The pandemic didn’t stop Scouts from earning merit badges in 2020, but it did cause a dramatic shift in which merit badges Scouts earned most.
Ever since we started publishing merit badge rankings back in 2012, the top of the list has been dominated by merit badges that are both:
- On the list of Eagle-required merit badges.
- Offered at most council summer camps.
But everything changed in 2020.
With the majority of summer camps not operating, the popularity of those merit badges fell. In their place, we saw an unprecedented rise in the popularity of merit badges that can be earned at home, often with a Scout’s family.
Eagle-required merit badges still dominated, accounting for all 13 of the top 13. But instead of traditional top-of-the-list merit badges like First Aid, Swimming or Cooking, we had a new No. 1 in 2020.
That was Family Life, which jumped nine spots from its No. 10 ranking last year.
Speaking of newcomers, all three citizenship merit badges (Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World and Citizenship in the Community) found their way into the top five for the first time, as did Personal Management.
We can also learn a lot from which merit badges saw the biggest jumps in popularity from 2019 to 2020. In a true “sign of the times” moment, the merit badges with the biggest percentage increases were Public Health (up 359%), American Business (up 238%) and Safety (up 97%). The whole list of “ups and downs” is fascinating, so be sure to look for that below.
The other side of the list holds some interesting nuggets, too. The merit badges with the biggest drops in popularity from 2019 to 2020 were Small Boat Sailing (down 76%), Rowing (down 71%) and Lifesaving (down 70%).
More than 1.1 million merit badges were earned in 2020 — and there’s a story behind each one. Let’s look more closely at the numbers.
The actual top 10
Each merit badge in 2020’s top 10 has something in common: it’s required to earn the Eagle Scout award, Scouts BSA’s highest honor.
The BSA didn’t select its Eagle-required badges at random. Together, they represent a set of essential skills for life.
| Rank | Merit Badge | 2020 earned | 2019 rank |
| 1 | Family Life | 48,408 | 10 |
| 2 | Citizenship in the Nation | 43,247 | 8 |
| 3 | Citizenship in the World | 42,738 | 4 |
| 4 | Citizenship in the Community | 41,987 | 11 |
| 5 | Personal Management | 40,897 | 7 |
| 6 | Personal Fitness | 40,355 | 5 |
| 7 | Communication | 36,675 | 9 |
| 8 | Cooking | 36,473 | 6 |
| 9 | First Aid | 31,636 | 1 |
| 10 | Camping | 30,490 | 3 |
The alternative top 10
What happens if we eliminate the Eagle-required merit badges from the list?
Typically, we’re left with 10 merit badges commonly offered at summer camp. But not in 2020.
| Rank | Merit Badge | 2020 earned |
| 1 | Fingerprinting | 18,898 |
| 2 | Chess | 15,454 |
| 3 | Art | 13,953 |
| 4 | Fishing | 13,601 |
| 5 | Photography | 11,618 |
| 6 | Wilderness Survival | 11,604 |
| 7 | Public Health | 11,510 |
| 8 | Kayaking | 11,083 |
| 9 | Rifle Shooting | 11,081 |
| 10 | Leatherwork | 10,855 |
Notice a trend? These are merit badges Scouts could earn at home, perhaps while spending quality time with their parents and siblings.
The bottom 10
Put an asterisk by these 10, which did nothing to deserve their spots at the bottom of 2020’s rankings. Many of these merit badges will bounce back once the pandemic ends.
| Rank | Merit Badge | 2020 earned | 2019 rank |
| 128 | Farm Mechanics | 1,424 | 121 |
| 129 | Landscape Architecture | 1,400 | 130 |
| 130 | Model Design and Building | 1,359 | 115 |
| 131 | Scuba Diving | 1,323 | 127 |
| 132 | Stamp Collecting | 1,278 | 136 |
| 133 | Water Sports | 1,064 | 116 |
| 134 | Drafting | 1,026 | 132 |
| 135 | Composite Materials | 1,011 | 131 |
| 136 | Surveying | 603 | 135 |
| 137 | Bugling | 476 | 137 |
The ups and downs
Some merit badges, like food delivery companies, saw their stock rise during the pandemic. Others were not so fortunate.
These were the top 10 gains and losses from 2019 to 2020.
Top 10 Gains
| Merit Badge | 2019 | 2020 | Percent change |
| Public Health | 2,507 | 11,510 | 359% |
| American Business | 1,468 | 4,967 | 238% |
| Safety | 3,208 | 6,305 | 97% |
| Gardening | 1,440 | 2,782 | 93% |
| Pets | 5,130 | 8,333 | 62% |
| Collections | 4,060 | 6,429 | 58% |
| Genealogy | 4,096 | 6,020 | 47% |
| American Labor | 1,298 | 1,892 | 46% |
| Stamp Collecting | 919 | 1,278 | 39% |
| Scholarship | 5,442 | 7,287 | 34% |
Takeaways:
- Two of the most dominant news stories in 2020 were COVID-19 and its effect on businesses. So we shouldn’t be surprised to see Public Health and American Business on this list.
- While people have remained at home to avoid spreading the virus, Scouts and their families have been able to take up Gardening, spend more time with their Pets and work on building new Collections.
- Genealogy was on last year’s list of the Top 10 Drops. It was down 15%, meaning it had quite a rebound in 2020.
