The world's 50 strongest earthquakes
The 50 strongest earthquakes recorded in the world since 1900, all above magnitude 8. The strongest is the Valdivia earthquake in Chile on 22 May 1960, at magnitude 9.5. Data from USGS.
| No. | Magnitude | Place | Date | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9.5 | Valdivia, Chile – The Great Chilean earthquake. The strongest earthquake ever recorded. Triggered a tsunami across the entire Pacific. | 22 May 1960 | 5,700 |
| 2 | 9.2 | Prince William Sound, Alaska – The Great Alaska (Good Friday) earthquake. The strongest recorded earthquake in North America. Caused massive tsunamis and landslides. | 28 March 1964 | 131 |
| 3 | 9.1 | Sumatra–Andaman Islands, Indonesia – Triggered the deadliest tsunami in history, with waves hitting 14 countries. More than 227,000 people died. | 26 December 2004 | 227,898 |
| 4 | 9.1 | Tōhoku, Japan – The Great East Japan earthquake. Triggered a massive tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear disaster. | 11 March 2011 | 19,759 |
| 5 | 9 | Kamchatka, Russia – Powerful earthquake off the Kamchatka Peninsula. Triggered a Pacific tsunami, but no confirmed deaths on land. | 4 November 1952 | – |
| 6 | 8.8 | Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia – Powerful earthquake off Kamchatka in 2025. Tsunami warnings were issued for the Pacific. | 29 July 2025 | – |
| 7 | 8.8 | Ecuador–Colombia – Powerful earthquake along the coast of Ecuador. Triggered a tsunami that killed an estimated 500–1,500 people. | 31 January 1906 | 1,000 |
| 8 | 8.8 | Maule, Chile – Powerful earthquake in Chile. Triggered a tsunami and caused widespread destruction. | 27 February 2010 | 525 |
| 9 | 8.7 | Western Aleutian Islands, Alaska – Powerful earthquake in the Aleutians. Triggered a local tsunami, but no recorded deaths. | 4 February 1965 | – |
| 10 | 8.6 | Unimak Island, Alaska – Triggered a tsunami that struck Hawaii and killed 165 people, including in Hilo. | 1 April 1946 | 165 |
| 11 | 8.6 | Assam–Tibet – One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded on land. Caused enormous landslides. | 15 August 1950 | 4,000 |
| 12 | 8.6 | Wharton Basin, Indian Ocean – Powerful earthquake in the Indian Ocean. A tsunami warning was issued, but the waves were minimal. | 11 April 2012 | 10 |
| 13 | 8.6 | Nias, Indonesia – Powerful earthquake off Sumatra, two months after the 2004 tsunami disaster. | 28 March 2005 | 1,313 |
| 14 | 8.6 | Atka, Alaska – Powerful earthquake in the Aleutians. Triggered a Pacific tsunami with no recorded deaths. | 9 March 1957 | – |
| 15 | 8.5 | Atacama, Chile – Powerful earthquake along the Chilean coast. Triggered a tsunami that killed hundreds. | 11 November 1922 | 700 |
| 16 | 8.5 | 1938 Banda Sea Earthquake | 1 February 1938 | – |
| 17 | 8.5 | Kuril Islands, Russia – Powerful earthquake near the Kuril Islands. A tsunami warning was issued for the Pacific. | 13 October 1963 | – |
| 18 | 8.4 | 1923 Kamchatka, Russia Earthquake | 3 February 1923 | – |
| 19 | 8.4 | Arequipa, Peru – Powerful earthquake along the coast of Peru. Triggered a local tsunami. | 23 June 2001 | 138 |
