Railroading Merit Badge History

Earned through 2020275,919

Best year20119,144 earned

All-time popularity#90official, as of 2020#90by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1952. Peak year 2011 with 9,144. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

195242 earned#120 of 120

19531,220 earned#76 of 105

19542,136 earned#67 of 103

19552,906 earned#60 of 100

19562,726 earned#64 of 100

19572,618 earned#68 of 100

19583,106 earned#63 of 101

19594,064 earned#56 of 101

19604,370 earned#58 of 100

19613,678 earned#63 of 101

19623,777 earned#62 of 101

19633,477 earned#65 of 102

19643,267 earned#67 of 107

19653,260 earned#65 of 109

19663,201 earned#65 of 110

19674,204 earned#61 of 112

19683,330 earned#68 of 112

19692,569 earned#82 of 113

19702,562 earned#81 of 113

19712,052 earned#84 of 113

19721,360 earned#112 of 124

19731,591 earned#100 of 122

19743,587 earned#92 of 121

19753,989 earned#88 of 128

19763,509 earned#89 of 130

19772,655 earned#97 of 130

19782,711 earned#87 of 131

19791,555 earned#97 of 132

19801,147 earned#91 of 132

19811,833 earned#90 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

19932,850 earned#85 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

19963,680 earned#77 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

20005,004 earned#77 of 128

20015,800 earned#68 of 129

20027,016 earned#64 of 129

20037,073 earned#62 of 130

20045,400 earned#72 of 121

20056,922 earned#60 of 121

20065,809 earned#66 of 121

20076,378 earned#60 of 121

20087,122 earned#59 of 121

20097,484 earned#63 of 122

20108,868 earned#58 of 125

20119,144 earned#58 of 129

20128,681 earned#55 of 132

20137,191 earned#49 of 129

20146,694 earned#72 of 136

20157,651 earned#67 of 138

20166,599 earned#73 of 138

20176,663 earned#74 of 139

20186,728 earned#72 of 139

20196,818 earned#70 of 139

20204,105 earned#83 of 137

2021No data available#89 of 137

2022No data available#75 of 138

2023No data available#66 of 138

2024No data available#73 of 138

2025No data available#73 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#73 of 141" means the badge was number 73 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.

195242#120 of 120

19531,220#76 of 105

19542,136#67 of 103

19552,906#60 of 100

19562,726#64 of 100

19572,618#68 of 100

19583,106#63 of 101

19594,064#56 of 101

19604,370#58 of 100

19613,678#63 of 101

19623,777#62 of 101

19633,477#65 of 102

19643,267#67 of 107

19653,260#65 of 109

19663,201#65 of 110

19674,204#61 of 112

19683,330#68 of 112

19692,569#82 of 113

19702,562#81 of 113

19712,052#84 of 113

19721,360#112 of 124

19731,591#100 of 122

19743,587#92 of 121

19753,989#88 of 128

19763,509#89 of 130

19772,655#97 of 130

19782,711#87 of 131

19791,555#97 of 132

19801,147#91 of 132

19811,833#90 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

19932,850#85 of 123

1994—

1995—

19963,680#77 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

20005,004#77 of 128

20015,800#68 of 129

20027,016#64 of 129

20037,073#62 of 130

20045,400#72 of 121

20056,922#60 of 121

20065,809#66 of 121

20076,378#60 of 121

20087,122#59 of 121

20097,484#63 of 122

20108,868#58 of 125

20119,144#58 of 129

20128,681#55 of 132

20137,191#49 of 129

20146,694#72 of 136

20157,651#67 of 138

20166,599#73 of 138

20176,663#74 of 139

20186,728#72 of 139

20196,818#70 of 139

20204,105#83 of 137

2021—#89 of 137

2022—#75 of 138

2023—#66 of 138

2024—#73 of 138

2025—#73 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.