Top 10 Drops
| Merit Badge | 2019 | 2020 | Percent Change |
| Metalwork | 12,586 | 4,273 | -66% |
| Pottery | 8,566 | 2,842 | -67% |
| Wood Carving | 28,599 | 9,430 | -67% |
| Archery | 31,934 | 10,487 | -67% |
| Rifle Shooting | 34,049 | 11,081 | -67% |
| Motor Boating | 8,298 | 2,638 | -68% |
| Shotgun Shooting | 18,576 | 5,631 | -70% |
| Lifesaving | 19,444 | 5,842 | -70% |
| Rowing | 7,189 | 2,118 | -71% |
| Small Boat Sailing | 13,202 | 3,142 | -76% |
Takeaways:
- All 10 of these merit badges are offered at many council camps, which partly explains their decline in popularity last year.
- That’s two straight years on this list of Top 10 Drops for Rowing and Motor Boating. Boating aficionados, consider this a friendly challenge to become a merit badge counselor and get those numbers up.
- You know what isn’t on this list? Bugling, which actually saw a modest 5% increase from 2019 to 2020 after years of decline. Buglers, go ahead and toot your own horn.
What’s the source?
The data comes from Local Council Charter Applications. That means they’re based on the actual number earned, not on sales of the badges. Some troops purchase extra emblems in anticipation of future badge earnings, so sales numbers can mislead.
Special thanks to the BSA’s Garfield Murden for supplying the numbers.
The raw data
If you’ve made it this far in the post, you might be looking for the complete rankings. I should warn you that this information is only for the geekiest of geeks like me — people unfazed by line after line of merit badge data.
You’ve been warned. Keep scrolling to find:
- The complete 2020 rankings
- Merit badge popularity over the last five years
- Lifetime rankings from 1911 to 2020
- Every merit badge ranked by its percent change from 2019 to 2020
The complete 2020 rankings
What the colors mean:
- Blue: merit badge is required for Eagle
- Red: merit badge is considered “new” — released in 2015 or later
| Rank | Merit Badge | Earned |
| 1 | Family Life | 48,408 |
| 2 | Citizenship in the Nation | 43,247 |
| 3 | Citizenship in the World | 42,738 |
| 4 | Citizenship in the Community | 41,987 |
| 5 | Personal Management | 40,897 |
| 6 | Personal Fitness | 40,355 |
| 7 | Communication | 36,675 |
| 8 | Cooking | 36,473 |
| 9 | First Aid | 31,636 |
| 10 | Camping | 30,490 |
| 11 | Emergency Preparedness | 24,733 |
| 12 | Environmental Science | 23,571 |
| 13 | Swimming | 21,220 |
| 14 | Fingerprinting | 18,898 |
| 15 | Chess | 15,454 |
| 16 | Art | 13,953 |
| 17 | Fishing | 13,601 |
| 18 | Photography | 11,618 |
| 19 | Wilderness Survival | 11,604 |
| 20 | Public Health | 11,510 |
| 21 | Kayaking | 11,083 |
| 22 | Rifle Shooting | 11,081 |
| 23 | Leatherwork | 10,855 |
| 24 | Archery | 10,487 |
| 25 | Music | 10,069 |
| 26 | Canoeing | 9,853 |
| 27 | Wood Carving | 9,430 |
| 28 | Weather | 9,215 |
| 29 | Digital Technology | 8,812 |
| 30 | Space Exploration | 8,750 |
| 31 | Sustainability | 8,477 |
| 32 | Pets | 8,333 |
| 33 | Aviation | 8,064 |
| 34 | Fire Safety | 7,918 |
| 35 | Mammal Study | 7,845 |
| 36 | Engineering | 7,800 |
| 37 | Game Design | 7,740 |
| 38 | Geology | 7,484 |
| 39 | Astronomy | 7,474 |
| 40 | Basketry | 7,388 |
| 41 | Scholarship | 7,287 |
| 42 | Indian Lore | 7,240 |
| 43 | Climbing | 7,228 |
| 44 | Chemistry | 7,166 |
| 45 | Automotive Maintenance | 7,108 |
| 46 | American Heritage | 6,700 |
| 47 | Scouting Heritage | 6,517 |
| 48 | Collections | 6,429 |
| 49 | Disabilities Awareness | 6,334 |
| 50 | Safety | 6,305 |
| 51 | Electricity | 6,235 |
| 52 | Pioneering | 6,129 |
| 53 | Nature | 6,056 |
| 54 | Genealogy | 6,020 |
| 55 | Hiking | 5,977 |
| 56 | Law | 5,962 |
| 57 | Snow Sports | 5,860 |
