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Country profile · USGS ComCat

Earthquakes in Albania

Albania has catalogued 273 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 52nd of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M6.6.

Albania ranks 52nd of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a moderately seismically active country, averaging about 13 M4+ events a year alongside 7 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. The M6+ record here is thin - 7 events in all, so a single quake moves every figure on this page.

273
M4+ events (since 2005)
7
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M6.6
Strongest
~13
M4+ per year

The verdict

Albania is moderately seismically active, above the global median, with 273 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 7 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 6.6.

1905
busiest year (1 major events)
19 km
average recorded event depth
100%
of events are shallow (<70 km, the most damaging kind)

Average catalogued magnitude is 4.4 - most events are moderate M4-5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage. On the M4+ activity ladder Australia sits immediately above at 285 events and Honduras sits immediately below at 269.

Where Albania sits in the catalog

Rank 52nd of 187 tracked countries (72th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Australia sits immediately above at 285 events and Honduras sits immediately below at 269.

Albania's M4+ count vs. every tracked country

Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat

273 Top 28% higher than 72% of 187 countries

0–500: 143 countries (76%). This entry sits in this band. 500–1,000: 11 countries (6%). Above this entry. 1,000–1,500: 5 countries (3%). Above this entry. 1,500–2,000: 5 countries (3%). Above this entry. 2,000–2,500: 1 countries (1%). Above this entry. 2,500–3,000: 1 countries (1%). Above this entry. 3,000–3,500: 2 countries (1%). Above this entry. 3,500–4,000: 1 countries (1%). Above this entry. 4,000–4,500: 3 countries (2%). Above this entry. 4,500–5,000: 3 countries (2%). Above this entry. 5,000–5,500: 12 countries (6%). Above this entry. Albania 0 5,000+ every tracked country, bucketed by value

Each bar is a 500-wide band; taller bars hold more countries. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) · 2005-present

How Albania compares to its nearest peers

Albania ranks in the 72th percentile for M4+ frequency among all 187 tracked countries. Plotted here against its 20 nearest-ranked peers by how OFTEN they shake (M4+ count) against how HARD the strongest one ever hit (max recorded magnitude).

Albania vs. its 20 nearest-ranked peer countries, USGS ComCat 2×2 strategic matrix plotting 21 entities by M4+ events since 2005 (X) and Strongest recorded magnitude (Y), with a crosshair dividing the plot into four quadrants. Frequent and severeRare but severeFrequent, capped so farLower on both axes 100200300400500600700 M5M5.5M6M6.5M7M7.5M8 M4+ events since 2005 Strongest recorded magnitude
Albania vs. its 20 nearest-ranked peer countries, USGS ComCat
Read the chart (all 21 values)
Country M4+ events Strongest magnitude
Italy 609 M6.6
Ethiopia 574 M5.9
Venezuela 531 M7.5
Dominican Republic 489 M5.8
Svalbard and Jan Mayen 434 M6.8
Portugal 423 M6.3
Tanzania 368 M6.0
Yemen 338 M6.6
Somalia 332 M5.8
Australia 285 M6.6
Albania (this page) 273 M6.4
Honduras 269 M7.5
Djibouti 260 M5.5
Algeria 245 M6.0
Mayotte 232 M5.9
Haiti 217 M7.2
MX 202 M5.8
Mongolia 196 M6.7
South Africa 191 M5.4
Morocco 187 M6.8
Iraq 185 M7.3

Major (M6+) earthquakes in Albania by year

Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year

Value

What this shows Albania's most active year for major earthquakes was 1905 (1 M6+ events). Major-quake counts are irregular, they track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.

Source USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) As of 2005–present
0%100%0.4%
Share of Albania's M4+ catalog that reached significant M6+ severity

1 of 273 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.

Magnitude distribution of major events

Breakdown of the 7 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Albania.

M6.0-6.9

7

100.0%

Depth of major earthquakes

Hypocentral depth of the 7 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 19 km.

Albania100%Shallow (<70 km)Intermediate (70-300 km)Deep (>300 km)
Depth distribution of Albania's M6+ events, USGS ComCat

Shallow (<70 km)

7

100.0% of events

Intermediate (70–300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Deep (>300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Strongest earthquakes in Albania

The 7 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).

