Rowing Merit Badge History

Earned through 20201,763,164

Best year197442,498 earned

All-time popularity#26official, as of 2020#27by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1933. Peak year 1974 with 42,498. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

1933859 earned#75 of 101

19343,294 earned#36 of 101

19354,007 earned#33 of 101

19363,335 earned#33 of 101

19373,257 earned#36 of 102

19384,300 earned#34 of 105

19395,074 earned#31 of 106

19405,884 earned#29 of 106

19416,031 earned#28 of 106

19425,726 earned#27 of 110

19435,674 earned#28 of 112

19447,150 earned#27 of 111

19457,265 earned#27 of 111

19466,662 earned#27 of 111

19476,454 earned#25 of 111

19486,315 earned#25 of 111

19496,938 earned#25 of 111

19506,992 earned#28 of 111

19518,204 earned#29 of 111

19528,751 earned#30 of 120

19539,282 earned#27 of 105

195413,543 earned#27 of 103

195515,725 earned#24 of 100

195617,811 earned#23 of 100

195718,510 earned#23 of 100

195820,834 earned#22 of 101

195923,938 earned#22 of 101

196026,161 earned#22 of 100

196130,279 earned#22 of 101

196230,307 earned#21 of 101

196330,189 earned#21 of 102

196430,390 earned#21 of 107

196532,098 earned#19 of 109

196634,521 earned#19 of 110

196736,244 earned#18 of 112

196838,140 earned#16 of 112

196937,441 earned#16 of 113

197038,681 earned#15 of 113

197137,897 earned#14 of 113

197234,902 earned#17 of 124

197335,237 earned#18 of 122

197442,498 earned#18 of 121

197539,997 earned#21 of 128

197637,890 earned#21 of 130

197734,935 earned#21 of 130

197833,352 earned#19 of 131

197928,613 earned#21 of 132

198019,959 earned#21 of 132

198128,692 earned#21 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

199327,330 earned#26 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

199626,636 earned#28 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

200022,401 earned#31 of 128

200118,843 earned#31 of 129

200220,760 earned#32 of 129

200320,192 earned#32 of 130

200418,804 earned#33 of 121

200517,889 earned#33 of 121

200616,412 earned#35 of 121

200716,484 earned#34 of 121

200815,946 earned#37 of 121

200916,878 earned#41 of 122

201014,948 earned#41 of 125

201115,906 earned#39 of 129

201213,769 earned#41 of 132

201310,944 earned#35 of 129

201410,557 earned#57 of 136

20159,995 earned#58 of 138

20169,408 earned#59 of 138

20178,239 earned#61 of 139

20188,377 earned#59 of 139

20197,189 earned#67 of 139

20202,118 earned#113 of 137

2021No data available#72 of 137

2022No data available#70 of 138

2023No data available#80 of 138

2024No data available#75 of 138

2025No data available#85 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#85 of 141" means the badge was number 85 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.

1933859#75 of 101

19343,294#36 of 101

19354,007#33 of 101

19363,335#33 of 101

19373,257#36 of 102

19384,300#34 of 105

19395,074#31 of 106

19405,884#29 of 106

19416,031#28 of 106

19425,726#27 of 110

19435,674#28 of 112

19447,150#27 of 111

19457,265#27 of 111

19466,662#27 of 111

19476,454#25 of 111

19486,315#25 of 111

19496,938#25 of 111

19506,992#28 of 111

19518,204#29 of 111

19528,751#30 of 120

19539,282#27 of 105

195413,543#27 of 103

195515,725#24 of 100

195617,811#23 of 100

195718,510#23 of 100

195820,834#22 of 101

195923,938#22 of 101

196026,161#22 of 100

196130,279#22 of 101

196230,307#21 of 101

196330,189#21 of 102

196430,390#21 of 107

196532,098#19 of 109

196634,521#19 of 110

196736,244#18 of 112

196838,140#16 of 112

196937,441#16 of 113

197038,681#15 of 113

197137,897#14 of 113

197234,902#17 of 124

197335,237#18 of 122

197442,498#18 of 121

197539,997#21 of 128

197637,890#21 of 130

197734,935#21 of 130

197833,352#19 of 131

197928,613#21 of 132

198019,959#21 of 132

198128,692#21 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

199327,330#26 of 123

1994—

1995—

199626,636#28 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

200022,401#31 of 128

200118,843#31 of 129

200220,760#32 of 129

200320,192#32 of 130

200418,804#33 of 121

200517,889#33 of 121

200616,412#35 of 121

200716,484#34 of 121

200815,946#37 of 121

200916,878#41 of 122

201014,948#41 of 125

201115,906#39 of 129

201213,769#41 of 132

201310,944#35 of 129

201410,557#57 of 136

20159,995#58 of 138

20169,408#59 of 138

20178,239#61 of 139

20188,377#59 of 139

20197,189#67 of 139

20202,118#113 of 137

2021—#72 of 137

2022—#70 of 138

2023—#80 of 138

2024—#75 of 138

2025—#85 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.