| 58 | Lifesaving | 5,842 |
| 59 | Geocaching | 5,811 |
| 60 | Moviemaking | 5,779 |
| 61 | Traffic Safety | 5,758 |
| 62 | Reading | 5,635 |
| 63 | Shotgun Shooting | 5,631 |
| 64 | Crime Prevention | 5,628 |
| 65 | Public Speaking | 5,570 |
| 66 | Robotics | 5,452 |
| 67 | Orienteering | 5,337 |
| 68 | Cycling | 5,247 |
| 69 | Salesmanship | 5,121 |
| 70 | Soil and Water Conservation | 5,067 |
| 71 | American Business | 4,967 |
| 72 | Fish & Wildlife Management | 4,874 |
| 73 | Horsemanship | 4,798 |
| 74 | Welding | 4,709 |
| 75 | Coin Collecting | 4,639 |
| 76 | Signs, Signals, and Codes | 4,580 |
| 77 | Programming | 4,473 |
| 78 | Animation | 4,445 |
| 79 | Oceanography | 4,442 |
| 80 | Metalwork | 4,273 |
| 81 | Forestry | 4,269 |
| 82 | Dog Care | 4,136 |
| 83 | Railroading | 4,105 |
| 84 | Search and Rescue | 4,082 |
| 85 | Electronics | 4,063 |
| 86 | Pulp and Paper | 4,054 |
| 87 | Bird Study | 3,950 |
| 88 | Mining in Society | 3,789 |
| 89 | Sports | 3,557 |
| 90 | Radio | 3,550 |
| 91 | Reptile and Amphibian Study | 3,526 |
| 92 | Nuclear Science | 3,493 |
| 93 | Home Repairs | 3,442 |
| 94 | Entrepreneurship | 3,284 |
| 95 | Medicine | 3,278 |
| 96 | Sculpture | 3,188 |
| 97 | Painting | 3,163 |
| 98 | Small Boat Sailing | 3,142 |
| 99 | Woodwork | 3,066 |
| 100 | American Cultures | 2,906 |
| 101 | Pottery | 2,842 |
| 102 | Gardening | 2,782 |
| 103 | Animal Science | 2,778 |
| 104 | Plumbing | 2,761 |
| 105 | Architecture | 2,734 |
| 106 | Archaeology | 2,671 |
| 107 | Motor Boating | 2,638 |
| 108 | Veterinary Medicine | 2,552 |
| 109 | Fly Fishing | 2,439 |
| 110 | Golf | 2,369 |
| 111 | Graphic Arts | 2,228 |
| 112 | Energy | 2,162 |
| 113 | Rowing | 2,118 |
| 114 | Truck Transportation | 1,991 |
| 115 | Textile | 1,929 |
| 116 | Dentistry | 1,924 |
| 117 | American Labor | 1,892 |
| 118 | Inventing | 1,833 |
| 119 | Insect Study | 1,734 |
| 120 | Skating | 1,700 |
| 121 | Plant Science | 1,653 |
| 122 | Backpacking | 1,640 |
| 123 | Theater | 1,592 |
| 124 | Athletics | 1,557 |
| 125 | Journalism | 1,516 |
| 126 | Whitewater | 1,508 |
| 127 | Exploration | 1,464 |
| 128 | Farm Mechanics | 1,424 |
| 129 | Landscape Architecture | 1,400 |
| 130 | Model Design and Building | 1,359 |
| 131 | Scuba Diving | 1,323 |
| 132 | Stamp Collecting | 1,278 |
| 133 | Water Sports | 1,064 |
| 134 | Drafting | 1,026 |
| 135 | Composite Materials | 1,011 |
| 136 | Surveying | 603 |
| 137 | Bugling | 476 |
Merit badge numbers over the last five years
I offer this alphabetically sorted list in case you want to complete your own data analysis. I ask that if you find something interesting, you share it in the comments below!
| Merit Badge | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
| American Business | 627 | 613 | 551 | 1,468 | 4,967 |
| American Cultures | 2,218 | 2,298 | 2,519 | 3,089 | 2,906 |
| American Heritage | 4,952 | 5,496 | 5,530 | 5,454 | 6,700 |
| American Labor | 812 | 901 | 1,109 | 1,298 | 1,892 |
| Animal Science | 3,852 | 3,848 | 3,769 | 4,155 | 2,778 |
| Animation | 4,637 | 5,462 | 6,981 | 7,193 | 4,445 |
| Archaeology | 7,388 | 6,876 | 6,056 | 5,722 | 2,671 |
| Archery | 39,419 | 35,301 | 34,487 | 31,934 | 10,487 |
| Architecture | 3,230 | 3,654 | 3,881 | 4,016 | 2,734 |
| Art | 22,990 | 21,567 | 21,793 | 23,074 | 13,953 |
| Astronomy | 16,355 | 15,702 | 15,531 | 16,473 | 7,474 |
| Athletics | 3,125 | 2,754 | 2,808 | 2,844 | 1,557 |
| Automotive Maintenance | 10,748 | 10,205 | 10,360 | 10,489 | 7,108 |
| Aviation | 14,477 | 14,347 | 13,745 | 14,227 | 8,064 |
| Backpacking | 3,963 | 3,498 | 2,295 | 4,079 | 1,640 |
| Basketry | 15,282 | 15,406 | 14,546 | 14,216 | 7,388 |
| Bird Study | 5,199 | 4,965 | 5,101 | 5,629 | 3,950 |
