From the ARRL web site dated 4/11/12:
"The first quarter of 2012 (January-March) saw a high level of Amateur Radio license exam sessions, producing an elevated influx of applications for new licensees....these numbers outpaced the 2011 first quarter results by 30 percent. This uptick does not only apply to new applications; there was a 6 percent increase in the number of upgrades, too...Now there are more than 704,000 radio amateurs in the US.”
For the full story, go here:
http://www.arrl.org/news/2012-continues-to-show-growth-in-amateur-radio-licensing
