Nature Merit Badge History

Earned through 20201,737,920

Best year197157,518 earned

All-time popularity#27official, as of 2020#26by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1952. Peak year 1971 with 57,518. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

19527,356 earned#33 of 120

195320,456 earned#14 of 105

195426,766 earned#12 of 103

195530,590 earned#12 of 100

195632,278 earned#12 of 100

195733,115 earned#12 of 100

195835,052 earned#12 of 101

195938,614 earned#11 of 101

196044,752 earned#11 of 100

196150,313 earned#11 of 101

196250,372 earned#9 of 101

196353,215 earned#9 of 102

196452,525 earned#11 of 107

196552,395 earned#10 of 109

196651,864 earned#10 of 110

196752,438 earned#10 of 112

196853,643 earned#10 of 112

196956,183 earned#9 of 113

197056,151 earned#9 of 113

197157,518 earned#9 of 113

197256,260 earned#9 of 124

197353,215 earned#7 of 122

197431,465 earned#27 of 121

197525,494 earned#33 of 128

197622,735 earned#34 of 130

197721,271 earned#33 of 130

197818,190 earned#33 of 131

197915,195 earned#31 of 132

19809,825 earned#33 of 132

198113,433 earned#34 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

199317,055 earned#32 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

199617,327 earned#33 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

200016,438 earned#41 of 128

200113,360 earned#43 of 129

200214,854 earned#45 of 129

200315,114 earned#43 of 130

200417,171 earned#37 of 121

200515,292 earned#37 of 121

200615,662 earned#37 of 121

200716,441 earned#36 of 121

200817,156 earned#35 of 121

200918,404 earned#35 of 122

201016,773 earned#36 of 125

201118,453 earned#34 of 129

201218,114 earned#35 of 132

201316,164 earned#28 of 129

201415,046 earned#41 of 136

201514,679 earned#40 of 138

201613,635 earned#42 of 138

201711,586 earned#47 of 139

201812,372 earned#44 of 139

201914,150 earned#35 of 139

20206,056 earned#53 of 137

2021No data available#32 of 137

2022No data available#37 of 138

2023No data available#40 of 138

2024No data available#40 of 138

2025No data available#42 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#42 of 141" means the badge was number 42 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.

19527,356#33 of 120

195320,456#14 of 105

195426,766#12 of 103

195530,590#12 of 100

195632,278#12 of 100

195733,115#12 of 100

195835,052#12 of 101

195938,614#11 of 101

196044,752#11 of 100

196150,313#11 of 101

196250,372#9 of 101

196353,215#9 of 102

196452,525#11 of 107

196552,395#10 of 109

196651,864#10 of 110

196752,438#10 of 112

196853,643#10 of 112

196956,183#9 of 113

197056,151#9 of 113

197157,518#9 of 113

197256,260#9 of 124

197353,215#7 of 122

197431,465#27 of 121

197525,494#33 of 128

197622,735#34 of 130

197721,271#33 of 130

197818,190#33 of 131

197915,195#31 of 132

19809,825#33 of 132

198113,433#34 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

199317,055#32 of 123

1994—

1995—

199617,327#33 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

200016,438#41 of 128

200113,360#43 of 129

200214,854#45 of 129

200315,114#43 of 130

200417,171#37 of 121

200515,292#37 of 121

200615,662#37 of 121

200716,441#36 of 121

200817,156#35 of 121

200918,404#35 of 122

201016,773#36 of 125

201118,453#34 of 129

201218,114#35 of 132

201316,164#28 of 129

201415,046#41 of 136

201514,679#40 of 138

201613,635#42 of 138

201711,586#47 of 139

201812,372#44 of 139

201914,150#35 of 139

20206,056#53 of 137

2021—#32 of 137

2022—#37 of 138

2023—#40 of 138

2024—#40 of 138

2025—#42 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.