| Bugling | 479 | 454 | 551 | 453 | 476 |
| Camping | 53,534 | 50,871 | 49,893 | 52,328 | 30,490 |
| Canoeing | 28,288 | 26,052 | 26,094 | 22,734 | 9,853 |
| Chemistry | 10,865 | 10,248 | 11,140 | 11,745 | 7,166 |
| Chess | 27,416 | 26,919 | 28,260 | 25,999 | 15,454 |
| Cinematography | 841 | 231 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Citizenship in the Community | 51,975 | 48,736 | 49,863 | 46,750 | 41,987 |
| Citizenship in the Nation | 57,919 | 52,949 | 52,944 | 48,182 | 43,247 |
| Citizenship in the World | 59,363 | 55,917 | 55,843 | 50,700 | 42,738 |
| Climbing | 21,171 | 18,356 | 18,911 | 17,305 | 7,228 |
| Coin Collecting | 4,135 | 3,930 | 4,726 | 4,822 | 4,639 |
| Collections | 3,753 | 4,140 | 4,280 | 4,060 | 6,429 |
| Communication | 53,367 | 50,503 | 51,541 | 48,117 | 36,675 |
| Composite Materials | 1,597 | 1,407 | 1,646 | 1,383 | 1,011 |
| Computers | 354 | 207 | 202 | 72 | 0 |
| Cooking | 55,841 | 51,004 | 50,185 | 49,039 | 36,473 |
| Crime Prevention | 6,178 | 6,721 | 6,456 | 6,517 | 5,628 |
| Cycling | 6,334 | 5,742 | 5,671 | 5,503 | 5,247 |
| Dentistry | 2,910 | 3,135 | 3,110 | 2,433 | 1,924 |
| Digital Technology | 9,344 | 8,768 | 7,857 | 7,096 | 8,812 |
| Disabilities Awareness | 5,833 | 5,239 | 5,571 | 5,933 | 6,334 |
| Dog Care | 2,414 | 2,661 | 3,025 | 3,151 | 4,136 |
| Drafting | 1,168 | 1,119 | 1,231 | 1,364 | 1,026 |
| Electricity | 9,762 | 9,245 | 9,979 | 9,383 | 6,235 |
| Electronics | 7,814 | 7,524 | 7,731 | 7,204 | 4,063 |
| Emergency Preparedness | 47,004 | 43,351 | 43,063 | 39,022 | 24,733 |
| Energy | 2,955 | 2,749 | 2,607 | 2,727 | 2,162 |
| Engineering | 11,429 | 11,773 | 12,280 | 12,184 | 7,800 |
| Entrepreneurship | 3,365 | 3,473 | 3,353 | 3,410 | 3,284 |
| Environmental Science | 60,026 | 55,703 | 54,237 | 46,202 | 23,571 |
| Exploration | 0 | 2,090 | 3,351 | 3,107 | 1,464 |
| Family Life | 50,177 | 48,774 | 48,787 | 47,788 | 48,408 |
| Farm Mechanics | 2,368 | 2,307 | 2,226 | 2,500 | 1,424 |
| Fingerprinting | 40,700 | 38,989 | 38,239 | 36,510 | 18,898 |
| Fire Safety | 12,257 | 11,746 | 11,673 | 11,045 | 7,918 |
| First Aid | 75,256 | 69,563 | 69,565 | 62,352 | 31,636 |
| Fish & Wildlife Management | 12,647 | 11,615 | 11,822 | 10,676 | 4,874 |
| Fishing | 25,256 | 24,343 | 24,688 | 23,589 | 13,601 |
| Fly Fishing | 4,577 | 4,597 | 4,872 | 5,005 | 2,439 |
| Forestry | 12,519 | 11,456 | 11,326 | 10,299 | 4,269 |
| Game Design | 13,689 | 13,810 | 16,020 | 14,424 | 7,740 |
| Gardening | 1,375 | 1,450 | 1,428 | 1,440 | 2,782 |
| Genealogy | 4,570 | 5,213 | 4,830 | 4,096 | 6,020 |
| Geocaching | 15,210 | 12,604 | 12,972 | 11,271 | 5,811 |
| Geology | 18,516 | 18,674 | 17,242 | 16,041 | 7,484 |
| Golf | 3,605 | 3,248 | 3,060 | 2,959 | 2,369 |
| Graphic Arts | 3,251 | 3,066 | 3,343 | 3,178 | 2,228 |
| Hiking | 7,485 | 7,084 | 6,362 | 6,865 | 5,977 |
| Home Repairs | 3,325 | 3,432 | 3,579 | 3,193 | 3,442 |
| Horsemanship | 9,457 | 8,641 | 8,837 | 9,515 | 4,798 |
| Indian Lore | 18,234 | 17,003 | 16,003 | 13,530 | 7,240 |
| Insect Study | 2,341 | 2,644 | 2,716 | 2,392 | 1,734 |
| Inventing | 2,834 | 3,296 | 3,494 | 3,259 | 1,833 |
| Journalism | 970 | 1,127 | 1,153 | 1,283 | 1,516 |
| Kayaking | 33,137 | 30,466 | 31,362 | 28,093 | 11,083 |
| Landscape Architecture | 1,494 | 1,483 | 1,495 | 1,395 | 1,400 |
| Law | 5,226 | 5,402 | 5,656 | 5,681 | 5,962 |
| Leatherwork | 37,920 | 35,490 | 33,740 | 31,397 | 10,855 |
| Lifesaving | 22,382 | 20,748 | 20,952 | 19,444 | 5,842 |
| Mammal Study | 21,303 | 18,715 | 17,982 | 17,799 | 7,845 |
| Medicine | 3,767 | 3,561 | 3,878 | 3,758 | 3,278 |
| Metalwork | 12,639 | 12,990 | 12,768 | 12,586 | 4,273 |
| Mining in Society | 4,224 | 4,673 | 4,650 | 3,929 | 3,789 |
