Ink on tattoos

Cultures around the world have been tattooing for millennia, whether it be for religious, cultural or personal reasons. Today, you will find tattoo businesses in cities and towns across Canada.

A nod to NAICS

Before we shed ink on tattoo businesses in Canada, some background information is required. Every one of the over 4.6 million businesses with or without employees in Canada falls within one of the 2,039 categories that make up the North American Industrial Classification System, also known as NAICS.

Tattoo businesses with and without employees fall under the “other personal care services” category, which also includes businesses centred on tattoo removal, tanning or body modification such as piercing and hair replacement and removal.

Over four in five “other personal care services” businesses with employees have nine or fewer employees

We counted 4,263 “other personal care services” businesses with employees in December 2023, ranging from 18 in Prince Edward Island to 1,530 in Ontario.

The provincial share of “other personal care services” businesses generally aligns with population size, with one notable exception. Saskatchewan has nearly twice as many “other personal care services” businesses with employees than neighbouring Manitoba (206 versus 104), despite having a smaller population.

Approximately three in five “other personal care services” businesses nationally have one to four employees (58.9%), while nearly one-quarter has five to nine employees (24.1%).

There were also 13,114 “other personal care services” businesses without employees in December 2023, accounting for three-quarters of all businesses within the category.