Merck & Co (MRK) Dividend History
DivTrkr holds 224 recorded MRK dividend payments, running from June 2, 1970 to June 15, 2026 — 57 calendar years. Together those payments total $60.68 per share. MRK has most often paid quarterly.
MRK has increased its payment rate for 14 consecutive complete years.
Over the last five complete years the MRK payment rate compounded at +6.8% a year, and +6.6% a year over the last ten. That is what the payments actually did; it is not a forecast.
Across 57 years of recorded history, MRK's payment rate has never fallen materially from one complete year to the next.
MRK dividends by year
| Year | Total paid per share | Payments | Median payment | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3.28 | 4 | $0.810 | +5.2% |
| 2024 | $3.12 | 4 | $0.770 | +5.5% |
| 2023 | $2.96 | 4 | $0.730 | +5.8% |
| 2022 | $2.80 | 4 | $0.690 | +6.2% |
| 2021 | $2.61 | 4 | $0.650 | +11.7% |
| 2020 | $2.37 | 4 | $0.582 | +10.9% |
| 2019 | $2.16 | 4 | $0.525 | +14.6% |
| 2018 | $1.90 | 4 | $0.458 | +2.1% |
| 2017 | $1.80 | 4 | $0.448 | +2.2% |
| 2016 | $1.77 | 4 | $0.439 | +2.2% |
| 2015 | $1.73 | 4 | $0.429 | +2.3% |
| 2014 | $1.69 | 4 | $0.420 | +2.3% |
| 2013 | $1.65 | 4 | $0.410 | +2.4% |
| 2012 | $1.61 | 4 | $0.401 | +10.5% |
| 2011 | $1.49 | 4 | $0.363 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | $1.45 | 4 | $0.363 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | $1.45 | 4 | $0.363 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | $1.45 | 4 | $0.363 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | $1.45 | 4 | $0.363 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | $1.45 | 4 | $0.363 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | $1.45 | 4 | $0.363 | +1.3% |
| 2004 | $1.43 | 4 | $0.358 | — |
| 2003 | $4.14 | 5 (timing) | $0.353 | — |
| 2002 | $1.35 | 4 | $0.339 | +2.9% |
| 2001 | $1.32 | 4 | $0.329 | +9.5% |
| 2000 | $1.20 | 4 | $0.301 | +12.5% |
| 1999 | $1.07 | 4 | $0.267 | +13.1% |
| 1998 | $0.945 | 4 | $0.236 | +13.8% |
| 1997 | $0.830 | 4 | $0.208 | +17.6% |
| 1996 | $0.706 | 4 | $0.177 | +15.6% |
| 1995 | $0.611 | 4 | $0.153 | +10.3% |
| 1994 | $0.553 | 4 | $0.138 | +9.4% |
| 1993 | $0.506 | 4 | $0.126 | +10.4% |
| 1992 | $0.458 | 4 | $0.115 | +21.0% |
| 1991 | $0.379 | 4 | $0.0946 | +17.8% |
| 1990 | $0.321 | 4 | $0.0803 | +17.4% |
| 1989 | $0.274 | 4 | $0.0684 | +34.4% |
| 1988 | $0.208 | 4 | $0.0509 | +42.2% |
| 1987 | $0.143 | 4 | $0.0358 | +35.0% |
| 1986 | $0.106 | 4 | $0.0265 | +25.0% |
| 1985 | $0.0875 | 4 | $0.0212 | +6.7% |
| 1984 | $0.0808 | 4 | $0.0199 | +7.1% |
| 1983 | $0.0755 | 4 | $0.0186 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | $0.0742 | 4 | $0.0186 | +7.7% |
| 1981 | $0.0702 | 4 | $0.0172 | +13.0% |
| 1980 | $0.0630 | 4 | $0.0152 | +21.1% |
| 1979 | $0.0530 | 4 | $0.0126 | +11.8% |
| 1978 | $0.0464 | 4 | $0.0113 | +13.3% |
| 1977 | $0.0411 | 4 | $0.0099 | +7.1% |
| 1976 | $0.0378 | 4 | $0.0093 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | $0.0371 | 4 | $0.0093 | — |
| 1974 | $0.0278 | 3 (timing) | $0.0093 | — |
| 1973 | $0.0327 | 4 | $0.0078 | — |
| 1972 | $0.0224 | 3 (timing) | $0.0073 | — |
| 1971 | $0.0292 | 4 | $0.0073 | — |
| 1970 | $0.0205 | 3 (timing) | $0.0066 | — |
How this growth is measured
Year-over-year growth here compares each year's median payment with the year before, not the calendar-year total. Ex-dividend dates drift, so a quarterly payer can book five ex-dates in one calendar year and four in the next. Comparing raw yearly totals would show a phantom cut of around 25% in a year where the company did nothing but pay slightly earlier. Using the median payment removes that distortion, and also ignores one-off special dividends.