Nature: workbook data

Printings (66)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	SKU	SA #	HC
x	1952	December	6		5M	1952
x	1953	January	6		10M	1952					HCI
x	1953	August	6		10M	1952
x	1953	October	6		15M	1952
x	1954	June	6		25M	1952					HCJV1
x	1955	March	6		30M	1952					HCJV1
x	1956	March	6		30M	1952
x	1957	January	6		35M	1952
x	1958	February	6		35M	1952
x	1959	March	6		35M	1952
x	1960	March	6		30M	1952
x	1960	October	6		40M	1952
x	1961	November	6		40M	1952					HCJ
x	1962	May	6		50M	1952					HCJV2
x	1963	May	6		50M	1952					HCJV2, HCK
x	1964	April	6		60M	1952					HCK
x	1965	May	6		60M	1952					HCK, HCP
x	1966	June	6		60M	1952					HCL
x	1967	May	6		55M	1952					HCL
x	1968	September	7		55M	1952
x	1969	September	7		60M	1952
x	1970	May	7		65M	1952					HCM
	1971	not made
x	1972	April	7		17M
x	1973	March	8A		40M	1973
x	1974	January	8A		20M	1973
x	1974	April	8A		25M	1973
x	1975	January	8A		25M	1973
x	1976	April	8B		25M	1973
	1977	not made
x	1978	May	8B		15M	1973
	1979	not made
x	1980	March	9A		13M	1973
x	1981	May	9A		11M	1973
x	1982	May	9A		11M	1973
x	1983	April	9A		12M	1973
x	1984	June	9A		10M	1973
x	1985	March	9A		12M	1973
x	1986	May	9A		10M	1973
x	1987	February	9A		12M	1973
x	1988	May	9A		10M	1973
x	1989	November	9A		15M	1973
	1990	not made
x	1991	August	9A		15M	1991
	1992	not made
x	1993	January	9A		10M	1991
x	1994	January	9A		10M	1991
x	1995	January	9A		10M	1991
x	1996	January	9A		10M	1991
x	1997	September	9A	back-9d		1991
x	1998		9A
x	1999		9A
x	2000		9A
x	2001		9A
	2002	not made
x	2003		9B
x	2004		9B
x	2005		9B
x	2006		9
x	2007		9C
x	2008		10A
x	2009		10B
x	2010		10C
	2011	not made
	2012	not made
x	2013		10C
x	2014		10C
	2015	not made
x	2016		10C
	2017	not made
x	2018		10D
x	2019		10D
x	2020		10D
	2021	not made
x	2022		10D
x	2023		10D
x	2024		11A	back-1125		2024	35922	7301766598682	659868	300086620
	2025	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1952	7,356	33	120
1953	20,456	14	105
1954	26,766	12	103
1955	30,590	12	100
1956	32,278	12	100
1957	33,115	12	100
1958	35,052	12	101
1959	38,614	11	101
1960	44,752	11	100
1961	50,313	11	101
1962	50,372	9	101
1963	53,215	9	102
1964	52,525	11	107
1965	52,395	10	109
1966	51,864	10	110
1967	52,438	10	112
1968	53,643	10	112
1969	56,183	9	113
1970	56,151	9	113
1971	57,518	9	113
1972	56,260	9	124
1973	53,215	7	122
1974	31,465	27	121
1975	25,494	33	128
1976	22,735	34	130
1977	21,271	33	130
1978	18,190	33	131
1979	15,195	31	132
1980	9,825	33	132
1981	13,433	34	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	17,055	32	123
1994
1995
1996	17,327	33	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	16,438	41	128
2001	13,360	43	129
2002	14,854	45	129
2003	15,114	43	130
2004	17,171	37	121
2005	15,292	37	121
2006	15,662	37	121
2007	16,441	36	121
2008	17,156	35	121
2009	18,404	35	122
2010	16,773	36	125
2011	18,453	34	129
2012	18,114	35	132
2013	16,164	28	129
2014	15,046	41	136
2015	14,679	40	138
2016	13,635	42	138
2017	11,586	47	139
2018	12,372	44	139
2019	14,150	35	139
2020	6,056	53	137
2021		32	137
2022		37	138
2023		40	138
2024		40	138
2025		42	141