In a survey done a few years back in the U.S., about 16% of respondents have at least one tattoo. That is about 1 in 6 people or 40 million Americans, and the popularity among both sexes are about the same.
Of all the respondents with tattoos, more females (42%) felt that having a tattoo made them feel sexier versus males (25%). The differences in thought between the female and male are to be expected since traditionally the females are more inclined to accessorize (i.e. makeup and lingerie) to be attractive. About a third (29%) felt the tattoos made them more rebellious and the same percentage for handling attractive. As expected, not many people (around 5%) felt their tattoos made them more intelligent or healthy or athletic.
Of those respondents who do not have tattoos, 42% felt that people with tattoos are less attractive, and 36% thought it made those with a tattoo less sexy. About a third (31%) thought people with a tattoo would be less intelligent, and 57% thought it made the person more rebellious. My take on this is that it depends on the tattoo design; some tattoos are tastefully done and are works of art.
One interesting difference between the tattoo haves and have-nots is the notion of rebelliousness (29% vs 57%). The percentage gap likely will slowly close as people change their perception of tattoos, and the art gets more accepted as a form of self-expression without the negative connotations.
Only 17% who had a tattoo regret their decision. The main reasons are that they had a named tattoo, do not like the design they picked, the design tends to fade over time, the decision to get a tattoo was stupid, it was more visible than what they envisioned, and they had trouble getting jobs.
In summary, ensure that you do some thorough research before making a tattoo design decision. You can find great tattoo ideas and designs on the internet. Keep in mind that your decision can impact your social life, career, and ultimately your self-image.