Rowing: workbook data

Printings (87)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	HC	Notes
x	1933		3B
x	1934	November	3B	1M
x	1935	September	3B	1M
x	1936	December	3B	1M
c	1937	July	3C	1M
	1938	not made
x	1939	March	3D	1M
c	1939	June	3D	2M
x	1939	June	3C	2M
x	1940	July	3D	2M
x	1940	July	4	2M
x	1941	November	4	2M
x	1942	August	4	2M
	1943	not made
x	1944	April	5A	4M
x	1945	April	5B	2.5M
x	1945	September	5B	2M				HCD
x	1946	March	5B	4M
x	1947	May	5B	4M
x	1948	July	5B	5M
x	1949	October	5B	5M
	1950	not made
x	1951	May	5B	2M				HCH
x	1951	July	5B	2M
x	1952	January	5B	5M				HCH
	1952	September	6A	2M	1952
x	1953	April	6A	5M	1952
c	1953	November	6A	2M	1952			HCI
x	1954	March	6A	7M	1952
x	1954	October	6A	10M	1952
x	1955	July	6A	10M	1952
x	1956	May	6A	10M	1952			HCJV1
x	1957	January	6A	15M	1952
x	1958	March	6A	15M	1952
x	1959	January	6A	15M	1952
x	1960	March	6A	20M	1952
x	1961	April	6A	10M	1952			HCJV2
x	1961	June	6A	5M	1952
x	1962	February	6A	23M	1952			HCJV2
x	1962	August	6A	3M
x	1963	February	6A	23M				HCJV2, HC MISC K, HCP
x	1964	March	6B	30M	1964
x	1965	January	6B	25M	1964			HCK, HCL, HCP
x	1966	January	6B	30M	1964
x	1967	February	7	40M	1964
x	1968	April	7	35M	1964
x	1969	February	7	40M	1964			HCL, HCP
	1970	not made
x	1971	April	7	18M	1964			HCM
x	1972	March	7	36M	1964			HCSV1
x	1973	March	8A-1	15M	1964				15m372 is really the march 1973 printing
x	1974	January	8A-1	25M	1964
x	1975	January	8A-1	30M	1964			HCT
x	1976	March	8A-1	20M	1964
x	1977	March	8A-1	20M	1964
x	1978	April	8A-1	18M	1964
x	1979	April	8A-2	16M	1964
x	1980	March	9A	16M	1964
x	1981	April	9B	16M	1964
x	1982	May	9B	15M	1964
x	1983	April	9B	16M	1964
x	1984	May	9B	15M	1964
x	1985	April	9B	15M	1964
x	1986	May	9B	15M	1964
x	1987	April	9B	15M	1964
x	1988	April	9B	18M	1964
x	1989	June	9B	15M	1964
	1990	not made
x	1991	March	9B	16M	1964
x	1992	August	9B	13M
x	1993	December	9C	11M	1993
x	1994	October	9C	11M	1993
	1995	not made
x	1996	January	9C	11M	1993
x	1997	September	9C		1993
x	1998		9		1993
x	1999		9		1993
x	2000		9		1993
x	2001		9		1993
	2002	not made
x	2003		9		2003
x	2004		9
x	2005		9
x	2006		9D
x	2007		9D
x	2008		10A
	2009	not made
x	2010		10C
	2011	not made
	2012	not made
	2013	not made
x	2014		10C
x	2014		10C						2nd printing
x	2015		10C
	2016	not made
	2017	not made
	2018	not made
x	2019		10D
	2020	not made
	2021	not made
	2022	not made
x	2023		10D			659212	7301766592123
x	2023		10D			660062	7301766600620
x	2024		10D			660062	7301766600620
	2025	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1933	859	75	101
1934	3,294	36	101
1935	4,007	33	101
1936	3,335	33	101
1937	3,257	36	102
1938	4,300	34	105
1939	5,074	31	106
1940	5,884	29	106
1941	6,031	28	106
1942	5,726	27	110
1943	5,674	28	112
1944	7,150	27	111
1945	7,265	27	111
1946	6,662	27	111
1947	6,454	25	111
1948	6,315	25	111
1949	6,938	25	111
1950	6,992	28	111
1951	8,204	29	111
1952	8,751	30	120
1953	9,282	27	105
1954	13,543	27	103
1955	15,725	24	100
1956	17,811	23	100
1957	18,510	23	100
1958	20,834	22	101
1959	23,938	22	101
1960	26,161	22	100
1961	30,279	22	101
1962	30,307	21	101
1963	30,189	21	102
1964	30,390	21	107
1965	32,098	19	109
1966	34,521	19	110
1967	36,244	18	112
1968	38,140	16	112
1969	37,441	16	113
1970	38,681	15	113
1971	37,897	14	113
1972	34,902	17	124
1973	35,237	18	122
1974	42,498	18	121
1975	39,997	21	128
1976	37,890	21	130
1977	34,935	21	130
1978	33,352	19	131
1979	28,613	21	132
1980	19,959	21	132
1981	28,692	21	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	27,330	26	123
1994
1995
1996	26,636	28	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	22,401	31	128
2001	18,843	31	129
2002	20,760	32	129
2003	20,192	32	130
2004	18,804	33	121
2005	17,889	33	121
2006	16,412	35	121
2007	16,484	34	121
2008	15,946	37	121
2009	16,878	41	122
2010	14,948	41	125
2011	15,906	39	129
2012	13,769	41	132
2013	10,944	35	129
2014	10,557	57	136
2015	9,995	58	138
2016	9,408	59	138
2017	8,239	61	139
2018	8,377	59	139
2019	7,189	67	139
2020	2,118	113	137
2021		72	137
2022		70	138
2023		80	138
2024		75	138
2025		85	141