| Model Design and Building | 2,770 | 2,564 | 2,674 | 2,770 | 1,359 |
| Motor Boating | 9,515 | 9,517 | 9,697 | 8,298 | 2,638 |
| Moviemaking | 10,851 | 9,262 | 9,416 | 9,738 | 5,779 |
| Music | 11,689 | 10,592 | 11,860 | 12,882 | 10,069 |
| Nature | 13,635 | 11,586 | 12,372 | 14,150 | 6,056 |
| Nuclear Science | 7,005 | 6,702 | 6,678 | 6,623 | 3,493 |
| Oceanography | 8,499 | 7,763 | 9,021 | 8,460 | 4,442 |
| Orienteering | 13,753 | 11,742 | 12,538 | 12,249 | 5,337 |
| Painting | 3,829 | 3,222 | 3,709 | 4,486 | 3,163 |
| Personal Fitness | 52,079 | 50,428 | 49,600 | 49,802 | 40,355 |
| Personal Management | 50,251 | 49,287 | 48,393 | 48,464 | 40,897 |
| Pets | 4,278 | 4,289 | 4,890 | 5,130 | 8,333 |
| Photography | 15,142 | 13,550 | 14,161 | 14,057 | 11,618 |
| Pioneering | 15,959 | 13,870 | 14,099 | 12,282 | 6,129 |
| Plant Science | 2,363 | 2,107 | 2,569 | 2,041 | 1,653 |
| Plumbing | 4,510 | 4,398 | 4,862 | 4,743 | 2,761 |
| Pottery | 8,230 | 7,940 | 7,890 | 8,566 | 2,842 |
| Programming | 4,085 | 4,138 | 4,723 | 4,717 | 4,473 |
| Public Health | 1,837 | 1,798 | 2,382 | 2,507 | 11,510 |
| Public Speaking | 7,497 | 7,035 | 7,250 | 6,695 | 5,570 |
| Pulp and Paper | 6,081 | 6,879 | 5,911 | 5,973 | 4,054 |
| Radio | 6,442 | 5,840 | 5,205 | 5,519 | 3,550 |
| Railroading | 6,599 | 6,663 | 6,728 | 6,818 | 4,105 |
| Reading | 3,574 | 3,524 | 3,873 | 4,495 | 5,635 |
| Reptile and Amphibian Study | 6,411 | 6,053 | 5,786 | 6,009 | 3,526 |
| Rifle Shooting | 41,444 | 37,796 | 37,695 | 34,049 | 11,081 |
| Robotics | 14,264 | 15,031 | 15,285 | 13,827 | 5,452 |
| Rowing | 9,408 | 8,239 | 8,377 | 7,189 | 2,118 |
| Safety | 4,267 | 3,280 | 3,322 | 3,208 | 6,305 |
| Salesmanship | 6,031 | 5,908 | 6,936 | 6,813 | 5,121 |
| Scholarship | 4,316 | 4,171 | 4,433 | 5,442 | 7,287 |
| Scouting Heritage | 5,266 | 5,916 | 5,901 | 6,285 | 6,517 |
| Scuba Diving | 1,792 | 1,842 | 2,036 | 1,912 | 1,323 |
| Sculpture | 8,900 | 8,715 | 8,212 | 9,383 | 3,188 |
| Search and Rescue | 10,361 | 10,107 | 10,107 | 9,764 | 4,082 |
| Shotgun Shooting | 20,912 | 19,703 | 20,241 | 18,576 | 5,631 |
| Signs, Signals, and Codes | 8,025 | 7,364 | 7,178 | 7,854 | 4,580 |
| Skating | 1,953 | 1,785 | 1,898 | 1,979 | 1,700 |
| Small Boat Sailing | 14,108 | 14,182 | 13,886 | 13,202 | 3,142 |
| Snow Sports | 7,177 | 7,267 | 6,961 | 7,375 | 5,860 |
| Soil and Water Conservation | 10,341 | 9,484 | 8,199 | 8,242 | 5,067 |
| Space Exploration | 20,137 | 18,994 | 19,574 | 18,432 | 8,750 |
| Sports | 7,626 | 6,556 | 6,594 | 6,133 | 3,557 |
| Stamp Collecting | 793 | 954 | 836 | 919 | 1,278 |
| Surveying | 1,028 | 863 | 1,065 | 987 | 603 |
| Sustainability | 6,813 | 7,295 | 7,192 | 7,328 | 8,477 |
| Swimming | 67,446 | 62,057 | 62,796 | 59,074 | 21,220 |
| Textile | 2,480 | 2,205 | 2,530 | 2,523 | 1,929 |
| Theater | 2,543 | 2,332 | 2,294 | 2,745 | 1,592 |
| Traffic Safety | 6,072 | 5,689 | 7,100 | 6,477 | 5,758 |
| Truck Transportation | 2,391 | 2,466 | 2,313 | 2,469 | 1,991 |
| Veterinary Medicine | 2,580 | 2,451 | 2,716 | 3,103 | 2,552 |
| Water Sports | 3,123 | 2,966 | 2,937 | 2,762 | 1,064 |
| Weather | 12,665 | 12,690 | 12,430 | 12,311 | 9,215 |
| Welding | 10,737 | 10,656 | 11,981 | 11,129 | 4,709 |
| Whitewater | 3,476 | 2,832 | 3,199 | 2,890 | 1,508 |
| Wilderness Survival | 35,221 | 30,814 | 29,392 | 25,863 | 11,604 |
| Wood Carving | 34,938 | 32,943 | 31,910 | 28,599 | 9,430 |
| Woodwork | 4,975 | 5,212 | 4,939 | 4,503 | 3,066 |
Note: Computers was discontinued in 2014, and Cinematography became Moviemaking in 2013. Scouts who started these merit badges before the change were allowed to finish them as long as they did so before turning 18.
