Painting Merit Badge History

Earned through 2020584,778

Best year197415,198 earned

All-time popularity#66official, as of 2020#64by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1912. Peak year 1974 with 15,198. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

19110 earned

191216 earned#32 of 51

191345 earned#35 of 56

1914100 earned#32 of 58

191566 earned#36 of 58

191649 earned#39 of 56

1917113 earned#37 of 58

1918131 earned#36 of 58

1919227 earned#40 of 59

1920346 earned#34 of 59

1921702 earned#34 of 61

19221,110 earned#30 of 61

19231,086 earned#30 of 63

19241,373 earned#27 of 64

19251,494 earned#28 of 64

19262,443 earned#30 of 65

19273,381 earned#29 of 68

19283,354 earned#39 of 88

19294,193 earned#30 of 89

19304,599 earned#32 of 92

19315,559 earned#31 of 96

19324,064 earned#34 of 98

19334,482 earned#32 of 101

19343,324 earned#35 of 101

19353,876 earned#34 of 101

19363,508 earned#32 of 101

19372,995 earned#42 of 102

19384,551 earned#33 of 105

19394,639 earned#34 of 106

19404,598 earned#32 of 106

19414,083 earned#34 of 106

19423,680 earned#35 of 110

19434,280 earned#36 of 112

19444,895 earned#36 of 111

19455,106 earned#35 of 111

19464,540 earned#34 of 111

19474,019 earned#35 of 111

19484,056 earned#34 of 111

19494,669 earned#34 of 111

19505,758 earned#35 of 111

19516,217 earned#35 of 111

19525,996 earned#40 of 120

19535,134 earned#40 of 105

19545,768 earned#42 of 103

19555,805 earned#45 of 100

19566,390 earned#43 of 100

19576,792 earned#41 of 100

19587,806 earned#37 of 101

19598,945 earned#37 of 101

196011,234 earned#37 of 100

196112,409 earned#36 of 101

196212,340 earned#35 of 101

196312,284 earned#38 of 102

196411,891 earned#38 of 107

196511,588 earned#37 of 109

196611,156 earned#39 of 110

196711,911 earned#39 of 112

196812,181 earned#38 of 112

196912,311 earned#39 of 113

197012,046 earned#41 of 113

197111,737 earned#41 of 113

197210,859 earned#43 of 124

19739,658 earned#50 of 122

197415,198 earned#47 of 121

197514,941 earned#47 of 128

197612,824 earned#49 of 130

197711,006 earned#49 of 130

19789,312 earned#48 of 131

19796,264 earned#55 of 132

19803,772 earned#58 of 132

19815,376 earned#58 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

199314,022 earned#39 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

19963,866 earned#75 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

20004,021 earned#81 of 128

20013,753 earned#84 of 129

20024,824 earned#77 of 129

20035,047 earned#76 of 130

20044,724 earned#84 of 121

20054,212 earned#85 of 121

20064,502 earned#83 of 121

20074,796 earned#80 of 121

20084,308 earned#87 of 121

20094,696 earned#89 of 122

20104,217 earned#91 of 125

20115,087 earned#79 of 129

20125,412 earned#68 of 132

20134,911 earned#62 of 129

20144,346 earned#93 of 136

20154,245 earned#93 of 138

20163,829 earned#99 of 138

20173,222 earned#107 of 139

20183,709 earned#101 of 139

20194,486 earned#95 of 139

20203,163 earned#97 of 137

2021No data available#87 of 137

2022No data available#84 of 138

2023No data available#90 of 138

2024No data available#89 of 138

2025No data available#91 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#91 of 141" means the badge was number 91 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.

