Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda has catalogued 129 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 73rd of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M7.5.
Antigua and Barbuda ranks 73rd of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity, averaging about 6 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.
- 129
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 7
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M7.5
- Strongest
- ~6
- M4+ per year
The verdict
Antigua and Barbuda is moderately seismically active, above the global median, with 129 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 7 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.5.
- 1925
- busiest year (2 major events)
- 25 km
- average recorded event depth
- 100%
- of events are shallow (<70 km, the most damaging kind)
Average catalogued magnitude is 4.5 - most events are moderate M4-5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage. On the M4+ activity ladder Poland sits immediately above at 131 events and Samoa sits immediately below at 117.
ComCat magnitude tape
Event tape ANTIGUA-AND- · Antigua and Barbuda M4+ · 73rd/187
Antigua and Barbuda · 129 M4+ · max M7.5 · 7 M6+
- TAPE 129
- EPIC 73rd/187
- YOY M7.5
- BAND 7
- STRIP near Poland
- BOOK 100% shallow
Stamps derive from this country's USGS ComCat row (M4+ book, rank, peak magnitude, M6+ record, ladder neighbour, depth/peak year), not a hazard forecast. PlainQuake is informational only - not professional advice and not a substitute for official USGS guidance. See our disclaimer. Verify with USGS ComCat → · Read with methodology → · How earthquakes are measured → · Reading earthquake data → · All country catalog rows → · Countries ranked →
Observed impact record
What ComCat observed after earthquakes in Antigua and Barbuda
USGS recorded Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) for 4 events in this catalogued record; their average observed intensity was MMI 4.7. These are only events with an observation, not an estimate of future shaking or a safety rating.
- MMI observations
- 4
- Average observed MMI
- 4.7
- PAGER alerts / tsunami flags
- 3 / 1
Source: USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) GeoJSON impact fields. Missing MMI, alert, and tsunami values remain unreported rather than being treated as zero.
Where Antigua and Barbuda sits in the catalog
Rank 73rd of 187 tracked countries (61th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Poland sits immediately above at 131 events and Samoa sits immediately below at 117.
Antigua and Barbuda's M4+ count vs. every tracked country
Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat
129 Top 39% higher than 61% of 187 countries
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
Major (M6+) earthquakes in Antigua and Barbuda by year
Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year
- 1925
1925: 2 major (M6+) events
2
- 1967
1967: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1974
1974: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2016
2016: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2023
2023: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2026
2026: 1 major (M6+) events
1
What this shows Antigua and Barbuda's most active year for major earthquakes was 1925 (2 M6+ events). Major-quake counts are irregular, they track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.
3 of 129 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 Antigua and Barbuda.
M7.0-7.9
1
14.3%
M6.0-6.9
6
85.7%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 7 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 25 km.
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 Antigua and Barbuda
The 7 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.5 | 25 km NW of Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda | 47.0 km | Oct 8, 1974 |
| 6.6 | 278 km NNE of Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda | 14.0 km | Jul 10, 2023 |
| 6.4 | 64 km ENE of Parham, Antigua and Barbuda | 12.2 km | Dec 24, 1967 |
| 6.1 | 105 km ENE of Parham, Antigua and Barbuda | 15.0 km | Jul 7, 1925 |
| 6.0 | 165 km NNE of Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda | 15.0 km | Jul 7, 1925 |
| 6.0 | 61 km ESE of Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda | 47.0 km | May 16, 2026 |
| 6.0 | 126 km ENE of Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda | 26.0 km | Mar 19, 2016 |
Significant earthquake record (7 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Antigua and Barbuda since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0 | 61 km ESE of Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda | 47.0 km | May 16, 2026 |
| 6.6 | 278 km NNE of Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda | 14.0 km | Jul 10, 2023 |
| 6.0 | 126 km ENE of Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda | 26.0 km | Mar 19, 2016 |
| 7.5 | 25 km NW of Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda | 47.0 km | Oct 8, 1974 |
| 6.4 | 64 km ENE of Parham, Antigua and Barbuda | 12.2 km | Dec 24, 1967 |
| 6.1 | 105 km ENE of Parham, Antigua and Barbuda | 15.0 km | Jul 7, 1925 |
| 6.0 | 165 km NNE of Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda | 15.0 km | Jul 7, 1925 |
Other countries in this catalog sample
A Antigua and Barbuda-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second Antigua and Barbuda-keyed shuffle of countries with a recorded max magnitude.
Showing 6 of 186 countries with a recorded max magnitude.
According to the US Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, PlainQuake's figures are rendered directly from 317,293 recorded M4+ earthquakes and 14,444 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 2026-08-26.