Years marked “timing” booked a different number of payments than MRK's usual cadence, so their total is not directly comparable with neighbouring years.
Recent MRK dividend payments
| Ex-dividend date | Amount per share |
|---|---|
| June 15, 2026 | $0.850 |
| March 16, 2026 | $0.850 |
| December 15, 2025 | $0.850 |
| September 15, 2025 | $0.810 |
| June 16, 2025 | $0.810 |
| March 17, 2025 | $0.810 |
| December 16, 2024 | $0.810 |
| September 16, 2024 | $0.770 |
| June 17, 2024 | $0.770 |
| March 14, 2024 | $0.770 |
| December 14, 2023 | $0.770 |
| September 14, 2023 | $0.730 |
| June 14, 2023 | $0.730 |
| March 14, 2023 | $0.730 |
| December 14, 2022 | $0.730 |
| September 14, 2022 | $0.690 |
| June 14, 2022 | $0.690 |
| March 14, 2022 | $0.690 |
| December 14, 2021 | $0.690 |
| September 14, 2021 | $0.650 |
| June 14, 2021 | $0.650 |
| March 12, 2021 | $0.620 |
| December 14, 2020 | $0.620 |
| September 14, 2020 | $0.582 |
| June 12, 2020 | $0.582 |
| March 13, 2020 | $0.582 |
| December 13, 2019 | $0.582 |
| September 13, 2019 | $0.525 |
| June 14, 2019 | $0.525 |
| March 14, 2019 | $0.525 |
| December 14, 2018 | $0.525 |
| September 14, 2018 | $0.458 |
| June 14, 2018 | $0.458 |
| March 14, 2018 | $0.458 |
| December 14, 2017 | $0.458 |
| September 14, 2017 | $0.448 |
| June 13, 2017 | $0.448 |
| March 13, 2017 | $0.448 |
| December 13, 2016 | $0.448 |
| September 13, 2016 | $0.439 |
| June 13, 2016 | $0.439 |
| March 11, 2016 | $0.439 |
| December 11, 2015 | $0.439 |
| September 11, 2015 | $0.429 |
| June 11, 2015 | $0.429 |
| March 12, 2015 | $0.429 |
| December 11, 2014 | $0.429 |
| September 11, 2014 | $0.420 |
| June 12, 2014 | $0.420 |
| March 13, 2014 | $0.420 |
| December 12, 2013 | $0.420 |
| September 12, 2013 | $0.410 |
| June 13, 2013 | $0.410 |
| March 13, 2013 | $0.410 |
| December 13, 2012 | $0.410 |
| September 13, 2012 | $0.401 |
| June 13, 2012 | $0.401 |
| March 13, 2012 | $0.401 |
| December 13, 2011 | $0.401 |
| September 13, 2011 | $0.363 |
Showing the 60 most recent of 224 recorded payments. The full log is on the page.
MRK dividend history questions
How many dividends has MRK paid?
DivTrkr has 224 recorded MRK dividend payments between June 2, 1970 and June 15, 2026, totalling $60.68 per share across 57 calendar years.
Has MRK ever cut its dividend?
Not in the history DivTrkr holds. Across 57 years of recorded payments the per-payment rate has never fallen by a material amount from one complete year to the next.
How fast is the MRK dividend growing?
The MRK payment rate compounded at +6.8% a year over the last five complete years and +6.6% a year over the last ten.
How often does MRK pay a dividend?
MRK has most often paid quarterly — 4 payments a year. Individual years can show a different count when an ex-date drifts across a year boundary.
See the current MRK dividend yield and next ex-dividend date, or track MRK free with DivTrkr to see what this history pays on your own share count.