| 20 | 8.4 | Sanriku, Japan – Powerful earthquake off the Sanriku coast. Triggered a tsunami that killed more than 3,000 people. | 2 March 1933 | 3,064 |
| 21 | 8.4 | Bengkulu, Indonesia – Powerful earthquake off Sumatra. A tsunami warning was issued. | 12 September 2007 | 25 |
| 22 | 8.33 | The 1905 Bulnay (Bolnai), Mongolia Earthquake | 23 July 1905 | – |
| 23 | 8.3 | 1918 Mindanao, Philippines Earthquake | 15 August 1918 | – |
| 24 | 8.3 | Illapel, Chile – Powerful earthquake in Chile. Triggered a tsunami and the evacuation of coastal areas. | 16 September 2015 | 13 |
| 25 | 8.3 | Kuril Islands, Russia – Powerful earthquake near the Kuril Islands. A tsunami warning was issued for the Pacific. | 15 November 2006 | – |
| 26 | 8.3 | 1906 Western Aleutian Islands (Hawadax/Rat Islands) Earthquake | 17 August 1906 | – |
| 27 | 8.3 | 1958 Kuril Islands Earthquake | 6 November 1958 | – |
| 28 | 8.3 | Nankaidō, Japan – Powerful earthquake along the Japanese coast. Triggered a tsunami that killed more than 1,300 people. | 20 December 1946 | 1,362 |
| 29 | 8.3 | Sumba, Indonesia – Powerful earthquake near Sumba. Triggered a local tsunami. | 19 August 1977 | 189 |
| 30 | 8.3 | Shikotan, Russia – Powerful earthquake near the Kuril Islands. Triggered a local tsunami. | 4 October 1994 | 16 |
| 31 | 8.3 | Sea of Okhotsk, Russia – Deep earthquake in the Sea of Okhotsk. Felt across large parts of Russia and Asia. | 24 May 2013 | – |
| 32 | 8.23 | 1920 Hualien, Taiwan Earthquake | 5 June 1920 | – |
| 33 | 8.23 | 1938 Semidi Islands, Alaska Earthquake | 10 November 1938 | – |
| 34 | 8.2 | Chignik, Alaska – Powerful earthquake off Alaska. A tsunami warning was issued, but the waves were minimal. | 29 July 2021 | – |
| 35 | 8.2 | 1969 Hokkaido Toho-oki Earthquake | 11 August 1969 | – |
| 36 | 8.2 | 1917 Kermadec Islands, New Zealand Earthquake | 1 May 1917 | – |
| 37 | 8.2 | 21 km SE of Huacho, Peru | 24 May 1940 | – |
| 38 | 8.2 | The 1906 Valparaiso, Chile Earthquake | 17 August 1906 | – |
| 39 | 8.2 | 1968 Tokachi-Oki Earthquake | 16 May 1968 | – |
| 40 | 8.2 | 121 km SSE of San Pedro de Atacama, Chile | 9 December 1950 | – |
| 41 | 8.2 | 1965 Ceram Sea Earthquake | 24 January 1965 | – |
| 42 | 8.2 | The 1907 Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami | 4 January 1907 | – |
| 43 | 8.2 | Bolivia – Very deep earthquake in Bolivia. One of the strongest deep earthquakes ever recorded. | 9 June 1994 | 10 |
| 44 | 8.2 | Fiji – Deep earthquake beneath Fiji. Felt across much of the Pacific region. | 19 August 2018 | – |
| 45 | 8.2 | Tehuantepec, Mexico – Powerful earthquake off Mexico's Pacific coast. A tsunami warning was issued. | 8 September 2017 | 98 |
| 46 | 8.2 | Wharton Basin, Indian Ocean – Powerful earthquake in the Indian Ocean. A tsunami warning was issued, but the waves were minimal. | 11 April 2012 | 10 |
| 47 | 8.2 | Iquique, Chile – Powerful earthquake off northern Chile. A tsunami warning was issued. | 1 April 2014 | 6 |
| 48 | 8.16 | Tokachi-oki, Japan – Powerful earthquake off Hokkaido. Caused damage and a small tsunami. | 25 September 2003 | – |
| 49 | 8.15 | 1914 Biak Earthquake | 26 May 1914 | – |
| 50 | 8.15 | 1919 Papua New Guinea Earthquake | 6 May 1919 | – |