Emergency Preparedness Merit Badge History

Earned through 20202,082,381

Best year200354,678 earned

All-time popularity#22official, as of 2020#22by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1972. Peak year 2003 with 54,678. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

197216,467 earned#29 of 124

197323,989 earned#22 of 122

197438,446 earned#22 of 121

197543,952 earned#18 of 128

197640,104 earned#19 of 130

197736,724 earned#19 of 130

197832,220 earned#21 of 131

197932,074 earned#16 of 132

198024,048 earned#14 of 132

198137,407 earned#13 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

199344,142 earned#17 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

199646,502 earned#16 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

200049,847 earned#15 of 128

200151,216 earned#13 of 129

200254,545 earned#13 of 129

200354,678 earned#13 of 130

200450,621 earned#15 of 121

200546,346 earned#16 of 121

200647,362 earned#13 of 121

200744,987 earned#16 of 121

200845,702 earned#15 of 121

200950,707 earned#14 of 122

201049,945 earned#14 of 125

201150,510 earned#14 of 129

201251,035 earned#11 of 132

201350,153 earned#7 of 129

201446,069 earned#13 of 136

201547,879 earned#13 of 138

201647,004 earned#13 of 138

201743,351 earned#13 of 139

201843,063 earned#13 of 139

201939,022 earned#13 of 139

202024,733 earned#11 of 137

2021No data available#18 of 137

2022No data available#14 of 138

2023No data available#15 of 138

2024No data available#14 of 138

2025No data available#14 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#14 of 141" means the badge was number 14 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.

197216,467#29 of 124

197323,989#22 of 122

197438,446#22 of 121

197543,952#18 of 128

197640,104#19 of 130

197736,724#19 of 130

197832,220#21 of 131

197932,074#16 of 132

198024,048#14 of 132

198137,407#13 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

199344,142#17 of 123

1994—

1995—

199646,502#16 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

200049,847#15 of 128

200151,216#13 of 129

200254,545#13 of 129

200354,678#13 of 130

200450,621#15 of 121

200546,346#16 of 121

200647,362#13 of 121

200744,987#16 of 121

200845,702#15 of 121

200950,707#14 of 122

201049,945#14 of 125

201150,510#14 of 129

201251,035#11 of 132

201350,153#7 of 129

201446,069#13 of 136

201547,879#13 of 138

201647,004#13 of 138

201743,351#13 of 139

201843,063#13 of 139

201939,022#13 of 139

202024,733#11 of 137

2021—#18 of 137

2022—#14 of 138

2023—#15 of 138

2024—#14 of 138

2025—#14 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.