Lifetime rankings from 1911 to 2020
Two notes:
- This list includes only merit badges that could be earned in 2020. Sorry, but that means the Taxidermy merit badge (and these other discontinued merit badges) didn’t make the cut.
- The rankings are interesting but don’t tell the whole story. A merit badge released more recently will rank lower than one of the original 1911 merit badges. My go-to example of this is the Home Repairs merit badge. It’s No. 18 lifetime but was released in 1943. The Chess merit badge was about 4.5 times more popular in 2020, but it has only been around since 2011.
| Rank | Merit Badge | Lifetime |
| 1 | First Aid | 7,370,988 |
| 2 | Swimming | 6,659,181 |
| 3 | Camping | 4,954,170 |
| 4 | Cooking | 4,648,594 |
| 5 | Citizenship in the Community | 3,753,138 |
| 6 | Citizenship in the Nation | 3,517,139 |
| 7 | Canoeing | 3,166,116 |
| 8 | Lifesaving | 3,150,759 |
| 9 | Environmental Science | 3,016,109 |
| 10 | Safety | 2,959,333 |
| 11 | Personal Fitness | 2,793,990 |
| 12 | Fire Safety | 2,675,073 |
| 13 | Leatherwork | 2,637,286 |
| 14 | Citizenship in the World | 2,593,491 |
| 15 | Basketry | 2,523,871 |
| 16 | Pioneering | 2,492,888 |
| 17 | Wood Carving | 2,462,368 |
| 18 | Home Repairs | 2,435,429 |
| 19 | Communication | 2,352,069 |
| 20 | Fishing | 2,126,476 |
| 21 | Personal Management | 2,100,383 |
| 22 | Emergency Preparedness | 2,082,381 |
| 23 | Fingerprinting | 1,891,477 |
| 24 | Wilderness Survival | 1,805,803 |
| 25 | Archery | 1,797,351 |
| 26 | Rowing | 1,763,164 |
| 27 | Nature | 1,737,920 |
| 28 | Public Health | 1,539,459 |
| 29 | Rifle Shooting | 1,533,240 |
| 30 | Reading | 1,508,324 |
| 31 | Family Life | 1,455,287 |
| 32 | Art | 1,436,561 |
| 33 | Music | 1,388,218 |
| 34 | Hiking | 1,370,957 |
| 35 | Scholarship | 1,307,274 |
| 36 | Mammal Study | 1,302,419 |
| 37 | Indian Lore | 1,292,119 |
| 38 | Forestry | 1,213,719 |
| 39 | Metalwork | 1,202,235 |
| 40 | Sports | 1,184,127 |
| 41 | Soil and Water Conservation | 1,174,015 |
| 42 | Athletics | 1,081,697 |
| 43 | Woodwork | 999,863 |
| 44 | Orienteering | 888,402 |
| 45 | Electricity | 859,444 |
| 46 | Geology | 747,259 |
| 47 | Astronomy | 727,495 |
| 48 | Small Boat Sailing | 725,921 |
| 49 | Fish & Wildlife Management | 718,006 |
| 50 | Horsemanship | 693,845 |
| 51 | Pets | 690,228 |
| 52 | Aviation | 684,527 |
| 53 | Public Speaking | 684,343 |
| 54 | Reptile and Amphibian Study | 682,587 |
| 55 | Space Exploration | 667,365 |
| 56 | Weather | 651,891 |
| 57 | Motor Boating | 635,883 |
| 58 | Shotgun Shooting | 627,238 |
| 59 | Bird Study | 612,616 |
| 60 | Cycling | 610,301 |
| 61 | Photography | 590,968 |
| 62 | Painting | 584,778 |
| 63 | Coin Collecting | 524,111 |
| 64 | Computers | 521,329 |
| 65 | Climbing | 521,055 |
| 66 | Snow Sports | 493,109 |
| 67 | Dog Care | 449,515 |
| 68 | Pottery | 427,803 |
| 69 | Plumbing | 417,612 |
| 70 | Chemistry | 412,187 |
| 71 | Gardening | 397,570 |
| 72 | Stamp Collecting | 395,283 |
| 73 | Salesmanship | 362,051 |
| 74 | Sculpture | 350,848 |
| 75 | Oceanography | 336,423 |
| 76 | Railroading | 275,919 |
| 77 | Water Sports | 266,295 |
| 78 | Kayaking | 261,710 |
| 79 | Genealogy | 261,683 |
| 80 | Electronics | 259,193 |
| 81 | Chess | 239,164 |
| 82 | Architecture | 237,322 |
| 83 | Model Design and Building | 235,108 |
| 84 | Farm Mechanics | 233,871 |
| 85 | Backpacking | 233,724 |
| 86 | Drafting | 231,905 |
| 87 | Automotive Maintenance | 225,956 |
| 88 | Law | 218,325 |
| 89 | Engineering | 213,737 |
| 90 | Nuclear Science | 210,965 |
| 91 | Radio | 205,747 |
| 92 | Traffic Safety | 194,271 |