Railroading: workbook data

Printings (60)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	HC	Notes
x	1954	February	6A		5M				HCI
x	1954	February	6B		5M
x	1954	April	6B		5M
x	1954	November	6B		5M
x	1955	April	6B		7M
x	1956	March	6B		7M
x	1957	April	6B		7M				HCJV1
x	1958	October	6B		6M
x	1959	November	6B		6M					different backs
x	1959	November	6B		6M				HCJV2	different backs
	1960	not made
x	1961	February	6C		7M
x	1961	October	6C		7M				HCJV2
x	1962	May	6C		7M
x	1963	August	6C		7M
x	1964	November	6C		7M				HCK, HCP
	1965	July	6C		13M
x	1966	April	6C		7M				HCL
x	1967	October	7A		5M
	1968	not made
	1969	June	7		7M
x	1969	September	7B		7M	1969			HCL, HCM
	1970	not made
x	1971	February	7B		5.5M	1969
x	1972	April	7B		5M	1969
x	1973	May	8A		5M	1969
x	1974	January	8A		10M	1969
x	1975	January	8A		7M	1969
x	1976	January	8A		7M	1969
	1977	not made
x	1978	March	8B		5M	1978
x	1979	March	8B		3.5M	1978
x	1980	May	9A		3.2M	1978
x	1981	April	9A		3.3M	1978
	1982	not made
x	1983	May	9A		3.2M	1978
x	1984	May	9A		4M	1978
	1985	not made
x	1986	January	9A		2.8M	1978
x	1986	August	9A		4M	1978
x	1987	September	9A		4M
x	1988	December	9A		3.5M
x	1989	October	9A		3.5M
	1990	not made
x	1991	February	9A		3.5M
x	1992	August	9B		3.5M	1992
x	1993	July	9B		3M	1992
x	1994	May	9B		4M	1992
x	1995	July	9B		4M	1992
x	1996	November	9B		4M	1992
	1997	not made
	1998	not made
x	1999		9B	back-9f		1992	33292	730176332925
x	2000		9
	2001	not made
x	2002		9
x	2003		9C			2003
	2004	not made
x	2005		9			2003
	2006	not made
x	2007		9			2003
x	2008		10A			2003
x	2009		10B
x	2010		10C
	2011	not made
x	2012		10C
x	2013		10C
x	2014		10C
x	2015		10C
	2016	not made
	2017	not made
	2018	not made
x	2019		10D
	2020	not made
	2021	not made
x	2022		10D
x	2023		10D				649659	730176350165		358
x	2023		10D				660205	731766602051		358
	2024	not made
	2025	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1952	42	120	120
1953	1,220	76	105
1954	2,136	67	103
1955	2,906	60	100
1956	2,726	64	100
1957	2,618	68	100
1958	3,106	63	101
1959	4,064	56	101
1960	4,370	58	100
1961	3,678	63	101
1962	3,777	62	101
1963	3,477	65	102
1964	3,267	67	107
1965	3,260	65	109
1966	3,201	65	110
1967	4,204	61	112
1968	3,330	68	112
1969	2,569	82	113
1970	2,562	81	113
1971	2,052	84	113
1972	1,360	112	124
1973	1,591	100	122
1974	3,587	92	121
1975	3,989	88	128
1976	3,509	89	130
1977	2,655	97	130
1978	2,711	87	131
1979	1,555	97	132
1980	1,147	91	132
1981	1,833	90	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	2,850	85	123
1994
1995
1996	3,680	77	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	5,004	77	128
2001	5,800	68	129
2002	7,016	64	129
2003	7,073	62	130
2004	5,400	72	121
2005	6,922	60	121
2006	5,809	66	121
2007	6,378	60	121
2008	7,122	59	121
2009	7,484	63	122
2010	8,868	58	125
2011	9,144	58	129
2012	8,681	55	132
2013	7,191	49	129
2014	6,694	72	136
2015	7,651	67	138
2016	6,599	73	138
2017	6,663	74	139
2018	6,728	72	139
2019	6,818	70	139
2020	4,105	83	137
2021		89	137
2022		75	138
2023		66	138
2024		73	138
2025		73	141