From the ARRL web site dated 1/15/13:
snippet:
"...The number of radio amateurs in the US reached an all-time high of almost 710,000. “2012 was definitely a banner year for the number of Amateur Radio operators here in the US..." December 1971: 285,000
December 1981: 433,000
December 1991: 494,000
December 2001: 683,000
December 2012: 709,500
For the complete story, details, charts, etc., go here:
http://www.arrl.org/news/2012-marks-all-time-high-for-amateur-radio-licensesI wonder how many went into broadcasting. I wonder how many can use a spell checker, proper grammar, and punctuation. I wonder.....