Animal Science Merit Badge History

Earned through 202083,893

Best year19786,315 earned

All-time popularity#152official, as of 2020#148by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1975. Peak year 1978 with 6,315. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

19753,161 earned#95 of 128

19765,216 earned#78 of 130

19774,762 earned#76 of 130

19786,315 earned#64 of 131

19793,000 earned#80 of 132

19801,958 earned#79 of 132

19812,712 earned#77 of 134

1982No data available

1983No data available

1984No data available

1985No data available

1986No data available

1987No data available

1988No data available

1989No data available

1990No data available

1991No data available

1992No data available

19932,288 earned#93 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

19962,180 earned#93 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

20002,788 earned#92 of 128

20013,220 earned#87 of 129

20023,509 earned#92 of 129

20033,416 earned#94 of 130

20042,982 earned#97 of 121

20053,151 earned#97 of 121

20063,195 earned#95 of 121

20072,608 earned#99 of 121

20082,874 earned#98 of 121

20093,444 earned#94 of 122

20103,591 earned#96 of 125

20113,759 earned#90 of 129

20124,503 earned#76 of 132

20134,174 earned#66 of 129

20144,042 earned#96 of 136

20154,414 earned#92 of 138

20163,852 earned#98 of 138

20173,848 earned#97 of 139

20183,769 earned#100 of 139

20194,155 earned#96 of 139

20202,778 earned#103 of 137

2021No data available#88 of 137

2022No data available#99 of 138

2023No data available#99 of 138

2024No data available#99 of 138

2025No data available#100 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#100 of 141" means the badge was number 100 of the 141 merit badges earned that year. National counts have not been published since 2020, but the rankings have. The grand total comes from official reports and includes the years without a known count. The 2025 all-time place is an estimate, because the counts for 2021 to 2025 are worked out from each year's official ranking and the total number of merit badges earned that year.

19753,161#95 of 128

19765,216#78 of 130

19774,762#76 of 130

19786,315#64 of 131

19793,000#80 of 132

19801,958#79 of 132

19812,712#77 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

19932,288#93 of 123

1994—

1995—

19962,180#93 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

20002,788#92 of 128

20013,220#87 of 129

20023,509#92 of 129

20033,416#94 of 130

20042,982#97 of 121

20053,151#97 of 121

20063,195#95 of 121

20072,608#99 of 121

20082,874#98 of 121

20093,444#94 of 122

20103,591#96 of 125

20113,759#90 of 129

20124,503#76 of 132

20134,174#66 of 129

20144,042#96 of 136

20154,414#92 of 138

20163,852#98 of 138

20173,848#97 of 139

20183,769#100 of 139

20194,155#96 of 139

20202,778#103 of 137

2021—#88 of 137

2022—#99 of 138

2023—#99 of 138

2024—#99 of 138

2025—#100 of 141

Grand total through 2020:

This page keeps growing. More of this badge's history, including its patches and pamphlets, is being checked and will be added once it is confirmed.

Animal Science: workbook data

Printings (37)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	SKU	HC	Notes
x	1975	August	8	back-8c-1	15M	1975	3395
x	1976	January	8	back-8c-1	6M	1975	3395			HCT
x	1976	August	8	back-8c-1	6M	1975	3395
x	1977	May	8	back-8c-2	6M	1975	3395
	1978	not made
	1979	not made
x	1980	July	9A	back-9a	2.5M		3395			HCU
x	1981	September	9A	back-9a	2.5M		3395
x	1982	February	9A	back-9a	2M		3395
	1983	February	9A		2M		3395
	1984	February	9A		2M		3395
x	1984	December	9B	back-9b-2	2.5M		3395
x	1985	October	9B	back-9b-2	2.5M		3395
x	1986	October	9B	back-9b-2	2.5M		3395
x	1987	September	9B	back-9b-2	3M		3395
x	1988	October	9B	back-9b-2	3M		3395
	1989	not made
x	1990	January	9B	back-9b-2	2.5M		3395
x	1991	July	9B	back-9c-1	2M		3395
x	1992	July	9B	back-9c-2	2M		33395	730176333953
x	1993	July	9B	back-9d	2M		33395	730176333953
x	1994	July	9B	back-9d	2M		33395	730176333953
x	1995	September	9B	back-9d	2M		33395	730176333953
x	1996	May	9B	back-9d	2M		33395	730176333953
	1997	not made
x	1998		9B	back-9f			33395	730176333953
x	1999		9B	back-9f			33395	730176333953
	2000	not made
x	2001		9C	back-9f			33395A	730176333953
	2002	not made
	2003	not made
x	2004		9C	back-9g			33395A	730176333953
x	2005		9C	back-9g			33395A	730176333953
x	2006		9D	back-9g			33395B	730176324913
	2007	not made
x	2008		10A	back-1008b1			35854	730176358543
	2009	not made
x	2010		10C-1A	back-1010b1			35854	730176358543
x	2011		10C-1A	back-1010b1			35854	730176358543
x	2012		10C-1B	back-1013b1			35854	730176358543
	2013	not made
x	2014		10C-1B	back-1013b1			35854	730176358543			01268-AL
x	2015		10C-1B	back-1013b1			35854	730176358543			01268-AL
x	2016		10D	back-1016b1			35854	730176358543			01042-AL
	2017	not made
	2018	not made
	2019	not made
x	2020		10D	back-1019b1			641573	730176347042			358
	2021	not made
x	2022		10D	back-1019b1			35854	7301766569859	656985		358
c	2023		10D	back-1019b1		2023	35854	7301766601948	660194		358
	2024	not made
	2025	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1975	3,161	95	128
1976	5,216	78	130
1977	4,762	76	130
1978	6,315	64	131
1979	3,000	80	132
1980	1,958	79	132
1981	2,712	77	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	2,288	93	123
1994
1995
1996	2,180	93	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	2,788	92	128
2001	3,220	87	129
2002	3,509	92	129
2003	3,416	94	130
2004	2,982	97	121
2005	3,151	97	121
2006	3,195	95	121
2007	2,608	99	121
2008	2,874	98	121
2009	3,444	94	122
2010	3,591	96	125
2011	3,759	90	129
2012	4,503	76	132
2013	4,174	66	129
2014	4,042	96	136
2015	4,414	92	138
2016	3,852	98	138
2017	3,848	97	139
2018	3,769	100	139
2019	4,155	96	139
2020	2,778	103	137
2021		88	137
2022		99	138
2023		99	138
2024		99	138
2025		100	141