Mag Location Depth
6.6 17 km NNW of Bilisht, Albania 15.0 km
6.4 15 km WSW of Mamurras, Albania 22.0 km
6.2 11 km SSW of Maliq, Albania 20.0 km
6.2 4 km ESE of Rrëshen, Albania 15.0 km
6.2 3 km SE of Tepelenë, Albania 15.0 km
6.2 9 km E of Lushnjë, Albania 20.0 km
6.1 4 km N of Patos, Albania 26.4 km

Significant earthquake record (7 events)

Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Albania since 1900, most recent first.

Mag Location Depth
6.4 15 km WSW of Mamurras, Albania 22.0 km
6.1 4 km N of Patos, Albania 26.4 km
6.2 11 km SSW of Maliq, Albania 20.0 km
6.2 9 km E of Lushnjë, Albania 20.0 km
6.2 3 km SE of Tepelenë, Albania 15.0 km
6.6 17 km NNW of Bilisht, Albania 15.0 km
6.2 4 km ESE of Rrëshen, Albania 15.0 km

Other countries in this catalog sample

A Albania-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.

Martinique

83 M4+ events · strongest M7.4

M7.4

Malawi

73 M4+ events · strongest M6.0

M6.0

Azerbaijan

169 M4+ events · strongest M5.6

M5.6

Guatemala

1,951 M4+ events · strongest M7.4

M7.4

Papua New Guinea

15,655 M4+ events · strongest M7.9

M7.9

India

4,086 M4+ events · strongest M7.5

M7.5

Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster

A second Albania-keyed shuffle of countries with a recorded max magnitude.

Croatia

65 M4+ events

M6.4

Samoa

116 M4+ events

M6.2

Kazakhstan

174 M4+ events

M6.1

Portugal

423 M4+ events

M6.3

Antigua and Barbuda

129 M4+ events

M6.6

Nicaragua

1,416 M4+ events

M6.6

Understand the data

Australia

Next more active on the M4+ ladder.

Honduras

Next less active on the M4+ ladder.

Country rankings

Every country by M4+ activity.

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in Albania? ▼
The USGS catalog records 273 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in Albania since 2005, an average of about 13 per year. Separately, 7 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in Albania? ▼
The strongest catalogued earthquake in Albania measured magnitude 6.6. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 4.4 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is Albania? ▼
By catalogued M4+ activity, Albania ranks 52nd of 187 countries worldwide - a moderately seismically active country. Its busiest year for major (M6+) events was 1905, with 1.
How deep are earthquakes in Albania? ▼
Across the 7 major (M6+) events on record, the average depth is 19 km. 100% were shallow (under 70 km), where surface shaking is strongest at a given magnitude.
Where does this data come from? ▼
Every figure is derived from the USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat). M4+ counts cover 2005 onward (the period of consistent global completeness); the significant-event series covers M6+ back to 1900. Nothing is modelled or estimated.

About Albania's figures

273 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M6.6 · average M4.4 · 7 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Jun 12, 2026. Computed from the USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat). See the methodology and USGS ComCat.

Disclaimer: PlainQuake is informational only, not an emergency service or engineering advice. See our full disclaimer.

What Albania's numbers mean

Albania ranks 52nd of 187 countries tracked - a moderately seismically active country.

  • About 13 M4+ earthquakes strike Albania per year on average, though major (M6+) activity is episodic - 1905 was the busiest year on record with 1 significant events. See the full country ranking
  • 100% of Albania's catalogued major earthquakes are shallow (under 70km) - shallow events generally produce stronger surface shaking than deep ones of the same magnitude. How depth affects shaking
  • The strongest catalogued event reached M6.6. Compare against neighboring or similarly-ranked countries before drawing conclusions from magnitude alone. Compare strongest earthquakes

Figures reflect the USGS ComCat catalog (M4+ since 2005, M6+ significant events since 1900) - not a real-time hazard assessment. For official guidance, see the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program.

According to the US Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, PlainQuake's figures are rendered directly from 315,341 recorded M4+ earthquakes and 14,428 significant M6+ events (USGS ComCat, 2005-present) -- no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-07-19.