Surveying Merit Badge History

Earned through 2020157,073

Best year19594,631 earned

All-time popularity#124official, as of 2020#129by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1912. Peak year 1959 with 4,631. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

19110 earned

191215 earned#34 of 51

191354 earned#30 of 56

191490 earned#36 of 58

191551 earned#38 of 58

191638 earned#41 of 56

191772 earned#42 of 58

191870 earned#43 of 58

1919102 earned#50 of 59

1920227 earned#40 of 59

1921464 earned#38 of 61

1922583 earned#38 of 61

1923573 earned#40 of 63

1924656 earned#41 of 64

1925681 earned#43 of 64

1926954 earned#45 of 65

19271,509 earned#42 of 68

19281,800 earned#56 of 88

1929936 earned#66 of 89

19301,016 earned#64 of 92

19311,081 earned#71 of 96

19321,052 earned#68 of 98

19331,409 earned#62 of 101

1934793 earned#73 of 101

19351,651 earned#64 of 101

1936748 earned#73 of 101

19371,295 earned#66 of 102

19381,171 earned#70 of 105

1939971 earned#75 of 106

1940790 earned#80 of 106

1941693 earned#82 of 106

19421,014 earned#70 of 110

1943959 earned#78 of 112

19441,080 earned#79 of 111

1945993 earned#80 of 111

19461,025 earned#76 of 111

1947748 earned#78 of 111

1948964 earned#73 of 111

1949944 earned#77 of 111

19501,072 earned#78 of 111

19511,320 earned#78 of 111

19521,604 earned#82 of 120

19531,371 earned#74 of 105

19542,018 earned#70 of 103

19552,047 earned#72 of 100

19562,247 earned#73 of 100

19572,504 earned#69 of 100

19583,770 earned#59 of 101

19594,631 earned#51 of 101

19603,259 earned#68 of 100

19612,600 earned#70 of 101

19622,183 earned#74 of 101

19632,489 earned#71 of 102

19642,097 earned#78 of 107

19652,009 earned#76 of 109

19662,049 earned#79 of 110

19672,541 earned#77 of 112

19682,253 earned#82 of 112

19692,251 earned#84 of 113

19702,239 earned#85 of 113

19711,920 earned#86 of 113

19721,470 earned#109 of 124

19731,030 earned#108 of 122

19742,748 earned#104 of 121

19752,738 earned#106 of 128

19762,493 earned#103 of 130

19772,756 earned#96 of 130

19782,565 earned#90 of 131

19791,928 earned#89 of 132

19803,016 earned#67 of 132

19811,516 earned#96 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

19931,806 earned#100 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

19961,337 earned#108 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

20001,249 earned#112 of 128

2001934 earned#114 of 129

20021,379 earned#111 of 129

20031,618 earned#112 of 130

20041,269 earned#113 of 121

20051,567 earned#114 of 121

20061,201 earned#113 of 121

20071,166 earned#113 of 121

20081,179 earned#114 of 121

20091,595 earned#112 of 122

20101,539 earned#116 of 125

20111,145 earned#116 of 129

20121,235 earned#107 of 132

20131,307 earned#95 of 129

20141,065 earned#131 of 136

2015879 earned#136 of 138

20161,028 earned#131 of 138

2017863 earned#135 of 139

20181,065 earned#134 of 139

2019987 earned#135 of 139

2020603 earned#136 of 137

2021No data available#135 of 137

2022No data available#136 of 138

2023No data available#135 of 138

2024No data available#137 of 138

2025No data available#137 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#137 of 141" means the badge was number 137 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