| 93 | American Heritage | 192,552 |
| 94 | Archaeology | 192,293 |
| 95 | Golf | 185,837 |
| 96 | Skating | 184,647 |
| 97 | Insect Study | 180,460 |
| 98 | Crime Prevention | 174,749 |
| 99 | Bugling | 172,979 |
| 100 | Collections | 168,524 |
| 101 | Textile | 157,902 |
| 102 | Surveying | 157,073 |
| 103 | Disabilities Awareness | 156,539 |
| 104 | Dentistry | 152,381 |
| 105 | Truck Transportation | 151,364 |
| 106 | Pulp and Paper | 150,884 |
| 107 | Geocaching | 149,929 |
| 108 | Robotics | 123,337 |
| 109 | Journalism | 113,468 |
| 110 | Cinematography | 106,448 |
| 111 | Whitewater | 105,245 |
| 112 | Theater | 97,833 |
| 113 | Energy | 96,783 |
| 114 | Medicine | 94,597 |
| 115 | Game Design | 92,506 |
| 116 | Veterinary Medicine | 92,251 |
| 117 | Landscape Architecture | 90,412 |
| 118 | Welding | 86,233 |
| 119 | Animal Science | 83,893 |
| 120 | American Cultures | 83,032 |
| 121 | Search and Rescue | 79,782 |
| 122 | Graphic Arts | 69,365 |
| 123 | Scouting Heritage | 62,290 |
| 124 | American Business | 61,953 |
| 125 | Moviemaking | 61,305 |
| 126 | Plant Science | 58,456 |
| 127 | Digital Technology | 54,274 |
| 128 | Fly Fishing | 52,650 |
| 129 | Sustainability | 49,748 |
| 130 | Entrepreneurship | 42,254 |
| 131 | Signs, Signals, and Codes | 38,454 |
| 132 | American Labor | 29,926 |
| 133 | Animation | 29,817 |
| 134 | Mining in Society | 29,397 |
| 135 | Inventing | 29,178 |
| 136 | Programming | 29,163 |
| 137 | Scuba Diving | 24,100 |
| 138 | Composite Materials | 22,472 |
| 139 | Exploration | 10,012 |
Every merit badge ranked by its percent change from 2019 to 2020
Life has its ups and downs. So do merit badges.
| Merit Badge | 2019 | 2020 | Percent change |
| Public Health | 2,507 | 11,510 | 359% |
| American Business | 1,468 | 4,967 | 238% |
| Safety | 3,208 | 6,305 | 97% |
| Gardening | 1,440 | 2,782 | 93% |
| Pets | 5,130 | 8,333 | 62% |
| Collections | 4,060 | 6,429 | 58% |
| Genealogy | 4,096 | 6,020 | 47% |
| American Labor | 1,298 | 1,892 | 46% |
| Stamp Collecting | 919 | 1,278 | 39% |
| Scholarship | 5,442 | 7,287 | 34% |
| Dog Care | 3,151 | 4,136 | 31% |
| Reading | 4,495 | 5,635 | 25% |
| Digital Technology | 7,096 | 8,812 | 24% |
| American Heritage | 5,454 | 6,700 | 23% |
| Journalism | 1,283 | 1,516 | 18% |
| Sustainability | 7,328 | 8,477 | 16% |
| Home Repairs | 3,193 | 3,442 | 8% |
| Disabilities Awareness | 5,933 | 6,334 | 7% |
| Bugling | 453 | 476 | 5% |
| Law | 5,681 | 5,962 | 5% |
| Scouting Heritage | 6,285 | 6,517 | 4% |
| Family Life | 47,788 | 48,408 | 1% |
| Landscape Architecture | 1,395 | 1,400 | 0% |
| Mining in Society | 3,929 | 3,789 | -4% |
| Entrepreneurship | 3,410 | 3,284 | -4% |
| Coin Collecting | 4,822 | 4,639 | -4% |
| Cycling | 5,503 | 5,247 | -5% |
| Programming | 4,717 | 4,473 | -5% |
| American Cultures | 3,089 | 2,906 | -6% |
| Citizenship in the Community | 46,750 | 41,987 | -10% |
| Citizenship in the Nation | 48,182 | 43,247 | -10% |
| Traffic Safety | 6,477 | 5,758 | -11% |
| Medicine | 3,758 | 3,278 | -13% |
| Hiking | 6,865 | 5,977 | -13% |
| Crime Prevention | 6,517 | 5,628 | -14% |
| Skating | 1,979 | 1,700 | -14% |
| Personal Management | 48,464 | 40,897 | -16% |
| Citizenship in the World | 50,700 | 42,738 | -16% |
| Public Speaking | 6,695 | 5,570 | -17% |
| Photography | 14,057 | 11,618 | -17% |
| Veterinary Medicine | 3,103 | 2,552 | -18% |
| Personal Fitness | 49,802 | 40,355 | -19% |
| Plant Science | 2,041 | 1,653 | -19% |
| Truck Transportation | 2,469 | 1,991 | -19% |
| Golf | 2,959 | 2,369 | -20% |
| Snow Sports | 7,375 | 5,860 | -21% |
| Energy | 2,727 | 2,162 | -21% |
| Dentistry | 2,433 | 1,924 | -21% |