19110none earned

191216#32 of 51

191345#35 of 56

1914100#32 of 58

191566#36 of 58

191649#39 of 56

1917113#37 of 58

1918131#36 of 58

1919227#40 of 59

1920346#34 of 59

1921702#34 of 61

19221,110#30 of 61

19231,086#30 of 63

19241,373#27 of 64

19251,494#28 of 64

19262,443#30 of 65

19273,381#29 of 68

19283,354#39 of 88

19294,193#30 of 89

19304,599#32 of 92

19315,559#31 of 96

19324,064#34 of 98

19334,482#32 of 101

19343,324#35 of 101

19353,876#34 of 101

19363,508#32 of 101

19372,995#42 of 102

19384,551#33 of 105

19394,639#34 of 106

19404,598#32 of 106

19414,083#34 of 106

19423,680#35 of 110

19434,280#36 of 112

19444,895#36 of 111

19455,106#35 of 111

19464,540#34 of 111

19474,019#35 of 111

19484,056#34 of 111

19494,669#34 of 111

19505,758#35 of 111

19516,217#35 of 111

19525,996#40 of 120

19535,134#40 of 105

19545,768#42 of 103

19555,805#45 of 100

19566,390#43 of 100

19576,792#41 of 100

19587,806#37 of 101

19598,945#37 of 101

196011,234#37 of 100

196112,409#36 of 101

196212,340#35 of 101

196312,284#38 of 102

196411,891#38 of 107

196511,588#37 of 109

196611,156#39 of 110

196711,911#39 of 112

196812,181#38 of 112

196912,311#39 of 113

197012,046#41 of 113

197111,737#41 of 113

197210,859#43 of 124

19739,658#50 of 122

197415,198#47 of 121

197514,941#47 of 128

197612,824#49 of 130

197711,006#49 of 130

19789,312#48 of 131

19796,264#55 of 132

19803,772#58 of 132

19815,376#58 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

199314,022#39 of 123

1994—

1995—

19963,866#75 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

20004,021#81 of 128

20013,753#84 of 129

20024,824#77 of 129

20035,047#76 of 130

20044,724#84 of 121

20054,212#85 of 121

20064,502#83 of 121

20074,796#80 of 121

20084,308#87 of 121

20094,696#89 of 122

20104,217#91 of 125

20115,087#79 of 129

20125,412#68 of 132

20134,911#62 of 129

20144,346#93 of 136

20154,245#93 of 138

20163,829#99 of 138

20173,222#107 of 139

20183,709#101 of 139

20194,486#95 of 139

20203,163#97 of 137

2021—#87 of 137

2022—#84 of 138

2023—#90 of 138

2024—#89 of 138

2025—#91 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.

Painting: workbook data

Printings (88)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	SKU	SA #	HC	Notes
c	1920		1C									hb 20th edition reference
	1921	not made
	1922	not made
	1923	not made
x	1924		2									15c Radio
x	1925		3A
x	1926		3A
x	1926		3A									with 1927 pasted requirements
x	1927		3A
	1928	not made
x	1929		3B
	1930	February	3B
x	1930	May	3B
x	1931	February	3B
x	1932	February	3B		1M
c	1932	March	3B		1M
c	1932	September	3B		3M
	1933	not made
c	1934	April	3
x	1935	June	3B		1M
x	1936	July	3B		1M
x	1937	August	3B		1M
x	1938	October	3D		1M
	1939	not made
x	1940	February	3B		2M
x	1940	February	3D		2M
	1941	not made
x	1942	February	4		1M
x	1943	March	4		1M
x	1944	April	5A		2M
x	1945	February	5B		1.5M
x	1945	September	5B		2M
x	1946	October	5B		2M
	1947	not made
x	1948	January	5B		2M
x	1949	June	5B		2M
x	1950	August	5B		2M
x	1951	September	5B		2M						HCH
	1952	July	5B		2M
	1953	June	6A		1M
x	1954	February	6A		1M
x	1954	June	6A		4M	1954
x	1955	July	6A		4M	1954
x	1956	July	6A		4M	1954
x	1957	May	6A		4M	1954
x	1958	August	6A		4M	1954					HCJV1
x	1959	July	6A		4M	1954					HCJV1
x	1960	April	6A		45C	1954
x	1961	February	6A		45C	1954
x	1962	March	6A	back-6e	45C	1954					HCJ
x	1963	January	6A		5M	1954					HCP
x	1963	October	6A		5M	1954
x	1964	November	6B		6M	1954
x	1965	September	6B		6M	1954					HCK
x	1966	November	7A		6M	1954					HCL
x	1967	October	7A		7M	1954
x	1968	October	7A		14M	1954					HCL
	1969	not made
x	1970	November	7B		7M	1954					HCM
	1971	not made
x	1972	January	7B		6M	1954
	1973	July	8		4M	1954						could be cover 7
x	1973	October	8		6M	1954
x	1974	March	8		7M	1954					HCT
x	1975	February	8		6M	1954
x	1976	December	8		4.6M						HCT
	1977	November	8		3M
x	1978	August	8		2.8M
x	1979	June	9A		2.5M
	1980	not made
x	1981	June	9A		2.5M
x	1982	June	9A		2.5M
x	1983	July	9A		2.5M
x	1984	October	9A		2.5M
	1985	not made
x	1986	March	9A		2M
x	1987	January	9A		3M
x	1988	January	9A		2M
x	1988	August	9A		2M
x	1989	May	9A		2.5M
	1990	April	9A		2M
x	1991	July	9A		2.5M
c	1992		9A
	1993	not made
x	1994	January	9A		2M
x	1995	January	9A		2M
x	1995	November	9A		2.2M							front of book only shows 2.2m119
	1996	not made
	1997	not made
x	1998		9
	1999	not made
	2000	not made
	2001	not made
	2002	not made
x	2003		9
x	2004		9
x	2005		9B-1
x	2006		9B-1
x	2007		9B-2
x	2008		10A
x	2009		10B
	2010	not made
x	2011		10C
x	2012		10C
	2013	not made
x	2014		10C
	2015	not made
	2016	not made
x	2017		10C
	2018	not made
x	2019		10D
	2020	not made
	2021	not made
	2022	not made
	2023	not made
	2024	not made
x	2025		11A	back-1125		2025	35926	730176350875	650872	300084988

