Reading Merit Badge History

Earned through 20201,508,324

Best year197446,016 earned

All-time popularity#30official, as of 2020#32by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1929. Peak year 1974 with 46,016. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

19291,671 earned#50 of 89

19306,310 earned#26 of 92

19319,200 earned#23 of 96

19329,773 earned#22 of 98

193311,431 earned#23 of 101

193412,245 earned#19 of 101

193514,523 earned#17 of 101

193612,399 earned#16 of 101

193713,608 earned#17 of 102

193815,228 earned#17 of 105

193916,846 earned#16 of 106

194016,416 earned#16 of 106

194115,051 earned#16 of 106

194214,551 earned#15 of 110

194317,020 earned#13 of 112

194421,184 earned#12 of 111

194520,184 earned#15 of 111

194615,078 earned#17 of 111

194712,345 earned#19 of 111

194810,580 earned#19 of 111

194912,221 earned#19 of 111

195016,345 earned#16 of 111

195118,148 earned#16 of 111

195218,331 earned#16 of 120

195319,558 earned#16 of 105

195425,265 earned#15 of 103

195529,467 earned#13 of 100

195629,767 earned#15 of 100

195729,705 earned#16 of 100

195830,417 earned#16 of 101

195934,526 earned#13 of 101

196041,055 earned#14 of 100

196140,999 earned#15 of 101

196241,091 earned#15 of 101

196343,360 earned#15 of 102

196445,297 earned#15 of 107

196540,844 earned#16 of 109

196640,716 earned#14 of 110

196742,410 earned#13 of 112

196839,488 earned#14 of 112

196938,534 earned#14 of 113

197034,693 earned#18 of 113

197131,978 earned#17 of 113

197228,752 earned#19 of 124

197332,121 earned#19 of 122

197446,016 earned#15 of 121

197542,280 earned#19 of 128

197630,260 earned#27 of 130

197719,659 earned#34 of 130

197813,854 earned#39 of 131

19799,772 earned#41 of 132

19805,971 earned#41 of 132

19817,673 earned#46 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

19937,848 earned#55 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

19967,440 earned#58 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

20007,835 earned#58 of 128

20017,585 earned#57 of 129

20028,558 earned#57 of 129

20038,710 earned#56 of 130

20047,783 earned#59 of 121

20057,155 earned#59 of 121

20066,561 earned#62 of 121

20076,178 earned#62 of 121

20085,957 earned#69 of 121

20097,183 earned#67 of 122

20106,590 earned#74 of 125

20115,889 earned#74 of 129

20125,676 earned#66 of 132

20135,216 earned#58 of 129

20144,712 earned#91 of 136

20154,179 earned#94 of 138

20163,574 earned#103 of 138

20173,524 earned#100 of 139

20183,873 earned#99 of 139

20194,495 earned#94 of 139

20205,635 earned#62 of 137

2021No data available#92 of 137

2022No data available#104 of 138

2023No data available#102 of 138

2024No data available#107 of 138

2025No data available#107 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#107 of 141" means the badge was number 107 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.

19291,671#50 of 89

19306,310#26 of 92

19319,200#23 of 96

19329,773#22 of 98

193311,431#23 of 101

193412,245#19 of 101

193514,523#17 of 101

193612,399#16 of 101

193713,608#17 of 102

193815,228#17 of 105

193916,846#16 of 106

194016,416#16 of 106

194115,051#16 of 106

194214,551#15 of 110

194317,020#13 of 112

194421,184#12 of 111

194520,184#15 of 111

194615,078#17 of 111

194712,345#19 of 111

194810,580#19 of 111

194912,221#19 of 111

195016,345#16 of 111

195118,148#16 of 111

195218,331#16 of 120

195319,558#16 of 105

195425,265#15 of 103

195529,467#13 of 100

195629,767#15 of 100

195729,705#16 of 100

195830,417#16 of 101

195934,526#13 of 101

196041,055#14 of 100

196140,999#15 of 101

196241,091#15 of 101

196343,360#15 of 102

196445,297#15 of 107

196540,844#16 of 109

196640,716#14 of 110

196742,410#13 of 112

196839,488#14 of 112

196938,534#14 of 113

197034,693#18 of 113

197131,978#17 of 113

197228,752#19 of 124

197332,121#19 of 122

197446,016#15 of 121

197542,280#19 of 128

197630,260#27 of 130

197719,659#34 of 130

197813,854#39 of 131

19799,772#41 of 132

19805,971#41 of 132

19817,673#46 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

19937,848#55 of 123

1994—

1995—

19967,440#58 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

20007,835#58 of 128

20017,585#57 of 129

20028,558#57 of 129

20038,710#56 of 130

20047,783#59 of 121

20057,155#59 of 121

20066,561#62 of 121

20076,178#62 of 121

20085,957#69 of 121

20097,183#67 of 122

20106,590#74 of 125

20115,889#74 of 129

20125,676#66 of 132

20135,216#58 of 129

20144,712#91 of 136

20154,179#94 of 138

20163,574#103 of 138

20173,524#100 of 139

20183,873#99 of 139

20194,495#94 of 139

20205,635#62 of 137

2021—#92 of 137

2022—#104 of 138

2023—#102 of 138

2024—#107 of 138

2025—#107 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.

