Communication Merit Badge History

Earned through 20202,352,069

Best year200263,408 earned

All-time popularity#19official, as of 2020#18by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1965. Peak year 2002 with 63,408. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

1965497 earned#103 of 109

1966952 earned#102 of 110

19671,614 earned#89 of 112

19681,424 earned#95 of 112

19691,569 earned#96 of 113

19701,481 earned#100 of 113

19711,427 earned#96 of 113

19726,527 earned#64 of 124

19738,398 earned#54 of 122

197431,608 earned#25 of 121

197546,486 earned#17 of 128

197645,517 earned#16 of 130

197739,979 earned#17 of 130

197835,881 earned#17 of 131

197933,252 earned#14 of 132

198026,165 earned#12 of 132

198139,474 earned#11 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

199352,533 earned#11 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

199654,288 earned#11 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

200059,388 earned#10 of 128

200160,560 earned#9 of 129

200263,408 earned#9 of 129

200361,057 earned#9 of 130

200460,105 earned#9 of 121

200554,633 earned#8 of 121

200653,558 earned#9 of 121

200754,214 earned#7 of 121

200854,983 earned#7 of 121

200962,153 earned#7 of 122

201059,462 earned#7 of 125

201160,749 earned#6 of 129

201259,345 earned#6 of 132

201357,111 earned#4 of 129

201454,081 earned#8 of 136

201555,738 earned#7 of 138

201653,367 earned#8 of 138

201750,503 earned#8 of 139

201851,541 earned#6 of 139

201948,117 earned#9 of 139

202036,675 earned#7 of 137

2021No data available#7 of 137

2022No data available#7 of 138

2023No data available#9 of 138

2024No data available#6 of 138

2025No data available#5 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#5 of 141" means the badge was number 5 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.

1965497#103 of 109

1966952#102 of 110

19671,614#89 of 112

19681,424#95 of 112

19691,569#96 of 113

19701,481#100 of 113

19711,427#96 of 113

19726,527#64 of 124

19738,398#54 of 122

197431,608#25 of 121

197546,486#17 of 128

197645,517#16 of 130

197739,979#17 of 130

197835,881#17 of 131

197933,252#14 of 132

198026,165#12 of 132

198139,474#11 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

199352,533#11 of 123

1994—

1995—

199654,288#11 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

200059,388#10 of 128

200160,560#9 of 129

200263,408#9 of 129

200361,057#9 of 130

200460,105#9 of 121

200554,633#8 of 121

200653,558#9 of 121

200754,214#7 of 121

200854,983#7 of 121

200962,153#7 of 122

201059,462#7 of 125

201160,749#6 of 129

201259,345#6 of 132

201357,111#4 of 129

201454,081#8 of 136

201555,738#7 of 138

201653,367#8 of 138

201750,503#8 of 139

201851,541#6 of 139

201948,117#9 of 139

202036,675#7 of 137

2021—#7 of 137

2022—#7 of 138

2023—#9 of 138

2024—#6 of 138

2025—#5 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.

