Business Merit Badge History

Earned through 196669,756

Best year19612,703 earned

All-time popularity#160official, as of 2020#168by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1912. Peak year 1961 with 2,703. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

19110 earned

191226 earned#22 of 51

191382 earned#20 of 56

1914156 earned#22 of 58

1915102 earned#29 of 58

191671 earned#36 of 56

191792 earned#39 of 58

1918153 earned#34 of 58

1919288 earned#37 of 59

1920276 earned#36 of 59

1921426 earned#40 of 61

1922464 earned#46 of 61

1923499 earned#43 of 63

1924553 earned#44 of 64

1925713 earned#41 of 64

1926899 earned#48 of 65

19271,019 earned#51 of 68

19281,131 earned#65 of 88

19291,204 earned#59 of 89

19301,274 earned#61 of 92

19311,407 earned#65 of 96

19321,268 earned#63 of 98

19331,366 earned#63 of 101

19341,214 earned#64 of 101

19351,432 earned#69 of 101

19361,287 earned#62 of 101

19371,318 earned#64 of 102

19381,574 earned#59 of 105

19391,643 earned#61 of 106

19401,541 earned#63 of 106

19411,367 earned#64 of 106

19421,509 earned#61 of 110

19431,675 earned#61 of 112

19441,958 earned#63 of 111

19452,000 earned#63 of 111

19461,638 earned#64 of 111

19471,490 earned#64 of 111

19481,350 earned#67 of 111

19491,541 earned#63 of 111

19501,592 earned#68 of 111

19512,142 earned#64 of 111

19521,657 earned#81 of 120

19531,550 earned#71 of 105

19541,812 earned#74 of 103

19551,918 earned#73 of 100

19562,003 earned#74 of 100

19572,247 earned#72 of 100

19582,113 earned#74 of 101

19591,995 earned#78 of 101

19602,431 earned#72 of 100

19612,703 earned#69 of 101

19622,234 earned#72 of 101

19632,218 earned#74 of 102

19642,596 earned#73 of 107

19651,931 earned#78 of 109

19661,796 earned#82 of 110

"#82 of 110" means the badge was number 82 of the 110 merit badges earned that year. 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.

19110none earned

191226#22 of 51

191382#20 of 56

1914156#22 of 58

1915102#29 of 58

191671#36 of 56

191792#39 of 58

1918153#34 of 58

1919288#37 of 59

1920276#36 of 59

1921426#40 of 61

1922464#46 of 61

1923499#43 of 63

1924553#44 of 64

1925713#41 of 64

1926899#48 of 65

19271,019#51 of 68

19281,131#65 of 88

19291,204#59 of 89

19301,274#61 of 92

19311,407#65 of 96

19321,268#63 of 98

19331,366#63 of 101

19341,214#64 of 101

19351,432#69 of 101

19361,287#62 of 101

19371,318#64 of 102

19381,574#59 of 105

19391,643#61 of 106

19401,541#63 of 106

19411,367#64 of 106

19421,509#61 of 110

19431,675#61 of 112

19441,958#63 of 111

19452,000#63 of 111

19461,638#64 of 111

19471,490#64 of 111

19481,350#67 of 111

19491,541#63 of 111

19501,592#68 of 111

19512,142#64 of 111

19521,657#81 of 120

19531,550#71 of 105

19541,812#74 of 103

19551,918#73 of 100

19562,003#74 of 100

19572,247#72 of 100

19582,113#74 of 101

19591,995#78 of 101

19602,431#72 of 100

19612,703#69 of 101

19622,234#72 of 101

19632,218#74 of 102

19642,596#73 of 107

19651,931#78 of 109

19661,796#82 of 110

Grand total through 1966:

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.

Business: workbook data

Printings (39)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	HC	Notes
x	1920		1B-2				3307		HB 20th Edition reference
	1921	not made
	1922	not made
	1923	not made
	1924	not made
x	1925		3A over 1	back-3			3307		1920 printing
x	1925		3A	back-3			3307
x	1926		3A	back-3			3307
x	1927		3A	back-3			3307
	1928	not made
x	1929	December	3B	back-3			3307
	1930	April	3B	back-3			3307
	1930	August	3B	back-3			3307
	1930	September	3B	back-3			3307
x	1931	June	3B	back-3			3307
	1932	not made
	1933	not made
x	1934	April	3B	back-3	1M		3307
	1935	not made
x	1936	February	3B	back-3	1M		3307
x	1937	May	3B	back-3	1M		3307
x	1938	December	3D	back-3	1M		3307
	1939	not made
x	1940	September	3D	back-3	1M		3307
x	1942	May	3B	back-3	3M		3307
x	1942	May	4	back-4	3M		3307
	1943	not made
x	1944	May	5A	back-5a	1M		3307
x	1945	January	5B	blank	1M		3307
	1946	not made
x	1947	August	5B	blank	1M		3307
x	1948	September	5B	blank	1M		3307
	1949	not made
x	1950	February	5B	blank	1M		3307
x	1951	August	5B	blank	1M		3307	HCH
x	1952	July	6A	back-6b-1	2M		3307	HCI
x	1953	October	6A	back-6b-1	2M		3307
x	1954	September	6A	back-6b-2	2M		3307	HCJV1
x	1955	June	6A	back-6b-2	2M		3307
x	1956	May	6A	back-6b-2	3M		3307	HCJ
x	1957	March	6A	back-6b-2	3M		3307
x	1958	March	6B	back-6c-1	3M		3307
x	1959	June	6B	back-6c-2	3M		3307
x	1960	August	6B	back-6d	3M		3307
x	1961	July	6B	back-6e	3M		3307
	1962	February	6B				3307
x	1963	January	6B	back-6f	3M	1963	3307	HCJV2, HCP
x	1964	February	6B	back-6g	3M		3307
x	1964	April	6B	back-6h	3M		3307	HCK
	1965	not made
x	1966	February	6B	back-6i	3M		3307
x	1967	April	6B	back-6i	3M		3307

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1911	0
1912	26	22	51
1913	82	20	56
1914	156	22	58
1915	102	29	58
1916	71	36	56
1917	92	39	58
1918	153	34	58
1919	288	37	59
1920	276	36	59
1921	426	40	61
1922	464	46	61
1923	499	43	63
1924	553	44	64
1925	713	41	64
1926	899	48	65
1927	1,019	51	68
1928	1,131	65	88
1929	1,204	59	89
1930	1,274	61	92
1931	1,407	65	96
1932	1,268	63	98
1933	1,366	63	101
1934	1,214	64	101
1935	1,432	69	101
1936	1,287	62	101
1937	1,318	64	102
1938	1,574	59	105
1939	1,643	61	106
1940	1,541	63	106
1941	1,367	64	106
1942	1,509	61	110
1943	1,675	61	112
1944	1,958	63	111
1945	2,000	63	111
1946	1,638	64	111
1947	1,490	64	111
1948	1,350	67	111
1949	1,541	63	111
1950	1,592	68	111
1951	2,142	64	111
1952	1,657	81	120
1953	1,550	71	105
1954	1,812	74	103
1955	1,918	73	100
1956	2,003	74	100
1957	2,247	72	100
1958	2,113	74	101
1959	1,995	78	101
1960	2,431	72	100
1961	2,703	69	101
1962	2,234	72	101
1963	2,218	74	102
1964	2,596	73	107
1965	1,931	78	109
1966	1,796	82	110