Reading: workbook data

Printings (92)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	HC	Notes
	1930	April	3B
x	1930	July	3B
x	1930	October	3B							pasted requirements
	1931	not made
	1932	not made
c	1933	December	3B		1M
	1934	not made
x	1935	January	3B		1M
x	1936	February	3B		1M
x	1936	October	3B		1M
	1937	not made
x	1938	February	3B		1M
c	1938	December	3C		1M
x	1939	December	3B		2M
	1939	December	4		2M
x	1940	July	4		2M
	1941	not made
x	1942	February	4		2M
x	1943	March	4		2M
x	1944	April	5A		2M
x	1945	January	5B		3.5M
x	1945	September	5B		3M
	1946	not made
x	1947	January	5B		3M
x	1948	September	5B		2M				HCF
	1949	not made
c	1950	January	5B		2M
x	1950	September	5B		2M
x	1951	May	5B		2M
x	1951	November	5B		3M				HCH
c	1952	September	6A		3M
c	1953	November	6A		4M	1953
x	1954	June	6B		5M	1953			HCI
x	1955	January	6B		5M	1953			HCJV1
x	1955	December	6B		7M	1953
x	1956	September	6B		7M	1953			HCJV1
x	1957	July	6B		8M	1953
x	1958	September	6B		8M	1953			HCJV1
x	1959	September	6B		8M	1953			HCJV2
x	1960	June	6B		9M	1953
x	1961	April	6B		10M				HCJV2
x	1962	February	6B		10M				HCJV2, HCP
x	1962	December	6B		12M
x	1963	September	6B		15M				HCJV2
	1964	not made
x	1965	January	6C		15M	1965			HCK
x	1965	July	6C	back-6h	15M	1965			HCK
x	1966	July	7		15M	1965			HCL, HCP
x	1967	May	7		16M	1965			HCL
x	1968	April	7		17M	1965			HCL, HCP
x	1969	May	7		17M	1965
x	1970	June	7		17M	1965			HCL
x	1971	December	7		15M
	1972	not made
x	1973	March	8A		12M
x	1974	April	8B-1		15M
x	1975	March	8B-1		10M
x	1976	September	8B-2		8.5M
	1977	not made
x	1978	October	8B-2		5M
	1979	not made
x	1980	February	9A		4.2M
x	1981	May	9A		4M
x	1981	December	9A		4M
x	1982	November	9A		2.5M
x	1983	May	9A		4.5M	1983
x	1984	May	9A		4M	1983
x	1985	March	9A		4.5M	1983
x	1986	March	9A		4.5M	1983
x	1986	November	9A		4.5M	1983
x	1987	August	9A		4.5M	1983
x	1988	January	9A		4.5M	1983
x	1989	February	9A		5M	1983
x	1989	September	9A		6M	1983
x	1990	December	9A		6M	1983
x	1991	October	9A		7M	1983
	1992	not made
x	1993	February	9B		7M	1993
x	1994	January	9B		7M	1993
x	1995	January	9B		7M	1993
x	1995	November	9B		7M	1993
	1996	not made
x	1997	January	9B		7M	1993
x	1998		9B			1993
x	1999		9
x	2000		9
x	2001		9
x	2002		9
x	2003		9
x	2004		9
x	2005		9			2003
	2006	not made
x	2007		9
x	2008		10A
	2009	not made
x	2010		10C
x	2011		10C
x	2012		10C
x	2013		10C
x	2014		10C
	2015	not made
x	2016		10C
x	2017		10C
	2018	not made
x	2019		10D				35940	730176359403
x	2019		10D				655191	730176351445
	2020	not made
	2021	not made
x	2022		10D				655191	730176351445
x	2022		10D				656933	7301766569330
x	2023		10D				659872	7301766598729
	2024	not made
	2025	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1929	1,671	50	89
1930	6,310	26	92
1931	9,200	23	96
1932	9,773	22	98
1933	11,431	23	101
1934	12,245	19	101
1935	14,523	17	101
1936	12,399	16	101
1937	13,608	17	102
1938	15,228	17	105
1939	16,846	16	106
1940	16,416	16	106
1941	15,051	16	106
1942	14,551	15	110
1943	17,020	13	112
1944	21,184	12	111
1945	20,184	15	111
1946	15,078	17	111
1947	12,345	19	111
1948	10,580	19	111
1949	12,221	19	111
1950	16,345	16	111
1951	18,148	16	111
1952	18,331	16	120
1953	19,558	16	105
1954	25,265	15	103
1955	29,467	13	100
1956	29,767	15	100
1957	29,705	16	100
1958	30,417	16	101
1959	34,526	13	101
1960	41,055	14	100
1961	40,999	15	101
1962	41,091	15	101
1963	43,360	15	102
1964	45,297	15	107
1965	40,844	16	109
1966	40,716	14	110
1967	42,410	13	112
1968	39,488	14	112
1969	38,534	14	113
1970	34,693	18	113
1971	31,978	17	113
1972	28,752	19	124
1973	32,121	19	122
1974	46,016	15	121
1975	42,280	19	128
1976	30,260	27	130
1977	19,659	34	130
1978	13,854	39	131
1979	9,772	41	132
1980	5,971	41	132
1981	7,673	46	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	7,848	55	123
1994
1995
1996	7,440	58	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	7,835	58	128
2001	7,585	57	129
2002	8,558	57	129
2003	8,710	56	130
2004	7,783	59	121
2005	7,155	59	121
2006	6,561	62	121
2007	6,178	62	121
2008	5,957	69	121
2009	7,183	67	122
2010	6,590	74	125
2011	5,889	74	129
2012	5,676	66	132
2013	5,216	58	129
2014	4,712	91	136
2015	4,179	94	138
2016	3,574	103	138
2017	3,524	100	139
2018	3,873	99	139
2019	4,495	94	139
2020	5,635	62	137
2021		92	137
2022		104	138
2023		102	138
2024		107	138
2025		107	141