How many earthquakes are recorded worldwide each year?
Seismographs recorded 8,556 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more around the world in 2025, nearly three times the 2,987 of 1973, when the U.S. Geological Survey's modern catalog begins. Much of that rise comes from more and better sensors catching smaller quakes, not from more earthquakes: the count of magnitude 6 or more has stayed between about 80 and 210 a year.
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Source and date
- Data as of
- Published
The data
| Year | Earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more |
|---|---|
| 1973 | 2,987 |
| 1974 | 3,059 |
| 1975 | 3,313 |
| 1976 | 3,596 |
| 1977 | 3,580 |
| 1978 | 3,307 |
| 1979 | 3,288 |
| 1980 | 3,485 |
| 1981 | 3,261 |
| 1982 | 3,539 |
| 1983 | 4,093 |
| 1984 | 4,083 |
| 1985 | 4,549 |
| 1986 | 4,505 |
| 1987 | 3,986 |
| 1988 | 3,983 |
| 1989 | 3,992 |
| 1990 | 4,418 |
| 1991 | 4,089 |
| 1992 | 4,388 |
| 1993 | 4,188 |
| 1994 | 4,198 |
| 1995 | 4,694 |
| 1996 | 4,671 |
| 1997 | 4,588 |
| 1998 | 3,801 |
| 1999 | 4,067 |
| 2000 | 5,010 |
| 2001 | 4,680 |
| 2002 | 4,963 |
| 2003 | 5,135 |
| 2004 | 6,183 |
| 2005 | 7,878 |
| 2006 | 7,075 |
| 2007 | 7,274 |
| 2008 | 6,307 |
| 2009 | 6,053 |
| 2010 | 7,214 |
| 2011 | 9,584 |
| 2012 | 7,188 |
| 2013 | 7,209 |
| 2014 | 8,333 |
| 2015 | 7,153 |
| 2016 | 7,438 |
| 2017 | 6,371 |
| 2018 | 7,509 |
| 2019 | 7,211 |
| 2020 | 6,510 |
| 2021 | 8,959 |
| 2022 | 7,765 |
| 2023 | 7,643 |
| 2024 | 6,397 |
| 2025 | 8,556 |