Environmental Science Merit Badge History

Earned through 20203,016,109

Best year201178,719 earned

All-time popularity#9official, as of 2020#9by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1972. Peak year 2011 with 78,719. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

197215,718 earned#30 of 124

197319,837 earned#27 of 122

197467,037 earned#8 of 121

197565,546 earned#8 of 128

197661,165 earned#8 of 130

197752,919 earned#8 of 130

197849,216 earned#7 of 131

197948,370 earned#6 of 132

198035,189 earned#5 of 132

198152,194 earned#5 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

199366,064 earned#5 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

199669,349 earned#4 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

200073,324 earned#4 of 128

200170,974 earned#2 of 129

200276,902 earned#3 of 129

200374,659 earned#3 of 130

200473,871 earned#3 of 121

200567,852 earned#3 of 121

200674,583 earned#3 of 121

200772,279 earned#3 of 121

200872,150 earned#3 of 121

200977,285 earned#2 of 122

201074,836 earned#3 of 125

201178,719 earned#3 of 129

201276,238 earned#3 of 132

201371,609 earned#2 of 129

201467,218 earned#4 of 136

201563,783 earned#4 of 138

201660,026 earned#3 of 138

201755,703 earned#4 of 139

201854,237 earned#4 of 139

201946,202 earned#12 of 139

202023,571 earned#12 of 137

2021No data available#3 of 137

2022No data available#4 of 138

2023No data available#4 of 138

2024No data available#8 of 138

2025No data available#11 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#11 of 141" means the badge was number 11 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.

197215,718#30 of 124

197319,837#27 of 122

197467,037#8 of 121

197565,546#8 of 128

197661,165#8 of 130

197752,919#8 of 130

197849,216#7 of 131

197948,370#6 of 132

198035,189#5 of 132

198152,194#5 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

199366,064#5 of 123

1994—

1995—

199669,349#4 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

200073,324#4 of 128

200170,974#2 of 129

200276,902#3 of 129

200374,659#3 of 130

200473,871#3 of 121

200567,852#3 of 121

200674,583#3 of 121

200772,279#3 of 121

200872,150#3 of 121

200977,285#2 of 122

201074,836#3 of 125

201178,719#3 of 129

201276,238#3 of 132

201371,609#2 of 129

201467,218#4 of 136

201563,783#4 of 138

201660,026#3 of 138

201755,703#4 of 139

201854,237#4 of 139

201946,202#12 of 139

202023,571#12 of 137

2021—#3 of 137

2022—#4 of 138

2023—#4 of 138

2024—#8 of 138

2025—#11 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.

Environmental Science: workbook data

Printings (56)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	SKU	SA #	HC	Notes
x	1972	June	8	back-8a	60M	1972	3363
x	1973	March	8	back-8a	40M	1972	3363				HCSV1, HCT
x	1974	January	8	back-8a	35M	1972	3363
x	1974	May	8	back-8b	35M	1972	3363
x	1975	February	8	back-8b	30M	1972	3363
x	1975	April	8	back-8c-1	20M	1972	3363
x	1976	January	8	back-8c-1	20M	1972	3363
x	1976	April	8	back-8c-1	40M	1972	3363
x	1977	March	8	back-8c-2	40M	1972	3363
x	1978	October	8	back-8d	30M	1972	3363
	1979	not made
x	1980	January	9A	back-9a	35M	1972	3363
x	1981	February	9A	back-9a	35M	1972	3363
x	1982	February	9A	back-9a	35M	1972	3363
x	1983	January	9B	back-9a	35M		3363
x	1983	December	9B	back-9a	35M	1983	3363
x	1984	September	9B	back-9b-1	35M	1983	3363
x	1985	June	9B	back-9b-2	35M	1983	3363
x	1986	July	9B	back-9b-2	35M	1983	3363
x	1987	July	9B	back-9b-2	35M	1983	3363
x	1988	February	9B	back-9b-2	35M	1983	3363
x	1989	May	9B	back-9b-2	40M	1983	3363
x	1990	March	9B	back-9b-2	40M	1983	3363
x	1991	November	9B	back-9c-2	40M	1983	33363	730176333632
	1992	not made
x	1993	April	9B	back-9c-2	35M	1983	33363	730176333632
x	1994	March	9B	back-9d	35M	1983	33363	730176333632
x	1995	February	9B	back-9d	32M	1983	33363	730176333632
x	1996	March	9B	back-9d	35M	1983	33363	730176333632
x	1997	September	9B	back-9d			33363	730176333632				front shows revised 1996 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
x	1998		9C	back-9e			33363A	730176333632
x	1998		9C	back-9f		1998	33363A	730176333632				2nd printing
x	1999		9C	back-9f		1998	33363A	730176333632
x	2000		9C	back-9f		1998	33363A	730176333632
x	2000		9C	back-9f		1998	33363A	730176333632
x	2001		9C	back-9f		1998	33363A	730176333632				2nd printing
x	2001		9C	back-9f		1998	33363A	730176333632
x	2002		9C	back-9f		1998	33363A	730176333632				2nd printing
x	2003		9C	back-9g		1998	33363A	730176333632
x	2004		9C	back-9g		1998	33363A	730176333632
x	2005		9C	back-9g		1998	33363A	730176333632
x	2006		9D-1	back-9g		2006	33363B	730176324449
x	2007		9D-2	back-9h-2			33363B	730176324449
x	2008		10A	back-1008e1		2006	35892	730176358925
	2009	not made
x	2010		10C-1A	back-1010e1			35892	730176358925
x	2011		10C-1A	back-1010e1			35892	730176358925
x	2012		10C-1A	back-1010e1			35892	730176358925
	2013	not made
x	2014		10C-1B	back-1013e1a			35892	730176358925				01268-AL
x	2015		10D-1A	back-1015e1			35892	730176357713	619699			01042-AL
	2016	not made
x	2017		10D-1B	back-1015e1			35892	730176357713	619699			00432
	2018	not made
x	2019		10D-1B	back-1019e1			35892	730176350851	650870			358
x	2020		10D-1B	back-1019e1			35892	730176351858	655698			358
	2021	not made
x	2022		10D-1B	back-1019e1			35892	730176352732	656820			358
x	2022		10D-1B	back-1019e1			35892	7301766569354	656935			358
x	2023		10D-1B	back-1019e1		2022	35892	7301766603751	660375			358
x	2024		10D-1B	back-1019e1		2022	35892	7301766603751	660375	300067049		00358n
x	2024		10D-1B	back-1019e1		2022	35892	7301766603751	660375	300071700		00358n
x	2025		11A	back-1125e		2025	35892	7301766603751	660375	300081139		00358n

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1972	15,718	30	124
1973	19,837	27	122
1974	67,037	8	121
1975	65,546	8	128
1976	61,165	8	130
1977	52,919	8	130
1978	49,216	7	131
1979	48,370	6	132
1980	35,189	5	132
1981	52,194	5	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	66,064	5	123
1994
1995
1996	69,349	4	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	73,324	4	128
2001	70,974	2	129
2002	76,902	3	129
2003	74,659	3	130
2004	73,871	3	121
2005	67,852	3	121
2006	74,583	3	121
2007	72,279	3	121
2008	72,150	3	121
2009	77,285	2	122
2010	74,836	3	125
2011	78,719	3	129
2012	76,238	3	132
2013	71,609	2	129
2014	67,218	4	136
2015	63,783	4	138
2016	60,026	3	138
2017	55,703	4	139
2018	54,237	4	139
2019	46,202	12	139
2020	23,571	12	137
2021		3	137
2022		4	138
2023		4	138
2024		8	138
2025		11	141