191215#34 of 51

191354#30 of 56

191490#36 of 58

191551#38 of 58

191638#41 of 56

191772#42 of 58

191870#43 of 58

1919102#50 of 59

1920227#40 of 59

1921464#38 of 61

1922583#38 of 61

1923573#40 of 63

1924656#41 of 64

1925681#43 of 64

1926954#45 of 65

19271,509#42 of 68

19281,800#56 of 88

1929936#66 of 89

19301,016#64 of 92

19311,081#71 of 96

19321,052#68 of 98

19331,409#62 of 101

1934793#73 of 101

19351,651#64 of 101

1936748#73 of 101

19371,295#66 of 102

19381,171#70 of 105

1939971#75 of 106

1940790#80 of 106

1941693#82 of 106

19421,014#70 of 110

1943959#78 of 112

19441,080#79 of 111

1945993#80 of 111

19461,025#76 of 111

1947748#78 of 111

1948964#73 of 111

1949944#77 of 111

19501,072#78 of 111

19511,320#78 of 111

19521,604#82 of 120

19531,371#74 of 105

19542,018#70 of 103

19552,047#72 of 100

19562,247#73 of 100

19572,504#69 of 100

19583,770#59 of 101

19594,631#51 of 101

19603,259#68 of 100

19612,600#70 of 101

19622,183#74 of 101

19632,489#71 of 102

19642,097#78 of 107

19652,009#76 of 109

19662,049#79 of 110

19672,541#77 of 112

19682,253#82 of 112

19692,251#84 of 113

19702,239#85 of 113

19711,920#86 of 113

19721,470#109 of 124

19731,030#108 of 122

19742,748#104 of 121

19752,738#106 of 128

19762,493#103 of 130

19772,756#96 of 130

19782,565#90 of 131

19791,928#89 of 132

19803,016#67 of 132

19811,516#96 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

19931,806#100 of 123

1994—

1995—

19961,337#108 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

20001,249#112 of 128

2001934#114 of 129

20021,379#111 of 129

20031,618#112 of 130

20041,269#113 of 121

20051,567#114 of 121

20061,201#113 of 121

20071,166#113 of 121

20081,179#114 of 121

20091,595#112 of 122

20101,539#116 of 125

20111,145#116 of 129

20121,235#107 of 132

20131,307#95 of 129

20141,065#131 of 136

2015879#136 of 138

20161,028#131 of 138

2017863#135 of 139

20181,065#134 of 139

2019987#135 of 139

2020603#136 of 137

2021—#135 of 137

2022—#136 of 138

2023—#135 of 138

2024—#137 of 138

2025—#137 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.

