Citizenship in the Nation Merit Badge History

Earned through 20203,517,139

Best year200268,913 earned

All-time popularity#6official, as of 2020#6by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1952. Peak year 2002 with 68,913. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

19524,154 earned#52 of 120

195319,739 earned#15 of 105

195426,089 earned#13 of 103

195528,045 earned#15 of 100

195630,191 earned#14 of 100

195730,672 earned#14 of 100

195832,118 earned#13 of 101

195932,168 earned#16 of 101

196040,207 earned#15 of 100

196143,777 earned#13 of 101

196244,697 earned#13 of 101

196346,602 earned#13 of 102

196449,020 earned#14 of 107

196546,086 earned#14 of 109

196645,301 earned#12 of 110

196748,647 earned#12 of 112

196848,675 earned#12 of 112

196949,743 earned#12 of 113

197049,426 earned#12 of 113

197148,545 earned#12 of 113

197244,157 earned#13 of 124

197351,614 earned#10 of 122

197453,685 earned#12 of 121

197561,810 earned#9 of 128

197658,468 earned#10 of 130

197748,165 earned#10 of 130

197840,209 earned#10 of 131

197939,470 earned#9 of 132

198029,715 earned#9 of 132

198143,190 earned#9 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

199362,307 earned#7 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

199662,466 earned#6 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

200067,308 earned#6 of 128

200168,626 earned#5 of 129

200268,913 earned#6 of 129

200367,377 earned#5 of 130

200468,317 earned#5 of 121

200558,715 earned#6 of 121

200654,993 earned#7 of 121

200754,368 earned#6 of 121

200857,958 earned#6 of 121

200964,847 earned#5 of 122

201064,683 earned#5 of 125

201164,558 earned#4 of 129

201264,120 earned#4 of 132

201361,272 earned#2 of 129

201456,490 earned#6 of 136

201557,161 earned#6 of 138

201657,919 earned#5 of 138

201752,949 earned#5 of 139

201852,944 earned#5 of 139

201948,182 earned#8 of 139

202043,247 earned#2 of 137

2021No data available#11 of 137

2022No data available#8 of 138

2023No data available#7 of 138

2024No data available#5 of 138

2025No data available#3 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#3 of 141" means the badge was number 3 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.

19524,154#52 of 120

195319,739#15 of 105

195426,089#13 of 103

195528,045#15 of 100

195630,191#14 of 100

195730,672#14 of 100

195832,118#13 of 101

195932,168#16 of 101

196040,207#15 of 100

196143,777#13 of 101

196244,697#13 of 101

196346,602#13 of 102

196449,020#14 of 107

196546,086#14 of 109

196645,301#12 of 110

196748,647#12 of 112

196848,675#12 of 112

196949,743#12 of 113

197049,426#12 of 113

197148,545#12 of 113

197244,157#13 of 124

197351,614#10 of 122

197453,685#12 of 121

197561,810#9 of 128

197658,468#10 of 130

197748,165#10 of 130

197840,209#10 of 131

197939,470#9 of 132

198029,715#9 of 132

198143,190#9 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

199362,307#7 of 123

1994—

1995—

199662,466#6 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

200067,308#6 of 128

200168,626#5 of 129

200268,913#6 of 129

200367,377#5 of 130

200468,317#5 of 121

200558,715#6 of 121

200654,993#7 of 121

200754,368#6 of 121

200857,958#6 of 121

200964,847#5 of 122

201064,683#5 of 125

201164,558#4 of 129

201264,120#4 of 132

201361,272#2 of 129

201456,490#6 of 136

201557,161#6 of 138

201657,919#5 of 138

201752,949#5 of 139

201852,944#5 of 139

201948,182#8 of 139

202043,247#2 of 137

2021—#11 of 137

2022—#8 of 138

2023—#7 of 138

2024—#5 of 138

2025—#3 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.