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1911	0
1912	16	32	51
1913	45	35	56
1914	100	32	58
1915	66	36	58
1916	49	39	56
1917	113	37	58
1918	131	36	58
1919	227	40	59
1920	346	34	59
1921	702	34	61
1922	1,110	30	61
1923	1,086	30	63
1924	1,373	27	64
1925	1,494	28	64
1926	2,443	30	65
1927	3,381	29	68
1928	3,354	39	88
1929	4,193	30	89
1930	4,599	32	92
1931	5,559	31	96
1932	4,064	34	98
1933	4,482	32	101
1934	3,324	35	101
1935	3,876	34	101
1936	3,508	32	101
1937	2,995	42	102
1938	4,551	33	105
1939	4,639	34	106
1940	4,598	32	106
1941	4,083	34	106
1942	3,680	35	110
1943	4,280	36	112
1944	4,895	36	111
1945	5,106	35	111
1946	4,540	34	111
1947	4,019	35	111
1948	4,056	34	111
1949	4,669	34	111
1950	5,758	35	111
1951	6,217	35	111
1952	5,996	40	120
1953	5,134	40	105
1954	5,768	42	103
1955	5,805	45	100
1956	6,390	43	100
1957	6,792	41	100
1958	7,806	37	101
1959	8,945	37	101
1960	11,234	37	100
1961	12,409	36	101
1962	12,340	35	101
1963	12,284	38	102
1964	11,891	38	107
1965	11,588	37	109
1966	11,156	39	110
1967	11,911	39	112
1968	12,181	38	112
1969	12,311	39	113
1970	12,046	41	113
1971	11,737	41	113
1972	10,859	43	124
1973	9,658	50	122
1974	15,198	47	121
1975	14,941	47	128
1976	12,824	49	130
1977	11,006	49	130
1978	9,312	48	131
1979	6,264	55	132
1980	3,772	58	132
1981	5,376	58	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	14,022	39	123
1994
1995
1996	3,866	75	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	4,021	81	128
2001	3,753	84	129
2002	4,824	77	129
2003	5,047	76	130
2004	4,724	84	121
2005	4,212	85	121
2006	4,502	83	121
2007	4,796	80	121
2008	4,308	87	121
2009	4,696	89	122
2010	4,217	91	125
2011	5,087	79	129
2012	5,412	68	132
2013	4,911	62	129
2014	4,346	93	136
2015	4,245	93	138
2016	3,829	99	138
2017	3,222	107	139
2018	3,709	101	139
2019	4,486	95	139
2020	3,163	97	137
2021		87	137
2022		84	138
2023		90	138
2024		89	138
2025		91	141