Geology Merit Badge History

Earned through 2020747,259

Best year201224,015 earned

All-time popularity#48official, as of 2020#48by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1953. Peak year 2012 with 24,015. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

1953294 earned#101 of 105

19541,480 earned#78 of 103

19551,750 earned#75 of 100

19561,961 earned#75 of 100

19572,309 earned#71 of 100

19582,921 earned#65 of 101

19593,087 earned#65 of 101

19603,907 earned#64 of 100

19614,891 earned#57 of 101

19624,454 earned#57 of 101

19634,581 earned#57 of 102

19644,969 earned#57 of 107

19655,733 earned#54 of 109

19666,088 earned#55 of 110

19676,387 earned#54 of 112

19687,615 earned#51 of 112

19697,887 earned#50 of 113

19708,222 earned#49 of 113

19718,241 earned#49 of 113

19728,108 earned#54 of 124

19738,775 earned#53 of 122

197411,103 earned#58 of 121

197510,335 earned#60 of 128

19769,682 earned#56 of 130

19778,227 earned#56 of 130

19788,855 earned#52 of 131

19796,822 earned#50 of 132

19805,120 earned#46 of 132

19816,817 earned#51 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

199311,067 earned#47 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

199614,491 earned#40 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

200016,919 earned#39 of 128

200116,334 earned#38 of 129

200217,458 earned#39 of 129

200318,018 earned#36 of 130

200417,949 earned#35 of 121

200518,693 earned#32 of 121

200620,073 earned#32 of 121

200719,525 earned#32 of 121

200821,170 earned#30 of 121

200923,640 earned#29 of 122

201021,798 earned#30 of 125

201123,695 earned#24 of 129

201224,015 earned#24 of 132

201322,103 earned#22 of 129

201421,282 earned#31 of 136

201522,180 earned#28 of 138

201618,516 earned#30 of 138

201718,674 earned#29 of 139

201817,242 earned#30 of 139

201916,041 earned#31 of 139

20207,484 earned#38 of 137

2021No data available#31 of 137

2022No data available#33 of 138

2023No data available#34 of 138

2024No data available#35 of 138

2025No data available#31 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#31 of 141" means the badge was number 31 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.

1953294#101 of 105

19541,480#78 of 103

19551,750#75 of 100

19561,961#75 of 100

19572,309#71 of 100

19582,921#65 of 101

19593,087#65 of 101

19603,907#64 of 100

19614,891#57 of 101

19624,454#57 of 101

19634,581#57 of 102

19644,969#57 of 107

19655,733#54 of 109

19666,088#55 of 110

19676,387#54 of 112

19687,615#51 of 112

19697,887#50 of 113

19708,222#49 of 113

19718,241#49 of 113

19728,108#54 of 124

19738,775#53 of 122

197411,103#58 of 121

197510,335#60 of 128

19769,682#56 of 130

19778,227#56 of 130

19788,855#52 of 131

19796,822#50 of 132

19805,120#46 of 132

19816,817#51 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

199311,067#47 of 123

1994—

1995—

199614,491#40 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

200016,919#39 of 128

200116,334#38 of 129

200217,458#39 of 129

200318,018#36 of 130

200417,949#35 of 121

200518,693#32 of 121

200620,073#32 of 121

200719,525#32 of 121

200821,170#30 of 121

200923,640#29 of 122

201021,798#30 of 125

201123,695#24 of 129

201224,015#24 of 132

201322,103#22 of 129

201421,282#31 of 136

201522,180#28 of 138

201618,516#30 of 138

201718,674#29 of 139

201817,242#30 of 139

201916,041#31 of 139

20207,484#38 of 137

2021—#31 of 137

2022—#33 of 138

2023—#34 of 138

2024—#35 of 138

2025—#31 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.

