Drafting Merit Badge History

Earned through 2020231,905

Best year197412,857 earned

All-time popularity#101official, as of 2020#107by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1965. Peak year 1974 with 12,857. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

19657,497 earned#45 of 109

19668,688 earned#43 of 110

196710,489 earned#42 of 112

196810,959 earned#40 of 112

196910,919 earned#41 of 113

197011,375 earned#42 of 113

197111,557 earned#42 of 113

197210,221 earned#45 of 124

19737,954 earned#55 of 122

197412,857 earned#55 of 121

197510,553 earned#59 of 128

19769,246 earned#57 of 130

19777,840 earned#58 of 130

19786,457 earned#62 of 131

19794,684 earned#66 of 132

19803,021 earned#66 of 132

19814,261 earned#67 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

19932,423 earned#90 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

19961,655 earned#102 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

20001,700 earned#106 of 128

20011,552 earned#108 of 129

20021,698 earned#110 of 129

20031,394 earned#113 of 130

20041,776 earned#111 of 121

20051,659 earned#111 of 121

20061,499 earned#111 of 121

20071,501 earned#110 of 121

20081,451 earned#112 of 121

20091,514 earned#113 of 122

20101,516 earned#117 of 125

20111,170 earned#113 of 129

20121,377 earned#106 of 132

20131,440 earned#93 of 129

20141,318 earned#130 of 136

20151,339 earned#130 of 138

20161,168 earned#130 of 138

20171,119 earned#132 of 139

20181,231 earned#131 of 139

20191,364 earned#132 of 139

20201,026 earned#134 of 137

2021No data available#136 of 137

2022No data available#137 of 138

2023No data available#137 of 138

2024No data available#135 of 138

2025No data available#140 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#140 of 141" means the badge was number 140 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.

19657,497#45 of 109

19668,688#43 of 110

196710,489#42 of 112

196810,959#40 of 112

196910,919#41 of 113

197011,375#42 of 113

197111,557#42 of 113

197210,221#45 of 124

19737,954#55 of 122

197412,857#55 of 121

197510,553#59 of 128

19769,246#57 of 130

19777,840#58 of 130

19786,457#62 of 131

19794,684#66 of 132

19803,021#66 of 132

19814,261#67 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

19932,423#90 of 123

1994—

1995—

19961,655#102 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

20001,700#106 of 128

20011,552#108 of 129

20021,698#110 of 129

20031,394#113 of 130

20041,776#111 of 121

20051,659#111 of 121

20061,499#111 of 121

20071,501#110 of 121

20081,451#112 of 121

20091,514#113 of 122

20101,516#117 of 125

20111,170#113 of 129

20121,377#106 of 132

20131,440#93 of 129

20141,318#130 of 136

20151,339#130 of 138

20161,168#130 of 138

20171,119#132 of 139

20181,231#131 of 139

20191,364#132 of 139

20201,026#134 of 137

2021—#136 of 137

2022—#137 of 138

2023—#137 of 138

2024—#135 of 138

2025—#140 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.

Drafting: workbook data

Printings (44)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	SA #	HC	Notes
x	1965	October	6	back-6i	12M	1965	3273			HCK
x	1966	August	7	back-7	10M	1965	3273			HCL
x	1967	July	7	back-7	10M	1965	3273			HCL
x	1968	September	7	back-7	10M	1965	3273
x	1969	October	7	back-7	10M	1965	3273			HCN
x	1970	December	7	back-7	8.5M	1965	3273			HCM, HCR
	1971	not made
x	1972	January	7	back-7	9M	1965	3273
x	1973	August	8A	back-8a	7M	1965	3273			HC MISC M, HCS, HCT
x	1974	January	8A	back-8a	10M	1965	3273
x	1975	June	8B	back-8c-1	8M	1965	3273
	1976	not made
x	1977	February	8B	back-8c-1	5.5M	1965	3273
x	1978	October	8B	back-8d	3.5M	1965	3273
x	1979	November	9A	back-9a	3.5M	1965	3273
	1980	not made
x	1981	February	9A	back-9a	3M	1965	3273
x	1981	December	9A	back-9a	3.5M	1965	3273
x	1982	November	9A	back-9a	3.5M	1965	3273
x	1983	December	9A	back-9a	3M	1965	3273
x	1984	October	9A	back-9b-1	3.5M	1965	3273
x	1985	October	9A	back-9b-2	3.5M	1965	3273
x	1986	December	9A	back-9b-2	3.5M	1965	3273
x	1987	November	9A	back-9b-2	3.5M		3273
	1988	not made
x	1989	January	9A	back-9b-2	3M		3273
x	1989	September	9A	back-9b-2	3.5M		3273
	1990	not made
x	1991	February	9A	back-9c-1	3.5M		3273
x	1992	March	9A	back-9c-2	3.5M		33273	730176332734
x	1993	November	9B	back-9d	3M		33262	730176332628
x	1994	September	9B	back-9d	3M		33262	730176332628
x	1995	June	9B	back-9d	3.5M		33262	730176332628			date and quantity code found on page 30 instead of near front
	1996	not made
	1997	not made
x	1998		9B	back-9e			33262	730176332628			front states revised © 1993
	1999	not made
x	2000		9B	back-9f			33262	730176332628
	2001	not made
x	2002		9B	back-9g			33262	730176332628
	2003	not made
	2004	not made
x	2005		9B	back-9g			33262	730176332628
x	2006		9B	back-9g			33262	730176332628
x	2007		9B	back-9h			33262	730176332628
x	2008		10A	back-1008b1			35885	730176358857
	2009	not made
x	2010		10C-1A	back-1010b1			35885	730176358857
x	2011		10C-1A	back-1010b1			35885	730176358857
	2012	not made
x	2013		10C-1B	back-1010b1			35885	730176358857
x	2014		10C-2	back-1013b1			35885	730176358857			01268-AL
x	2014		10D	back-1016b1			35885	730176358857			01268-PSF
	2015	not made
	2016	not made
	2017	not made
x	2018		10D	back-1019b1			35885	730176358857			358
x	2019		10D	back-1019b1			35885	730176358857			358
	2020	not made
	2021	not made
	2022	not made
x	2023		10D				35885	730176358857			358
x	2024		11A			2024	35885	730176358857	300086620		358
	2025	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1965	7,497	45	109
1966	8,688	43	110
1967	10,489	42	112
1968	10,959	40	112
1969	10,919	41	113
1970	11,375	42	113
1971	11,557	42	113
1972	10,221	45	124
1973	7,954	55	122
1974	12,857	55	121
1975	10,553	59	128
1976	9,246	57	130
1977	7,840	58	130
1978	6,457	62	131
1979	4,684	66	132
1980	3,021	66	132
1981	4,261	67	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	2,423	90	123
1994
1995
1996	1,655	102	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	1,700	106	128
2001	1,552	108	129
2002	1,698	110	129
2003	1,394	113	130
2004	1,776	111	121
2005	1,659	111	121
2006	1,499	111	121
2007	1,501	110	121
2008	1,451	112	121
2009	1,514	113	122
2010	1,516	117	125
2011	1,170	113	129
2012	1,377	106	132
2013	1,440	93	129
2014	1,318	130	136
2015	1,339	130	138
2016	1,168	130	138
2017	1,119	132	139
2018	1,231	131	139
2019	1,364	132	139
2020	1,026	134	137
2021		136	137
2022		137	138
2023		137	138
2024		135	138
2025		140	141