Citizenship in the Nation: workbook data

Printings (51)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	SKU	SA #	HC	Notes
x	1972	June	8	back-8a	60M	1972	3252				HCS
	1973	not made
x	1974	March	8	back-8a	30M	1972	3252
x	1974	October	8	back-8b	30M	1972	3252
x	1975	April	8	back-8c-1	20M	1972	3252
x	1975	November	8	back-8c-1	20M	1972	3252
x	1976	April	8	back-8c-1	20M	1972	3252
x	1977	July	8	back-8c-2	32M	1972	3252
x	1978	September	8	back-8d	28M	1972	3252
	1979	not made
x	1980	February	9A	back-9a	25M	1972	3252
x	1981	February	9A	back-9a	25M	1972	3252
x	1981	December	9A	back-9a	30M	1972	3252
x	1982	November	9A	back-9a	25M		3252
x	1983	October	9A	back-9a	18M		3252
x	1984	June	9A	back-9a	30M	1984	3252
x	1985	March	9A	back-9b-2	30M	1984	3252
x	1986	January	9A	back-9b-2	30M	1984	3252
x	1987	January	9A	back-9b-2	35M	1984	3252
x	1987	December	9A	back-9b-2	35M	1984	3252
	1988	not made
x	1989	January	9A	back-9b-2	30M	1984	3252
x	1989	November	9A	back-9b-2	40M	1984	3252
	1990	not made
x	1991	June	9A	back-9c-1	30M	1984	3252
x	1992	July	9A	back-9c-2	30M	1984	33252	730176332529
x	1993	August	9A	back-9d	30M	1984	33248	730176333762
x	1994	August	9A	back-9d	29M	1984	33248	730176332482
x	1995	August	9A	back-9d	30M	1984	33248	730176332482
x	1996	May	9A	back-9d	32M	1984	33248	730176332482
x	1997	September	9A	back-9d		1984	33248	730176332482
x	1998		9A	back-9f		1984	33248	730176332482
x	1999		9A	back-9f		1984	33248	730176332482
x	2000		9A	back-9f		1984	33248	730176332482
x	2001		9A	back-9f		1984	33248	730176332482
x	2001		9A	back-9f		1984	33248	730176332482				2nd printing
x	2002		9A	back-9f		1984	33248	730176332482
x	2003		9A	back-9g		1984	33248	730176332482
x	2004		9A	back-9g		1984	33248	730176332482
x	2005		9B-1	back-9g		2005	33248A	730176332482
x	2006		9B-1	back-9g		2005	33248A	730176332482
x	2007		9B-2	back-9h-1		2005	33248A	730176332482
x	2007		9B-2	back-9h-1			33248A	730176332482				2nd printing
x	2008		10A	back-1008e1			35871	730176358710
	2009	not made
x	2010		10C	back-1010e1			35871	730176358710
x	2011		10C	back-1010e1			35871	730176358710
x	2012		10C	back-1010e1			35871	730176358710
x	2013		10C	back-1013e1a			35871	730176358710				01268-AL
x	2014		10D	back-1013e1a			620375	730176357799				01268-AL
	2015	not made
x	2016		10D	back-1016e1			620375	730176357799				01042-AL
	2017	not made
	2018	not made
x	2019		10D	back-1019e1			649784	730176350431				00432
x	2020		10D	back-1019e1			655629	730176351544				358
	2021	not made
	2022	not made
x	2023		10D	back-1019e1			655629	730176351544				358
x	2024		10D	back-1019e1			655629	730176351544				358
x	2025		11A	back-1125		2025	35871	730176351544	665629	300082807		358

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1952	4,154	52	120
1953	19,739	15	105
1954	26,089	13	103
1955	28,045	15	100
1956	30,191	14	100
1957	30,672	14	100
1958	32,118	13	101
1959	32,168	16	101
1960	40,207	15	100
1961	43,777	13	101
1962	44,697	13	101
1963	46,602	13	102
1964	49,020	14	107
1965	46,086	14	109
1966	45,301	12	110
1967	48,647	12	112
1968	48,675	12	112
1969	49,743	12	113
1970	49,426	12	113
1971	48,545	12	113
1972	44,157	13	124
1973	51,614	10	122
1974	53,685	12	121
1975	61,810	9	128
1976	58,468	10	130
1977	48,165	10	130
1978	40,209	10	131
1979	39,470	9	132
1980	29,715	9	132
1981	43,190	9	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	62,307	7	123
1994
1995
1996	62,466	6	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	67,308	6	128
2001	68,626	5	129
2002	68,913	6	129
2003	67,377	5	130
2004	68,317	5	121
2005	58,715	6	121
2006	54,993	7	121
2007	54,368	6	121
2008	57,958	6	121
2009	64,847	5	122
2010	64,683	5	125
2011	64,558	4	129
2012	64,120	4	132
2013	61,272	2	129
2014	56,490	6	136
2015	57,161	6	138
2016	57,919	5	138
2017	52,949	5	139
2018	52,944	5	139
2019	48,182	8	139
2020	43,247	2	137
2021		11	137
2022		8	138
2023		7	138
2024		5	138
2025		3	141