| Music | 12,882 | 10,069 | -22% |
| Textile | 2,523 | 1,929 | -24% |
| Communication | 48,117 | 36,675 | -24% |
| Drafting | 1,364 | 1,026 | -25% |
| Salesmanship | 6,813 | 5,121 | -25% |
| Weather | 12,311 | 9,215 | -25% |
| Cooking | 49,039 | 36,473 | -26% |
| Composite Materials | 1,383 | 1,011 | -27% |
| Insect Study | 2,392 | 1,734 | -28% |
| Fire Safety | 11,045 | 7,918 | -28% |
| Painting | 4,486 | 3,163 | -29% |
| Bird Study | 5,629 | 3,950 | -30% |
| Graphic Arts | 3,178 | 2,228 | -30% |
| Scuba Diving | 1,912 | 1,323 | -31% |
| Woodwork | 4,503 | 3,066 | -32% |
| Architecture | 4,016 | 2,734 | -32% |
| Pulp and Paper | 5,973 | 4,054 | -32% |
| Automotive Maintenance | 10,489 | 7,108 | -32% |
| Animal Science | 4,155 | 2,778 | -33% |
| Electricity | 9,383 | 6,235 | -34% |
| Radio | 5,519 | 3,550 | -36% |
| Engineering | 12,184 | 7,800 | -36% |
| Emergency Preparedness | 39,022 | 24,733 | -37% |
| Animation | 7,193 | 4,445 | -38% |
| Soil and Water Conservation | 8,242 | 5,067 | -39% |
| Surveying | 987 | 603 | -39% |
| Chemistry | 11,745 | 7,166 | -39% |
| Art | 23,074 | 13,953 | -40% |
| Railroading | 6,818 | 4,105 | -40% |
| Chess | 25,999 | 15,454 | -41% |
| Moviemaking | 9,738 | 5,779 | -41% |
| Reptile and Amphibian Study | 6,009 | 3,526 | -41% |
| Signs, Signals, and Codes | 7,854 | 4,580 | -42% |
| Camping | 52,328 | 30,490 | -42% |
| Plumbing | 4,743 | 2,761 | -42% |
| Sports | 6,133 | 3,557 | -42% |
| Theater | 2,745 | 1,592 | -42% |
| Fishing | 23,589 | 13,601 | -42% |
| Farm Mechanics | 2,500 | 1,424 | -43% |
| Aviation | 14,227 | 8,064 | -43% |
| Electronics | 7,204 | 4,063 | -44% |
| Inventing | 3,259 | 1,833 | -44% |
| Athletics | 2,844 | 1,557 | -45% |
| Game Design | 14,424 | 7,740 | -46% |
| Indian Lore | 13,530 | 7,240 | -46% |
| Nuclear Science | 6,623 | 3,493 | -47% |
| Oceanography | 8,460 | 4,442 | -47% |
| Whitewater | 2,890 | 1,508 | -48% |
| Basketry | 14,216 | 7,388 | -48% |
| Fingerprinting | 36,510 | 18,898 | -48% |
| Geocaching | 11,271 | 5,811 | -48% |
| Environmental Science | 46,202 | 23,571 | -49% |
| First Aid | 62,352 | 31,636 | -49% |
| Horsemanship | 9,515 | 4,798 | -50% |
| Pioneering | 12,282 | 6,129 | -50% |
| Model Design and Building | 2,770 | 1,359 | -51% |
| Fly Fishing | 5,005 | 2,439 | -51% |
| Space Exploration | 18,432 | 8,750 | -53% |
| Exploration | 3,107 | 1,464 | -53% |
| Archaeology | 5,722 | 2,671 | -53% |
| Geology | 16,041 | 7,484 | -53% |
| Fish & Wildlife Management | 10,676 | 4,874 | -54% |
| Astronomy | 16,473 | 7,474 | -55% |
| Wilderness Survival | 25,863 | 11,604 | -55% |
| Mammal Study | 17,799 | 7,845 | -56% |
| Orienteering | 12,249 | 5,337 | -56% |
| Canoeing | 22,734 | 9,853 | -57% |
| Nature | 14,150 | 6,056 | -57% |
| Welding | 11,129 | 4,709 | -58% |
| Search and Rescue | 9,764 | 4,082 | -58% |
| Climbing | 17,305 | 7,228 | -58% |
| Forestry | 10,299 | 4,269 | -59% |
| Backpacking | 4,079 | 1,640 | -60% |
| Kayaking | 28,093 | 11,083 | -61% |
| Robotics | 13,827 | 5,452 | -61% |
| Water Sports | 2,762 | 1,064 | -61% |
| Swimming | 59,074 | 21,220 | -64% |
| Leatherwork | 31,397 | 10,855 | -65% |
| Sculpture | 9,383 | 3,188 | -66% |
| Metalwork | 12,586 | 4,273 | -66% |
| Pottery | 8,566 | 2,842 | -67% |
| Wood Carving | 28,599 | 9,430 | -67% |
| Archery | 31,934 | 10,487 | -67% |
| Rifle Shooting | 34,049 | 11,081 | -67% |
| Motor Boating | 8,298 | 2,638 | -68% |
| Shotgun Shooting | 18,576 | 5,631 | -70% |
| Lifesaving | 19,444 | 5,842 | -70% |
| Rowing | 7,189 | 2,118 | -71% |
| Small Boat Sailing | 13,202 | 3,142 | -76% |
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