Finally, Common Ground Among Americans: Tattoos

The Pew Research Center has managed to find a topic in America that is not politically divisive: tattoos. Its new survey finds that 32% of Americans have a tattoo, with neither the left nor the right dominating. Roughly a third of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents have some ink, the same percentage as Republicans. Some other tidbits:

• 38% of women have tattoos, compared to 27% of men. More than half of women 18 to 29 (56%) and 30 to 49 (53%) have one.
• 39% of Black Americans have a tattoo, ahead of Hispanic (35%), white (32%), and Asian Americans (14%).
• The main reason for getting a tattoo (69%) is to remember someone or something.
• 43% of low-income adults have ink, more than those in middle-income (31%) and upper-income (21%) households.

• 24% regret getting one or more of their tattoos, but the majority are pretty happy with them.
• Most non-tattooed Americans (60%) don't think any more or less of their tattooed counterparts, while 29% say a tattoo makes them think less of the person.
• Forbes takes note of all this, pointing out that the global tattoo market is expected to grow from $2 billion this year to $3.92 billion by 2030. The numbers factor in not just the inking of tattoos but their removals as well.

(More tattoos stories.)