Oceanography Merit Badge History

Earned through 2020336,423

Best year199326,018 earned

All-time popularity#84official, as of 2020#85by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1964. Peak year 1993 with 26,018. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

1964195 earned#106 of 107

1965457 earned#104 of 109

19661,230 earned#98 of 110

19671,927 earned#85 of 112

19682,827 earned#74 of 112

19693,611 earned#69 of 113

19703,792 earned#68 of 113

19713,007 earned#74 of 113

19723,559 earned#78 of 124

19734,304 earned#73 of 122

19744,554 earned#82 of 121

19754,828 earned#81 of 128

19764,459 earned#85 of 130

19774,142 earned#81 of 130

19783,655 earned#80 of 131

19792,407 earned#83 of 132

19801,594 earned#83 of 132

19812,036 earned#85 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

199326,018 earned#27 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

19966,256 earned#61 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

20008,555 earned#55 of 128

20017,731 earned#56 of 129

20029,305 earned#55 of 129

200310,271 earned#54 of 130

200410,591 earned#53 of 121

20059,472 earned#51 of 121

20069,745 earned#52 of 121

20079,357 earned#52 of 121

20089,783 earned#51 of 121

200910,202 earned#53 of 122

201011,098 earned#49 of 125

201110,720 earned#50 of 129

201210,636 earned#49 of 132

201310,769 earned#37 of 129

20149,991 earned#59 of 136

20159,892 earned#60 of 138

20168,499 earned#62 of 138

20177,763 earned#63 of 139

20189,021 earned#57 of 139

20198,460 earned#59 of 139

20204,442 earned#79 of 137

2021No data available#63 of 137

2022No data available#61 of 138

2023No data available#61 of 138

2024No data available#64 of 138

2025No data available#66 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#66 of 141" means the badge was number 66 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.

1964195#106 of 107

1965457#104 of 109

19661,230#98 of 110

19671,927#85 of 112

19682,827#74 of 112

19693,611#69 of 113

19703,792#68 of 113

19713,007#74 of 113

19723,559#78 of 124

19734,304#73 of 122

19744,554#82 of 121

19754,828#81 of 128

19764,459#85 of 130

19774,142#81 of 130

19783,655#80 of 131

19792,407#83 of 132

19801,594#83 of 132

19812,036#85 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

199326,018#27 of 123

1994—

1995—

19966,256#61 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

20008,555#55 of 128

20017,731#56 of 129

20029,305#55 of 129

200310,271#54 of 130

200410,591#53 of 121

20059,472#51 of 121

20069,745#52 of 121

20079,357#52 of 121

20089,783#51 of 121

200910,202#53 of 122

201011,098#49 of 125

201110,720#50 of 129

201210,636#49 of 132

201310,769#37 of 129

20149,991#59 of 136

20159,892#60 of 138

20168,499#62 of 138

20177,763#63 of 139

20189,021#57 of 139

20198,460#59 of 139

20204,442#79 of 137

2021—#63 of 137

2022—#61 of 138

2023—#61 of 138

2024—#64 of 138

2025—#66 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.

Oceanography: workbook data

Printings (46)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	HC	Notes
x	1965	June	6		5M	1965
x	1966	January	7		5M	1965			HC MISC K
x	1966	August	7		10M	1965
x	1967	August	7		10M	1965			HCL
x	1968	December	7	back-7	20M	1965			HCL
	1969	not made
	1970	not made
x	1971	January	7		10M	1965			HCM, HCR
x	1972	March	7		9M	1965
x	1973	November	8A		7M	1965			HCT
x	1974	September	8A		8M	1965
	1975	not made
x	1976	January	8		5M
	1977	not made
x	1978	March	8B		5M
x	1979	May	8B		4M
	1980	not made
x	1981	April	9A		3M
	1982	not made
x	1983	June	9B		2.5M	1983
x	1984	July	9B		4M	1983
x	1985	July	9B		3.5M	1983
c	1986	June	9B		4M	1983
x	1987	May	9B		4M	1983
x	1988	January	9B		4M	1983
x	1989	January	9B		4M
x	1989	October	9B		5M
	1990	not made
x	1991	March	9B	back-9c-1	4M
x	1992	February	9B		4.5M
x	1993	February	9B		4.5M
x	1994	January	9B		4.5M
x	1995	January	9B		5M
x	1996	February	9B		5M
x	1997	September	9B
x	1998		9
	1999	not made
x	2000		9
x	2001		9
	2002	not made
x	2003		9			2003
x	2004		9C-1			2003
x	2005		9
x	2006		9C-1
x	2007		9C-2
c	2008		10A							not sure if this really exists despite seeing photos of it online
x	2009		10B
x	2010		10C
	2011	not made
x	2012		10C
x	2013		10C
x	2014		10C
x	2015		10C
	2016	not made
x	2017		10C
	2018	not made
	2019	not made
x	2020		10D
	2021	not made
	2022	not made
x	2023		10D				654572	730176351247
	2024	not made
	2025	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1964	195	106	107
1965	457	104	109
1966	1,230	98	110
1967	1,927	85	112
1968	2,827	74	112
1969	3,611	69	113
1970	3,792	68	113
1971	3,007	74	113
1972	3,559	78	124
1973	4,304	73	122
1974	4,554	82	121
1975	4,828	81	128
1976	4,459	85	130
1977	4,142	81	130
1978	3,655	80	131
1979	2,407	83	132
1980	1,594	83	132
1981	2,036	85	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	26,018	27	123
1994
1995
1996	6,256	61	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	8,555	55	128
2001	7,731	56	129
2002	9,305	55	129
2003	10,271	54	130
2004	10,591	53	121
2005	9,472	51	121
2006	9,745	52	121
2007	9,357	52	121
2008	9,783	51	121
2009	10,202	53	122
2010	11,098	49	125
2011	10,720	50	129
2012	10,636	49	132
2013	10,769	37	129
2014	9,991	59	136
2015	9,892	60	138
2016	8,499	62	138
2017	7,763	63	139
2018	9,021	57	139
2019	8,460	59	139
2020	4,442	79	137
2021		63	137
2022		61	138
2023		61	138
2024		64	138
2025		66	141