Communication: workbook data

Printings (55)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	SKU	SA #	HC	Notes
x	1967	April	7	back-7	20M		3309				HCQ	communications
	1968	not made
x	1969	February	7	back-7	15M		3309				HCN	communications
	1970	not made
	1971	not made
x	1972	June	8A-1	back-8a	60M	1972	3258				HCSV1, HCT	communications
	1973	not made
x	1974	August	8A-2	back-8b	25M	1972	3258					communications
x	1975	March	8A-2	back-8c-1	20M	1972	3258					communications
x	1976	January	8A-2	back-8c-1	20M	1972	3258					communications
x	1976	September	8A-2	back-8c-1	25M	1972	3258					communications
x	1977	September	8A-2	back-8c-2	25M	1972	3258					communications
	1978	not made
x	1979	March	8A-2	back-8d	18M	1972	3258					communications
x	1980	February	9A	back-9a	19M	1972	3258					communications
x	1981	January	9A	back-9a	20M	1972	3258					communications
x	1982	January	9A	back-9a	20M	1972	3258					communications
x	1982	December	9A	back-9a	12M	1972	3258					communications
x	1983	June	9A	back-9a	20M	1972	3258					communications
x	1984	April	9A	back-9a	25M	1972	3258					communications
x	1985	May	9A	back-9b-2	20M	1972	3258					communications
x	1986	April	9A	back-9b-2	20M	1972	3258					communications
x	1987	February	9A	back-9b-2	20M	1972	3258					communications
x	1987	November	9A	back-9b-2	25M	1972	3258					communications
x	1988	November	9A	back-9b-2	25M	1972	3258					communications
x	1989	October	9A	back-9b-2	25M	1972	3258					communications
	1990	not made
x	1991	February	9A	back-9c-1	23M	1972	3258					communications
x	1992	February	9B	back-9c-2	25M	1972	33258	730176332581				communications
x	1993	January	9B	back-9c-2	25M	1972	33258	730176332581				communications
x	1994	February	9B	back-9d	20M	1972	33258	730176332581				communications
x	1995	January	9B	back-9d	25M	1972	33258	730176332581				communications
x	1995	October	9B	back-9d	25M	1972	33258	730176332581				communications
x	1996	November	9B	back-9d	30M	1972	33258	730176332581				communications
	1997	not made
x	1998		9C-1	back-9e		1997	33258A	730176332581				communications revised 1997 shown in front of book with 1-1-1998 shown inside back cover
x	1999		9C-1	back-9f		1997	33258A	730176332581				communications
x	1999		9C-1	back-9f		1997	33258A	730176332581				communications-2nd printing
x	2000		9C-1	back-9f		1997	33258A	730176332581				communications
x	2001		9C-1	back-9f		1997	33258A	730176332581				communications
x	2002		9C-2	back-9g			33258A	730176332581				communications
x	2003		9D-1	back-9g		2003	33258B	730176332581				communications
x	2004		9D-1	back-9g		2003	33258B	730176332581				communications
x	2005		9D-1	back-9g		2003	33258B	730176332581				communications
x	2005		9D-1	back-9g		2003	33258B	730176332581				communications-2nd printing
	2006	not made
x	2007		9D-2	back-9h-2			33258B	730176332581				communications
x	2007		9D-2	back-9h-2			33258B	730176332581				communications-2nd printing
x	2008		10A	back-1008e1			35876	730176358765				communications
x	2009		10B	back-1009e1b			35819	730176358192
	2010	not made
x	2011		10C-1	back-1010e1			35819	730176358192
x	2011		10C-1	back-1010e1			35819	730176358192				2nd printing
x	2012		10C-1	back-1010e1			35819	730176358192
x	2013		10C-1	back-1013e1a			35819	730176358192				01268-AL
x	2013		10C-ES	back-1013e1aes			619137	730176357423				01268-AL
x	2014		10C-2	back-1013e1a			35819	730176358192				01268-AL
	2015	not made
x	2016		10D-1	back-1016b1			35819	730176358192				01042-AL
x	2016		10D-2A	back-1016e1			35819	730176358192				01042-AL
	2017	not made
	2018	not made
x	2019		10D-2B	back-1019e1			653089	730176015521				358
	2020	not made
	2021	not made
x	2022		10D-2B	back-1019e1			653089	730176015521				358
x	2023		10D-2B	back-1019e1			653089	730176015521				358
x	2024		10D-2B	back-1019e1			35876	7301766625326	662532	300067150		00358n
x	2025		11A	back-1125e		2025	35876	7301766625326	662532	300085883		00358n

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1965	497	103	109
1966	952	102	110
1967	1,614	89	112
1968	1,424	95	112
1969	1,569	96	113
1970	1,481	100	113
1971	1,427	96	113
1972	6,527	64	124
1973	8,398	54	122
1974	31,608	25	121
1975	46,486	17	128
1976	45,517	16	130
1977	39,979	17	130
1978	35,881	17	131
1979	33,252	14	132
1980	26,165	12	132
1981	39,474	11	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	52,533	11	123
1994
1995
1996	54,288	11	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	59,388	10	128
2001	60,560	9	129
2002	63,408	9	129
2003	61,057	9	130
2004	60,105	9	121
2005	54,633	8	121
2006	53,558	9	121
2007	54,214	7	121
2008	54,983	7	121
2009	62,153	7	122
2010	59,462	7	125
2011	60,749	6	129
2012	59,345	6	132
2013	57,111	4	129
2014	54,081	8	136
2015	55,738	7	138
2016	53,367	8	138
2017	50,503	8	139
2018	51,541	6	139
2019	48,117	9	139
2020	36,675	7	137
2021		7	137
2022		7	138
2023		9	138
2024		6	138
2025		5	141