Public Speaking Merit Badge History

Earned through 2020684,343

Best year196025,729 earned

All-time popularity#55official, as of 2020#56by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1932. Peak year 1960 with 25,729. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

1932167 earned#94 of 98

1933557 earned#84 of 101

1934772 earned#74 of 101

19352,114 earned#55 of 101

1936977 earned#67 of 101

19371,092 earned#72 of 102

19381,159 earned#71 of 105

19391,247 earned#71 of 106

19401,213 earned#69 of 106

19411,105 earned#69 of 106

19421,011 earned#71 of 110

19431,098 earned#71 of 112

19441,607 earned#68 of 111

19452,454 earned#58 of 111

19462,622 earned#51 of 111

19473,857 earned#37 of 111

19484,134 earned#33 of 111

19495,697 earned#29 of 111

19508,052 earned#25 of 111

19519,936 earned#25 of 111

195210,677 earned#25 of 120

195311,995 earned#23 of 105

195416,512 earned#21 of 103

195517,961 earned#21 of 100

195618,334 earned#22 of 100

195719,355 earned#22 of 100

195819,350 earned#23 of 101

195920,502 earned#23 of 101

196025,729 earned#23 of 100

196125,136 earned#24 of 101

196223,117 earned#24 of 101

196323,564 earned#24 of 102

196423,818 earned#24 of 107

196521,756 earned#25 of 109

196621,506 earned#24 of 110

196723,034 earned#24 of 112

196822,622 earned#23 of 112

196923,281 earned#23 of 113

197018,332 earned#25 of 113

197112,992 earned#35 of 113

19727,902 earned#56 of 124

197310,365 earned#46 of 122

19748,870 earned#62 of 121

19757,933 earned#67 of 128

19766,604 earned#70 of 130

19776,211 earned#67 of 130

19785,848 earned#66 of 131

19793,683 earned#69 of 132

19802,415 earned#73 of 132

19813,474 earned#70 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

19932,405 earned#91 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

19962,318 earned#91 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

20002,639 earned#95 of 128

20012,492 earned#99 of 129

20023,203 earned#95 of 129

20033,696 earned#91 of 130

20044,627 earned#86 of 121

20054,640 earned#81 of 121

20065,239 earned#71 of 121

20075,827 earned#66 of 121

20085,742 earned#73 of 121

20096,940 earned#73 of 122

20106,671 earned#72 of 125

20116,703 earned#65 of 129

20126,987 earned#58 of 132

20137,289 earned#49 of 129

20147,091 earned#69 of 136

20157,793 earned#66 of 138

20167,497 earned#67 of 138

20177,035 earned#69 of 139

20187,250 earned#65 of 139

20196,695 earned#72 of 139

20205,570 earned#65 of 137

2021No data available#79 of 137

2022No data available#77 of 138

2023No data available#78 of 138

2024No data available#76 of 138

2025No data available#68 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#68 of 141" means the badge was number 68 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.

1932167#94 of 98

1933557#84 of 101

1934772#74 of 101

19352,114#55 of 101

1936977#67 of 101

19371,092#72 of 102

19381,159#71 of 105

19391,247#71 of 106

19401,213#69 of 106

19411,105#69 of 106

19421,011#71 of 110

19431,098#71 of 112

19441,607#68 of 111

19452,454#58 of 111

19462,622#51 of 111

19473,857#37 of 111

19484,134#33 of 111

19495,697#29 of 111

19508,052#25 of 111

19519,936#25 of 111

195210,677#25 of 120

195311,995#23 of 105

195416,512#21 of 103

195517,961#21 of 100

195618,334#22 of 100

195719,355#22 of 100

195819,350#23 of 101

195920,502#23 of 101

196025,729#23 of 100

196125,136#24 of 101

196223,117#24 of 101

196323,564#24 of 102

196423,818#24 of 107

196521,756#25 of 109

196621,506#24 of 110

196723,034#24 of 112

196822,622#23 of 112

196923,281#23 of 113

197018,332#25 of 113

197112,992#35 of 113

19727,902#56 of 124

197310,365#46 of 122

19748,870#62 of 121

19757,933#67 of 128

19766,604#70 of 130

19776,211#67 of 130

19785,848#66 of 131

19793,683#69 of 132

19802,415#73 of 132

19813,474#70 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

19932,405#91 of 123

1994—

1995—

19962,318#91 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

20002,639#95 of 128

20012,492#99 of 129

20023,203#95 of 129

20033,696#91 of 130

20044,627#86 of 121

20054,640#81 of 121

20065,239#71 of 121

20075,827#66 of 121

20085,742#73 of 121

20096,940#73 of 122

20106,671#72 of 125

20116,703#65 of 129

20126,987#58 of 132

20137,289#49 of 129

20147,091#69 of 136

20157,793#66 of 138

20167,497#67 of 138

20177,035#69 of 139

20187,250#65 of 139

20196,695#72 of 139

20205,570#65 of 137

2021—#79 of 137

2022—#77 of 138

2023—#78 of 138

2024—#76 of 138

2025—#68 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.