Geology: workbook data

Printings (65)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	HC	Notes
x	1950		5					prototype
x	1953	January	6		5M
x	1953	April	6		5M
x	1953	July	6		5M	1953
x	1953	November	6		5M	1953
x	1954	March	6		5M	1953
x	1954	June	6		10M	1953	HCJV1
x	1955	June	6		15M	1953	HCJV1
x	1956	November	6		12M	1953
	1957	not made
x	1958	January	6		12M	1953
x	1958	August	6		15M	1953	HCJV1
	1959	not made
x	1960	March	6		10M	1953
x	1960	December	6		10M	1953	HCJ
	1961	not made
x	1962	January	6		10M	1953	HCJ, HCP
x	1962	November	6		12M	1953	HCJ
x	1963	October	6		12M	1953	HCK
x	1964	May	6		12M	1953	HCK, HCL, HCP
x	1965	August	6		12M	1953
x	1966	December	7		12M	1953
x	1967	November	7		12M	1953
x	1968	December	7		14M	1953	HCL
x	1969	October	7		15M	1953	HCL
	1970	not made
x	1971	January	7		14M	1953
x	1972	March	7		12M
x	1973	July	8A		12M
x	1974	July	8A		12M
x	1975	August	8		10M
	1976	not made
x	1977	February	8B		7.9M
x	1978	March	8B		7M
x	1979	May	8B		6.5M
	1980	not made
x	1981	April	9A		5.5M
x	1982	April	9A		5M
	1983	not made
	1984	not made
x	1985	February	9B		5.5M
x	1985	September	9B		6M	1985
x	1986	June	9B		6M	1985
x	1987	April	9B		6M	1985
x	1988	June	9B		6M	1985
x	1989	April	9B		7M	1985
x	1990	March	9B		6M
x	1991	March	9B		8M
x	1992	August	9B		8M
	1993	not made
x	1994	February	9B		6.5M
x	1995	February	9B		7M
x	1995	November	9B		7.5M
	1996	not made
x	1997	September	9B					front shows only © 1985-revised 1994-back of book date states mb list current thru september 1, 1996
x	1998		9B					front shows only © 1985-revised 1994-back of book date states mb list current thru january 1, 1998
x	1998		9B	back-9f				second 1998 printing
	1999	not made
x	2000		9B
x	2001		9B
x	2002		9B
x	2003		9B
x	2004		9B
x	2005		9C-1
	2006	not made
x	2007		9C-2
x	2008		10A
x	2009		10B
	2010	not made
x	2011		10C
x	2012		10C
x	2013		10C
x	2014		10C
	2015	not made
x	2016		10C
x	2017		10C
	2018	not made
x	2019		10D
	2020	not made
	2021	not made
x	2022		10D
x	2023		10D
	2024	not made
	2025	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1953	294	101	105
1954	1,480	78	103
1955	1,750	75	100
1956	1,961	75	100
1957	2,309	71	100
1958	2,921	65	101
1959	3,087	65	101
1960	3,907	64	100
1961	4,891	57	101
1962	4,454	57	101
1963	4,581	57	102
1964	4,969	57	107
1965	5,733	54	109
1966	6,088	55	110
1967	6,387	54	112
1968	7,615	51	112
1969	7,887	50	113
1970	8,222	49	113
1971	8,241	49	113
1972	8,108	54	124
1973	8,775	53	122
1974	11,103	58	121
1975	10,335	60	128
1976	9,682	56	130
1977	8,227	56	130
1978	8,855	52	131
1979	6,822	50	132
1980	5,120	46	132
1981	6,817	51	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	11,067	47	123
1994
1995
1996	14,491	40	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	16,919	39	128
2001	16,334	38	129
2002	17,458	39	129
2003	18,018	36	130
2004	17,949	35	121
2005	18,693	32	121
2006	20,073	32	121
2007	19,525	32	121
2008	21,170	30	121
2009	23,640	29	122
2010	21,798	30	125
2011	23,695	24	129
2012	24,015	24	132
2013	22,103	22	129
2014	21,282	31	136
2015	22,180	28	138
2016	18,516	30	138
2017	18,674	29	139
2018	17,242	30	139
2019	16,041	31	139
2020	7,484	38	137
2021		31	137
2022		33	138
2023		34	138
2024		35	138
2025		31	141