Emergency Preparedness: workbook data

Printings (56)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	SKU	SA #	HC	Notes
x	1972	June	8	back-8a	50M	1972	3366
x	1973	January	8	back-8a	30M	1972	3366				HCSV1
x	1973	September	8	back-8a	30M	1972	3366
x	1974	September	8	back-8b	20M	1972	3366
c	1975	April	8		20M	1972
x	1975	September	8	back-8c-1	15M	1972	3366
x	1976	March	8	back-8c-1	20M	1972	3366
x	1977	January	8	back-8c-2	25M	1972	3366
x	1977	January	8	back-8c-2	25M	1972	3366					compliments of the defense civil preapredness agency printed on front page-this is not a spearate printing but rather a part of the original 1977 25m printing and the stamped copies were handed out at the 1977 national jamboree
x	1978	January	8	back-8d	25M	1972	3366				HCT	compliments of the defense civil preapredness agency printed on front page
x	1979	March	8	back-8d	20M	1972	3366					sticker over compliments of the defense civil preapredness agency printed on front page
x	1980	February	9A	back-9a	24M	1972	3366
x	1980	November	9A	back-9a	20M	1972	3366
	1981	not made
x	1982	February	9A	back-9a	25M	1972	3366
x	1983	February	9A	back-9a	25M	1972	3366
x	1984	February	9A	back-9a	25M	1972	3366
x	1985	January	9A	back-9b-2	25M	1972	3366
x	1986	January	9A	back-9b-2	25M	1972	3366
x	1986	November	9A	back-9b-2	25M	1972	3366
x	1987	September	9A	back-9b-2	25M	1972	3366
x	1988	August	9A	back-9b-2	25M	1972	3366
x	1989	May	9A	back-9b-2	25M	1972	3366
x	1990	April	9A	back-9b-2	28M	1972	3366
x	1991	September	9A	back-9c-2	28M	1972	33366	730176333663
	1992	not made
x	1993	April	9A	back-9c-2	22M	1972	33366	730176333663
x	1994	June	9A	back-9d	22M		33366	730176333663
x	1995	February	9B	back-9d	25M	1995	33368	730176333687
x	1995	November	9B	back-9d	25M	1995	33368	730176333687
	1996	not made
x	1997	February	9B	back-9d	25M		33368	730176333687
x	1998		9B	back-9e			33368	730176333687				states revised 1995 in front pages with 1-1-1998 on inside back cover
x	1999		9B	back-9f			33368	730176333687
x	1999		9B	back-9f			33368	730176333687				2nd printing
x	2000		9B	back-9f			33368	730176333687
x	2001		9B	back-9f			33368A	730176333687				-
x	2002		9B	back-9f			33368A	730176333687
x	2003		9C-1	back-9g		2003	33368B	730176333687
x	2004		9C-1	back-9g		2003	33368B	730176333687
x	2005		9C-1	back-9g		2003	33368B	730176333687
x	2006		9C-1	back-9g			33368B	730176333687
x	2007		9C-2	back-9h-2			33368B	730176333687
x	2008		10A	back-1008e1		2008	35888	730176358888
x	2009		10B	back-1009e1b		2008	35888	730176358888
x	2010		10C-1	back-1010e1		2008	35888	730176358888
x	2011		10C-1	back-1010e1		2008	35888	730176358888
x	2012		10C-2	back-1010e1			615832	730176357058
x	2013		10C-2	back-1010e1			615832	730176357058
x	2013		10C-2	back-1013e1a			615832	730176357058				01268-AL
x	2014		10C-2	back-1013e1a			615832	730176357058				01268-AL
x	2015		10D-1	back-1015e1			622851	730176357966				01042-AL
x	2016		10D-1	back-1015e1			622851	730176357966				00358-AL
x	2016		10D-1	back-1015e1			622851	730176357966				00432
	2017	not made
	2018	not made
x	2019		10D-2	back-1019e1			641576	730176347110				358
	2020	not made
	2021	not made
x	2022		10D-2	back-1019e1			641576	730176347110				358
x	2022		10D-3	back-1019e1			657337	7301766573375				358
	2023	not made
x	2024		10D-3	back-1019e1			657337	7301766573375				00358n
x	2025		11A	back-1125e			35888	7301766573375	657337	300085883		00358n

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1972	16,467	29	124
1973	23,989	22	122
1974	38,446	22	121
1975	43,952	18	128
1976	40,104	19	130
1977	36,724	19	130
1978	32,220	21	131
1979	32,074	16	132
1980	24,048	14	132
1981	37,407	13	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	44,142	17	123
1994
1995
1996	46,502	16	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	49,847	15	128
2001	51,216	13	129
2002	54,545	13	129
2003	54,678	13	130
2004	50,621	15	121
2005	46,346	16	121
2006	47,362	13	121
2007	44,987	16	121
2008	45,702	15	121
2009	50,707	14	122
2010	49,945	14	125
2011	50,510	14	129
2012	51,035	11	132
2013	50,153	7	129
2014	46,069	13	136
2015	47,879	13	138
2016	47,004	13	138
2017	43,351	13	139
2018	43,063	13	139
2019	39,022	13	139
2020	24,733	11	137
2021		18	137
2022		14	138
2023		15	138
2024		14	138
2025		14	141