Public Speaking: workbook data

Printings (80)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	HC
x	1933	March	3B		2M
	1934	not made
x	1935	February	3B		1M
x	1936	October	3B		1M	1933
	1937	not made
x	1938	March	3B		1M
c	1939	April	3B		1M
x	1939	April	3D		1M
	1940	not made
x	1941	April	3D		1M
	1942	May	3D		2M
x	1942	May	4		2M
	1943	not made
x	1944	November	5A		1M	1944
x	1945	May	5B		1M	1944
x	1945	September	5B	back-5blank	1M	1944	3373
x	1946	March	5B		2M	1944
	1947	June	5B		2M	1944
x	1948	September	5B		2M	1944			HCF
	1949	not made
x	1950	April	5B		2M	1944
x	1951	June	5B		2M	1944
x	1951	November	5B		2M	1944
x	1952	October	6		2M	1944			HCI
	1953	July	6		3M	1944
x	1954	April	6		4M	1944
x	1955	January	6		5M	1944			HCJV1
x	1955	November	6		6M	1944
x	1956	September	6		7M	1944
x	1957	September	6		7M	1944
x	1958	November	6		7M	1944
x	1959	December	6		7M	1944
x	1960	July	6		7M	1944			HCJV2
x	1961	April	6		8M	1944			HCJV2
c	1962	May	6		8M	1944
x	1963	February	6		10M	1944			HCJV2, HCK
x	1964	April	6		10M	1944
x	1965	June	6		10M	1944			HCK
x	1966	July	7A		9M	1944
x	1967	July	7A		10M
x	1968	August	7A		10M
x	1969	September	7B		12M	1969			HCN
x	1970	November	7C		10M	1969			HCR
	1971	not made
x	1972	February	7C		8.5M	1969
x	1973	November	8A		8M	1969			HCT
	1974	not made
x	1975	March	8A		6.3M	1969
x	1976	April	8B		5M	1969
x	1977	July	8B		4M	1969
	1978	not made
	1979	April	8B		2.5M	1969
x	1980	April	9A	back-9a	2.5M	1969
x	1981	February	9A		2.7M	1969
x	1982	July	9A		2.3M	1969
x	1983	June	9A		2.3M	1969
x	1984	March	9A		2.5M	1969
x	1985	January	9A		2.5M	1969
	1986	not made
	1987	March	9B		2M	1969
x	1987	October	9B		2.5M	1969
x	1988	April	9B		2.5M	1969
x	1989	April	9B	back-9b-2	2.5M	1969
x	1990	January	9B		2.5M	1969
x	1991	April	9B		2.5M	1969
x	1992	March	9B		3M	1969
x	1993	March	9B		2.5M	1969
x	1994	October	9B		2M	1969
x	1995	November	9B		2.5M	1969
	1996	not made
x	1997	February	9B		2.5M	1969
	1998	not made
	1999	not made
x	2000		9B
x	2001		9B
	2002	not made
x	2003		9
x	2004		9C-1
x	2005		9C-1
x	2006		9C-1
x	2007		9C-2
x	2008		10A
x	2009		10B
x	2010		10C
x	2011		10C
	2012	not made
x	2013		10C
x	2014		10C
	2015	not made
x	2016		10C
x	2017		10C
	2018	not made
x	2019		10D
x	2020		10D
	2021	not made
x	2022		10D
x	2023		10D				655689	730176351766
	2024	not made
	2025	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1932	167	94	98
1933	557	84	101
1934	772	74	101
1935	2,114	55	101
1936	977	67	101
1937	1,092	72	102
1938	1,159	71	105
1939	1,247	71	106
1940	1,213	69	106
1941	1,105	69	106
1942	1,011	71	110
1943	1,098	71	112
1944	1,607	68	111
1945	2,454	58	111
1946	2,622	51	111
1947	3,857	37	111
1948	4,134	33	111
1949	5,697	29	111
1950	8,052	25	111
1951	9,936	25	111
1952	10,677	25	120
1953	11,995	23	105
1954	16,512	21	103
1955	17,961	21	100
1956	18,334	22	100
1957	19,355	22	100
1958	19,350	23	101
1959	20,502	23	101
1960	25,729	23	100
1961	25,136	24	101
1962	23,117	24	101
1963	23,564	24	102
1964	23,818	24	107
1965	21,756	25	109
1966	21,506	24	110
1967	23,034	24	112
1968	22,622	23	112
1969	23,281	23	113
1970	18,332	25	113
1971	12,992	35	113
1972	7,902	56	124
1973	10,365	46	122
1974	8,870	62	121
1975	7,933	67	128
1976	6,604	70	130
1977	6,211	67	130
1978	5,848	66	131
1979	3,683	69	132
1980	2,415	73	132
1981	3,474	70	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	2,405	91	123
1994
1995
1996	2,318	91	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	2,639	95	128
2001	2,492	99	129
2002	3,203	95	129
2003	3,696	91	130
2004	4,627	86	121
2005	4,640	81	121
2006	5,239	71	121
2007	5,827	66	121
2008	5,742	73	121
2009	6,940	73	122
2010	6,671	72	125
2011	6,703	65	129
2012	6,987	58	132
2013	7,289	49	129
2014	7,091	69	136
2015	7,793	66	138
2016	7,497	67	138
2017	7,035	69	139
2018	7,250	65	139
2019	6,695	72	139
2020	5,570	65	137
2021		79	137
2022		77	138
2023		78	138
2024		76	138
2025		68	141