Originally posted at Bryan On Scouting blog by Bryan Wendell
The 52,328 young people who earned Camping in 2019 accounted for a 5% increase over 2018’s total.
Still, that wasn’t enough to unseat the First Aid merit badge, which extended its reign at No. 1 to five years. Camping also couldn’t pass the Swimming merit badge, which picked up the silver medal.
2019 was a big year for the American Business and Backpacking merit badges, too. The pair saw their earn totals skyrocket by 166% and 78%, respectively. The news wasn’t so great for the Plant Science merit badge (down 21%) or Dentistry merit badge (down 22%), however.
Let’s take a deep dive into the complete list — from 2019’s most popular merit badge to its rarest.
The actual top 10
Each merit badge in 2019’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 | 2019 earned |
| 1 | First Aid | 62,352 |
| 2 | Swimming | 59,074 |
| 3 | Camping | 52,328 |
| 4 | Citizenship in the World | 50,700 |
| 5 | Personal Fitness | 49,802 |
| 6 | Cooking | 49,039 |
| 7 | Personal Management | 48,464 |
| 8 | Citizenship in the Nation | 48,182 |
| 9 | Communication | 48,117 |
| 10 | Family Life | 47,788 |
….
The bottom 10
The list excludes Computers (replaced by Digital Technology in 2014), even though 72 Scouts earned the Computers merit badge in 2019.
How is it possible to earn a discontinued merit badge? According to the Guide to Advancement, once a Scout starts working on a merit badge, there’s no time limit for finishing — other than the Scout’s 18th birthday. As long as a Scout began working on the Computers MB by Dec. 31, 2014, and hadn’t turned 18, he could earn the badge in 2019.
Is one of your favorite merit badges in the list below? If so, don’t get sad! Get going. Offer to serve as a merit badge counselor and breathe new life into one of the lesser-earned badges. Then come back to check the 2020 list next year and see how you did.
| Rank | Merit Badge | 2019 earned |
| 128 | American Business | 1,468 |
| 129 | Gardening | 1,440 |
| 130 | Landscape Architecture | 1,395 |
| 131 | Composite Materials | 1,383 |
| 132 | Drafting | 1,364 |
| 133 | American Labor | 1,298 |
| 134 | Journalism | 1,283 |
| 135 | Surveying | 987 |
| 136 | Stamp Collecting | 919 |
| 137 | Bugling | 453 |
As always Bryan Wendell has an excellent and well-researched article that shouldn’t be missed. Read it in its entirety here…
