Wilderness Survival Merit Badge History

Earned through 20201,805,803

Best year200646,912 earned

All-time popularity#24official, as of 2020#25by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1973. Peak year 2006 with 46,912. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

197351 earned#121 of 122

197414,208 earned#50 of 121

197527,391 earned#32 of 128

197633,014 earned#24 of 130

197733,669 earned#22 of 130

197832,639 earned#20 of 131

197929,329 earned#20 of 132

198021,070 earned#18 of 132

198133,112 earned#17 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

199346,405 earned#15 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

199646,843 earned#15 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

200044,112 earned#18 of 128

200138,866 earned#21 of 129

200243,539 earned#20 of 129

200341,959 earned#20 of 130

200441,401 earned#19 of 121

200538,512 earned#19 of 121

200646,912 earned#16 of 121

200740,496 earned#18 of 121

200841,679 earned#17 of 121

200944,632 earned#18 of 122

201041,627 earned#18 of 125

201146,757 earned#14 of 129

201246,829 earned#14 of 132

201343,158 earned#11 of 129

201440,395 earned#18 of 136

201537,581 earned#18 of 138

201635,221 earned#18 of 138

201730,814 earned#19 of 139

201829,392 earned#20 of 139

201925,863 earned#21 of 139

202011,604 earned#19 of 137

2021No data available#22 of 137

2022No data available#22 of 138

2023No data available#24 of 138

2024No data available#24 of 138

2025No data available#24 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#24 of 141" means the badge was number 24 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.

197351#121 of 122

197414,208#50 of 121

197527,391#32 of 128

197633,014#24 of 130

197733,669#22 of 130

197832,639#20 of 131

197929,329#20 of 132

198021,070#18 of 132

198133,112#17 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

199346,405#15 of 123

1994—

1995—

199646,843#15 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

200044,112#18 of 128

200138,866#21 of 129

200243,539#20 of 129

200341,959#20 of 130

200441,401#19 of 121

200538,512#19 of 121

200646,912#16 of 121

200740,496#18 of 121

200841,679#17 of 121

200944,632#18 of 122

201041,627#18 of 125

201146,757#14 of 129

201246,829#14 of 132

201343,158#11 of 129

201440,395#18 of 136

201537,581#18 of 138

201635,221#18 of 138

201730,814#19 of 139

201829,392#20 of 139

201925,863#21 of 139

202011,604#19 of 137

2021—#22 of 137

2022—#22 of 138

2023—#24 of 138

2024—#24 of 138

2025—#24 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.

Wilderness Survival: workbook data

Printings (48)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	BSA #	UPC	SKU	HC	Notes
x	1974	April	8A-1	back-8b	25M	1974	3265
x	1974	September	8A-1	back-8b	10M	1974	3265			HCST
x	1975	March	8A-1	back-8b	20M	1974	3265
x	1975	July	8A-2	back-8c-1	15M	1974	3265
x	1975	December	8A-2	back-8c-1	20M	1974	3265
x	1976	May	8A-2	back-8c-1	20M	1974	3265
x	1977	February	8A-2	back-8c-2	3.2M	1974	3265
x	1978	May	8A-2	back-8d	26M	1974	3265
x	1979	June	8A-2	back-8d	20M	1974	3265
x	1980	May	9A-1	back-9a	20M	1974	3265
x	1981	May	9A-1	back-9a	24M	1974	3265
x	1982	April	9A-1	back-9a	22M	1974	3265
x	1983	April	9A-1	back-9a	15M	1974	3265
x	1984	January	9A-1	back-9a	25M	1984	3265
x	1984	October	9A-1	back-9b-1	24M	1984	3265
x	1985	May	9A-1	back-9b-2	25M	1984	3265
x	1986	April	9A-1	back-9b-2	30M	1984	3265
x	1987	March	9A-1	back-9b-2	30M	1984	3265
x	1988	January	9A-1	back-9b-2	30M	1984	3265
x	1989	May	9A-1	back-9b-2	30M	1984	3265
	1990	not made
x	1991	February	9A-1	back-9c-1	20M	1984	3265
x	1992	April	9A-1	back-9c-2	23M	1984	33265	730176332659
x	1993	April	9A-1	back-9c-2	21M	1984	33265	730176332659
x	1994	June	9A-2	back-9d	21M	1984	33265	730176332659
x	1995	May	9A-2	back-9d	21M	1984	33265	730176332659
x	1996	June	9A-2	back-9d	22M	1984	33265	730176332659
	1997	not made
x	1998		9A-2	back-9e		1984	33265	730176332659
x	1999		9A-2	back-9f		1984	33265	730176332659
x	2000		9A-2	back-9f		1984	33265	730176332659
	2001	not made
x	2002		9B	back-9f		2001	33265A	730176332659			states 2011 Edition in front - back shows 2002
x	2003		9B	back-9g		2001	33265A	730176332659
	2004	not made
x	2005		9B	back-9g		2001	33265A	730176332659
x	2006		9B	back-9g		2001	33265A	730176332659
x	2007		9C	back-9h-2		2007	33265B	730176324456
x	2008		10A	back-1008d1		2007	35966	730176359663
	2009	not made
x	2010		10C	back-1010c1		2007	35966	730176359663
x	2010		10C	back-1010c1		2007	35966	730176359663			2nd printing
	2011	not made
x	2012		10C	back-1010c1		2007	35966	730176359663
x	2013		10C	back-1013c1		2007	35966	730176359663
	2014	not made
x	2015		10C	back-1013c1		2012	35966	730176359663
x	2016		10D	back-1016b1		2012	35966	730176359663
x	2016		10D	back-1016b1		2012	35966	730176359663
x	2016		10D	back-1016b1		2012	35966	730176359663
	2017	not made
	2018	not made
x	2019		10D	back-1019b1		2019	35966	730176350301	649750
x	2020		10D	back-1019b1		2019	35966	730176351759	655688
	2021	not made
x	2022		10D	back-1019b1		2019	35966	730176351759	655688
x	2023		10D	back-1019b1		2019	35966	730176351759	655688
	2024		11A	back-1125		2024	35966	730176351759
	2025	not made
	2026	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1973	51	121	122
1974	14,208	50	121
1975	27,391	32	128
1976	33,014	24	130
1977	33,669	22	130
1978	32,639	20	131
1979	29,329	20	132
1980	21,070	18	132
1981	33,112	17	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	46,405	15	123
1994
1995
1996	46,843	15	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	44,112	18	128
2001	38,866	21	129
2002	43,539	20	129
2003	41,959	20	130
2004	41,401	19	121
2005	38,512	19	121
2006	46,912	16	121
2007	40,496	18	121
2008	41,679	17	121
2009	44,632	18	122
2010	41,627	18	125
2011	46,757	14	129
2012	46,829	14	132
2013	43,158	11	129
2014	40,395	18	136
2015	37,581	18	138
2016	35,221	18	138
2017	30,814	19	139
2018	29,392	20	139
2019	25,863	21	139
2020	11,604	19	137
2021		22	137
2022		22	138
2023		24	138
2024		24	138
2025		24	141