Surveying: workbook data

Printings (82)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	SKU	SA #	HC	Notes
x	1920		2									blank
x	1920		2									15c Radio
	1920		2									20c Wireless
	1921	not made
	1922	not made
	1923	not made
	1924		2									20c Radio
	1925		2									20c Radio
x	1925		3A
x	1926		3A
c	1927		3A
	1928	not made
x	1929	August	3B
x	1930	April	3B
x	1931	March	3B
x	1931	December	3B		1M
	1932	not made
x	1933	December	3B		1M
	1934	not made
c	1935	January	3B		1M
x	1936	April	3B		1M
c	1937	May	3B		1M
x	1937	May	3D		1M			34.99
c	1938	May	3D		1M
x	1939	May	3D		1M	1930
	1940	October	3D		1M
x	1941	July	3D		1M
c	1941	July	4		1M
x	1942	July	4		1M	1942
	1943	June	4		1M	1942
x	1944	April	5A		2M	1942
x	1945	March	5B		1.5M	1942
x	1945	October	5B		2M	1942
x	1946	August	5B		2M	1942
	1947	not made
x	1948	August	5B		2M	1942
	1949	not made
x	1950	June	5B		2M	1942
x	1951	May	5B		2M	1942
c	1952	July	6A		2M	1942
c	1953	June	6A		2M	1942
x	1954	January	6A		2M	1942					HCI
x	1954	September	6A		2M	1942
	1954	December	6A		3M	1942
x	1955	October	6A		2M	1942
x	1956	April	6A		2M	1942
x	1956	September	6A		5M	1942
x	1957	May	6A		5M
x	1958	July	6A		5M
	1959	not made
x	1960	March	6B		10M
x	1960	June	6B		6M	1960
x	1961	May	6B		6M	1960					HCJV2
	1962	not made
x	1963	January	6B		4.5M	1960					HCJV2
x	1963	October	6B		4.5M	1960					HCK
x	1964	May	6B		6M	1960					HCL
x	1965	September	6B		6M	1960
	1966	not made
x	1967	January	7		5M	1960					HCL
x	1968	February	7		5M	1960					HCL
x	1969	January	7		6M	1960					HCN
c	1970	May	7		5M						HCM
x	1971	July	7		5M
	1972	not made
x	1973	March	8		8M
	1974	not made
x	1975	January	8		5M
x	1976	June	8		3.5M
	1977	not made
x	1978	January	8		2M
x	1979	January	8		2M
	1980	January	9A		2M
x	1980	September	9A		2M
x	1981	May	9A		2.5M
	1982	not made
x	1983	July	9A		2M
c	1984	July	9B		2.5M
	1985	November	9B		2M
x	1986	July	9B		2M
x	1987	May	9B		2M
x	1988	January	9B		2M
x	1988	October	9B	back-9b-2	2M
x	1989	August	9B		2.5M
	1990	not made
c	1991	March	9B		2.5M
x	1992	July	9C		2.5M
	1993	not made
	1994	not made
	1995	not made
	1996	not made
	1997	not made
x	1998		9C
x	1999		9
x	2000		9
	2001	not made
x	2002		9
	2003	not made
x	2004		9
x	2005		9
x	2006		9
	2007	not made
x	2008		10A
	2009	not made
x	2010		10C
	2011	not made
	2012	not made
	2013	not made
	2014	not made
	2015	not made
	2016	not made
	2017	not made
	2018	not made
	2019	not made
	2020	not made
	2021	not made
	2022	not made
x	2023		10D			2004
x	2024		10D			2004	35956	730176351209	654568	300069374
	2025	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1911	0
1912	15	34	51
1913	54	30	56
1914	90	36	58
1915	51	38	58
1916	38	41	56
1917	72	42	58
1918	70	43	58
1919	102	50	59
1920	227	40	59
1921	464	38	61
1922	583	38	61
1923	573	40	63
1924	656	41	64
1925	681	43	64
1926	954	45	65
1927	1,509	42	68
1928	1,800	56	88
1929	936	66	89
1930	1,016	64	92
1931	1,081	71	96
1932	1,052	68	98
1933	1,409	62	101
1934	793	73	101
1935	1,651	64	101
1936	748	73	101
1937	1,295	66	102
1938	1,171	70	105
1939	971	75	106
1940	790	80	106
1941	693	82	106
1942	1,014	70	110
1943	959	78	112
1944	1,080	79	111
1945	993	80	111
1946	1,025	76	111
1947	748	78	111
1948	964	73	111
1949	944	77	111
1950	1,072	78	111
1951	1,320	78	111
1952	1,604	82	120
1953	1,371	74	105
1954	2,018	70	103
1955	2,047	72	100
1956	2,247	73	100
1957	2,504	69	100
1958	3,770	59	101
1959	4,631	51	101
1960	3,259	68	100
1961	2,600	70	101
1962	2,183	74	101
1963	2,489	71	102
1964	2,097	78	107
1965	2,009	76	109
1966	2,049	79	110
1967	2,541	77	112
1968	2,253	82	112
1969	2,251	84	113
1970	2,239	85	113
1971	1,920	86	113
1972	1,470	109	124
1973	1,030	108	122
1974	2,748	104	121
1975	2,738	106	128
1976	2,493	103	130
1977	2,756	96	130
1978	2,565	90	131
1979	1,928	89	132
1980	3,016	67	132
1981	1,516	96	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	1,806	100	123
1994
1995
1996	1,337	108	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	1,249	112	128
2001	934	114	129
2002	1,379	111	129
2003	1,618	112	130
2004	1,269	113	121
2005	1,567	114	121
2006	1,201	113	121
2007	1,166	113	121
2008	1,179	114	121
2009	1,595	112	122
2010	1,539	116	125
2011	1,145	116	129
2012	1,235	107	132
2013	1,307	95	129
2014	1,065	131	136
2015	879	136	138
2016	1,028	131	138
2017	863	135	139
2018	1,065	134	139
2019	987	135	139
2020	603	136	137
2021		135	137
2022		136	138
2023		135	138
2024		137	138
2025		137	141