Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Bolivia
Bolivia has catalogued 832 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 35th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M8.2.
Bolivia ranks 35th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a moderately seismically active country, averaging about 40 M4+ events a year alongside 33 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. One of those major events reached M8 or greater, the catalogue's top magnitude class.
- 832
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 33
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M8.2
- Strongest
- ~40
- M4+ per year
The verdict
Bolivia is more seismically active than most places tracked here, with 832 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 33 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 8.2.
- 1957
- busiest year (3 major events)
- 257 km
- average recorded event depth
- 24%
- 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 Iceland sits immediately above at 982 events and Wallis and Futuna sits immediately below at 807.
Where Bolivia sits in the catalog
Rank 35th of 187 tracked countries (81th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Iceland sits immediately above at 982 events and Wallis and Futuna sits immediately below at 807.
- Iceland - next more active (982 M4+)
- Wallis and Futuna - next less active (807 M4+)
Bolivia's M4+ count vs. every tracked country
Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat
832 Top 19% higher than 81% 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
How Bolivia compares to its nearest peers
Bolivia ranks in the 81th 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).
Read the chart (all 21 values)
| Country | M4+ events | Strongest magnitude |
|---|---|---|
| New Caledonia | 1,917 | M7.5 |
| Colombia | 1,721 | M7.3 |
| Tajikistan | 1,583 | M7.2 |
| El Salvador | 1,501 | M7.3 |
| Nicaragua | 1,416 | M6.6 |
| Pakistan | 1,262 | M7.7 |
| Myanmar | 1,136 | M7.7 |
| Ecuador | 1,130 | M7.8 |
| Canada | 1,026 | M7.8 |
| Iceland | 982 | M6.3 |
| Bolivia (this page) | 832 | M6.8 |
| Wallis and Futuna | 807 | M6.7 |
| Costa Rica | 717 | M7.6 |
| Panama | 704 | M6.7 |
| Nepal | 694 | M7.8 |
| Micronesia | 672 | M6.6 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 625 | M6.7 |
| Italy | 609 | M6.6 |
| Ethiopia | 574 | M5.9 |
| Venezuela | 531 | M7.5 |
| Dominican Republic | 489 | M5.8 |
Major (M6+) earthquakes in Bolivia by year
Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year
- 1998
1998: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1999
1999: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2001
2001: 2 major (M6+) events
2
- 2003
2003: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2004
2004: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2008
2008: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2011
2011: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2015
2015: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2016
2016: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2017
2017: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2018
2018: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2019
2019: 1 major (M6+) events
1
What this shows Bolivia's most active year for major earthquakes was 1957 (3 M6+ events). Major-quake counts are irregular, they track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.
7 of 832 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.
Magnitude distribution of major events
Breakdown of the 33 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Bolivia.
M8+
1
3.0%
M7.0-7.9
5
15.2%
M6.0-6.9
27
81.8%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 33 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 257 km.
Shallow (<70 km)
8
24.2% of events
Intermediate (70–300 km)
15
45.5% of events
Deep (>300 km)
10
30.3% of events
Strongest earthquakes in Bolivia
The 10 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.2 | 55 km NNW of Reyes, Bolivia | 631.3 km | Jun 9, 1994 |
| 7.7 | 51 km W of Atocha, Bolivia | 232.5 km | