Model Design and Building Merit Badge History

Earned through 2020235,108

Best year197518,638 earned

All-time popularity#98official, as of 2020#103by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1964. Peak year 1975 with 18,638. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

19630 earned

19641,467 earned#91 of 107

19652,540 earned#70 of 109

19662,701 earned#72 of 110

19673,397 earned#66 of 112

19683,730 earned#62 of 112

19693,672 earned#67 of 113

19703,910 earned#65 of 113

19714,041 earned#61 of 113

19723,171 earned#82 of 124

19734,398 earned#71 of 122

197417,257 earned#41 of 121

197518,638 earned#41 of 128

197616,555 earned#41 of 130

197713,253 earned#44 of 130

197810,541 earned#44 of 131

19798,466 earned#44 of 132

19805,116 earned#47 of 132

19817,006 earned#49 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

19931,904 earned#98 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

19961,665 earned#101 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

20002,270 earned#99 of 128

20012,009 earned#102 of 129

20022,225 earned#103 of 129

20032,517 earned#101 of 130

20042,892 earned#98 of 121

20052,699 earned#100 of 121

20062,365 earned#102 of 121

20072,282 earned#103 of 121

20082,530 earned#101 of 121

20092,586 earned#105 of 122

20102,123 earned#111 of 125

20112,964 earned#102 of 129

20123,120 earned#91 of 132

20133,628 earned#72 of 129

20142,612 earned#118 of 136

20152,795 earned#116 of 138

20162,770 earned#114 of 138

20172,564 earned#116 of 139

20182,674 earned#116 of 139

20192,770 earned#115 of 139

20201,359 earned#130 of 137

2021No data available#122 of 137

2022No data available#113 of 138

2023No data available#104 of 138

2024No data available#104 of 138

2025No data available#106 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#106 of 141" means the badge was number 106 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.

19630none earned

19641,467#91 of 107

19652,540#70 of 109

19662,701#72 of 110

19673,397#66 of 112

19683,730#62 of 112

19693,672#67 of 113

19703,910#65 of 113

19714,041#61 of 113

19723,171#82 of 124

19734,398#71 of 122

197417,257#41 of 121

197518,638#41 of 128

197616,555#41 of 130

197713,253#44 of 130

197810,541#44 of 131

19798,466#44 of 132

19805,116#47 of 132

19817,006#49 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

19931,904#98 of 123

1994—

1995—

19961,665#101 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

20002,270#99 of 128

20012,009#102 of 129

20022,225#103 of 129

20032,517#101 of 130

20042,892#98 of 121

20052,699#100 of 121

20062,365#102 of 121

20072,282#103 of 121

20082,530#101 of 121

20092,586#105 of 122

20102,123#111 of 125

20112,964#102 of 129

20123,120#91 of 132

20133,628#72 of 129

20142,612#118 of 136

20152,795#116 of 138

20162,770#114 of 138

20172,564#116 of 139

20182,674#116 of 139

20192,770#115 of 139

20201,359#130 of 137

2021—#122 of 137

2022—#113 of 138

2023—#104 of 138

2024—#104 of 138

2025—#106 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.

Model Design and Building: workbook data

Printings (45)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	SKU	SA #	HC	Notes
x	1964	January	6		10M	1964					HCQ
x	1965	June	6		10M	1964					HCK, HCL
x	1966	December	7		9M	1964					HCL
x	1967	December	7		9M	1964					HCL
x	1968	December	7		19M	1964					HCM, HCN
	1969	not made
	1970	not made
x	1971	June	7		7M	1964					HCR
x	1972	August	7		7M	1964					HCSV1
x	1973	October	8		7M	1964
x	1974	February	8		10M	1964					HCT
x	1975	January	8		10M	1964
x	1976	September	8		8M	1964
	1977	June	8		7M	1964
x	1978	June	8		5M	1964
x	1979	September	9A		4M	1964
x	1980	October	9A		3.5M	1964
x	1981	July	9A		4M	1964
	1982	not made
x	1983	April	9A		2.5M	1964
x	1984	January	9A		3.5M	1964
x	1985	February	9A		4M	1964
x	1986	September	9A		3M	1964
	1987	not made
x	1988	April	9A		3M	1964
x	1989	January	9A		3.5M
x	1990	January	9A		3.5M
x	1991	August	9A	back-9c-1	3M
	1992	not made
x	1993	November	9B		3M
x	1994	August	9B		3M
x	1995	April	9B		3.5M
x	1996	December	9B		3.5M
	1997	not made
	1998	not made
x	1999		9B
x	2000		9B
x	2001		9B
c	2002		9B
x	2003		9			2003
x	2004		9C			2003
x	2005		9									mine is on a glossy cover stock
x	2006		9C
	2007	not made
x	2008		10A
	2009	not made
x	2010		10C
x	2011		10C
x	2012		10C
x	2013		10C
	2014	not made
	2015	not made
	2016	not made
x	2017		10C
	2018	not made
x	2019		10D
	2020	not made
	2021	not made
x	2022		10D				35919	7301766568784	656878
	2023	not made
x	2024		11A	back-1125		2024	35919	7301766624060	662406	300070052
	2025	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1963	0
1964	1,467	91	107
1965	2,540	70	109
1966	2,701	72	110
1967	3,397	66	112
1968	3,730	62	112
1969	3,672	67	113
1970	3,910	65	113
1971	4,041	61	113
1972	3,171	82	124
1973	4,398	71	122
1974	17,257	41	121
1975	18,638	41	128
1976	16,555	41	130
1977	13,253	44	130
1978	10,541	44	131
1979	8,466	44	132
1980	5,116	47	132
1981	7,006	49	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	1,904	98	123
1994
1995
1996	1,665	101	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	2,270	99	128
2001	2,009	102	129
2002	2,225	103	129
2003	2,517	101	130
2004	2,892	98	121
2005	2,699	100	121
2006	2,365	102	121
2007	2,282	103	121
2008	2,530	101	121
2009	2,586	105	122
2010	2,123	111	125
2011	2,964	102	129
2012	3,120	91	132
2013	3,628	72	129
2014	2,612	118	136
2015	2,795	116	138
2016	2,770	114	138
2017	2,564	116	139
2018	2,674	116	139
2019	2,770	115	139
2020	1,359	130	137
2021		122	137
2022		113	138
2023		104	138
2024		104	138
2025		106	141