Theater Merit Badge History

Earned through 202097,833

Best year20122,776 earned

All-time popularity#139official, as of 2020#143by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1967. Peak year 2012 with 2,776. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

19671,189 earned#100 of 112

19681,178 earned#101 of 112

19692,166 earned#85 of 113

19701,497 earned#99 of 113

19711,392 earned#97 of 113

19721,488 earned#106 of 124

19731,455 earned#102 of 122

19742,657 earned#105 of 121

19752,774 earned#105 of 128

19762,459 earned#105 of 130

19772,075 earned#107 of 130

19782,052 earned#98 of 131

19791,463 earned#99 of 132

1980811 earned#103 of 132

19811,354 earned#98 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

19931,389 earned#110 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

19961,466 earned#105 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

20001,697 earned#107 of 128

20011,392 earned#110 of 129

20021,788 earned#108 of 129

20031,686 earned#111 of 130

20042,148 earned#106 of 121

20052,032 earned#105 of 121

20062,267 earned#103 of 121

20071,937 earned#106 of 121

20082,239 earned#105 of 121

20092,290 earned#108 of 122

20102,174 earned#110 of 125

20112,201 earned#107 of 129

20122,776 earned#94 of 132

20132,320 earned#87 of 129

20142,273 earned#121 of 136

20152,665 earned#119 of 138

20162,543 earned#116 of 138

20172,332 earned#119 of 139

20182,294 earned#124 of 139

20192,745 earned#117 of 139

20201,592 earned#123 of 137

2021No data available#126 of 137

2022No data available#118 of 138

2023No data available#113 of 138

2024No data available#113 of 138

2025No data available#110 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#110 of 141" means the badge was number 110 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.

19671,189#100 of 112

19681,178#101 of 112

19692,166#85 of 113

19701,497#99 of 113

19711,392#97 of 113

19721,488#106 of 124

19731,455#102 of 122

19742,657#105 of 121

19752,774#105 of 128

19762,459#105 of 130

19772,075#107 of 130

19782,052#98 of 131

19791,463#99 of 132

1980811#103 of 132

19811,354#98 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

19931,389#110 of 123

1994—

1995—

19961,466#105 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

20001,697#107 of 128

20011,392#110 of 129

20021,788#108 of 129

20031,686#111 of 130

20042,148#106 of 121

20052,032#105 of 121

20062,267#103 of 121

20071,937#106 of 121

20082,239#105 of 121

20092,290#108 of 122

20102,174#110 of 125

20112,201#107 of 129

20122,776#94 of 132

20132,320#87 of 129

20142,273#121 of 136

20152,665#119 of 138

20162,543#116 of 138

20172,332#119 of 139

20182,294#124 of 139

20192,745#117 of 139

20201,592#123 of 137

2021—#126 of 137

2022—#118 of 138

2023—#113 of 138

2024—#113 of 138

2025—#110 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.

Theater: workbook data

Printings (43)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	SKU	HC	Notes
x	1968	January	7	back-7	5M	1968	3328			HCN
x	1968	June	7	back-7	10M	1968	3328			HCL
	1969	not made
x	1970	January	7	back-7	5M	1968	3328			HCL, HCM, HCR
	1971	not made
	1972	not made
x	1973	January	8A-1	back-8a-2	2M	1968	3328			HCSV1
x	1974	January	8A-1	back-8a-2	2.5M	1968	3328
x	1974	October	8A-1	back-8b	3M	1968	3328
x	1975	December	8A-2	back-8c-1	2M	1968	3328
x	1976	December	8A-2	back-8c-1	2M	1968	3328
	1977	not made
x	1978	March	8A-2	back-8d	1.7M	1968	3328
x	1979	September	9A-1	back-9a	12M	1968	3328				likely a mistake in the printing amount for this run probably missing decimal point and should be 1.2m
x	1980	August	9A-1	back-9a	1.5M	1968	3328
	1981	July	9A-1	back-9a	1.7M	1968	3328
c	1982	October	9A-1	back-9a	1.5M	1968	3328
x	1983	October	9A-1	back-9a	1.5M	1968	3328
	1984	not made
x	1985	March	9A-1	back-9b-2	1.5M	1968	3328
x	1986	February	9A-1	back-9b-2	1.5M	1968	3328
x	1987	February	9A-1	back-9b-2	2M	1968	3328
c	1988	March	9A-1	back-9b-2	2M	1968	3328
x	1989	June	9A-1	back-9b-2	2.5M	1968	3328
	1990	not made
x	1991	March	9A-1	back-9c-1	2.5M	1968	3328
x	1992	April	9A-1	back-9c-2	2.5M	1968	33328	730176333281
x	1993	August	9A-2	back-9d	2M	1968	33328	730176333281
x	1994	August	9A-2	back-9d	2.5M	1968	33328	730176333281
x	1995	November	9A-2	back-9d	2.5M	1968	33328	730176333281
	1996	not made
x	1997	January	9A-2	back-9d	2.5M	1968	33328	730176333281
	1998	not made
x	1999		9B	back-9f		1999	33328A	730176333281
x	2000		9B	back-9f		1999	33328A	730176333281
x	2001		9B	back-9f		1999	33328A	730176333281
x	2002		9B	back-9g		1999	33328A	730176333281
x	2003		9B	back-9g		1999	33328A	730176333281
	2004	not made
x	2005		9C	back-9g		2005	33328B	730176333281
x	2006		9C	back-9g		2005	33328B	730176333281
	2007	not made
x	2008		10A	back-1008b1		2005	35959	730176359595
	2009	not made
x	2010		10C-1	back-1010b1		2005	35959	730176359595
x	2011		10C-1	back-1010b1		2005	35959	730176359595
x	2012		10C-1	back-1010b1		2005	35959	730176359595
	2013	not made
x	2014		10C-2	back-1013b1		2014	35959	730176359595
x	2015		10D	back-1016b1		2014	35959	730176359595
	2016	not made
x	2017		10D	back-1016b1		2014	35959	730176359595
x	2017		10D	back-1016b1		2014	35959	730176359595
	2018	not made
x	2019		10D	back-1019b1		2018	35959	730176350776	650747
	2020	not made
	2021	not made
	2022	not made
x	2023		10D	back-1019b1		2018	35959	730176350776	650747
	2024	not made
	2025		11A	back-1125		2025	35959
	2026	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1967	1,189	100	112
1968	1,178	101	112
1969	2,166	85	113
1970	1,497	99	113
1971	1,392	97	113
1972	1,488	106	124
1973	1,455	102	122
1974	2,657	105	121
1975	2,774	105	128
1976	2,459	105	130
1977	2,075	107	130
1978	2,052	98	131
1979	1,463	99	132
1980	811	103	132
1981	1,354	98	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	1,389	110	123
1994
1995
1996	1,466	105	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	1,697	107	128
2001	1,392	110	129
2002	1,788	108	129
2003	1,686	111	130
2004	2,148	106	121
2005	2,032	105	121
2006	2,267	103	121
2007	1,937	106	121
2008	2,239	105	121
2009	2,290	108	122
2010	2,174	110	125
2011	2,201	107	129
2012	2,776	94	132
2013	2,320	87	129
2014	2,273	121	136
2015	2,665	119	138
2016	2,543	116	138
2017	2,332	119	139
2018	2,294	124	139
2019	2,745	117	139
2020	1,592	123	137
2021		126	137
2022		118	138
2023		113	138
2024		113	138
2025		110	141