattoo, a record high. This growth has been particularly evident among women, with the proportion of Australian women with a tattoo now exceeding that of men (21% of women have a tattoo compared to 19% of men). Below are some insights we gained into the latest trends and perceptions Australians hold towards tattoos.

1 in 5 Australians has a tattoo

Our latest research surveying 1,013 ordinary Australians reveals that 1 in 5 (20%) individuals have one or more tattoos. This is up from 19% in 2016.

Not just youthful rebellion

While most Australians with a tattoo got their first between the ages of 18 and 25 (51%), over a third (36%) of people got their first tattoo when aged 26 or older.

Women are getting their first tattoo later in life than men. 16% of women were over the age of 36 when they first got their tattoo, compared to 9% of men.

Not just a one-off

Three in five inked Australians have more than one tattoo (61%), while two in five (39%) currently have just one. A third (32%) have two to three tattoos and 14% have more than six.

Women are more likely than men to have just one tattoo (42% compared to 36%), while men are more likely than women to have two to three tattoos (38% compared to 27%).

Not without regrets

Three in ten (31%) Australians with tattoos say that they regret, to some extent, getting a tattoo. Almost one in ten (9%) have commenced or looked into tattoo removal.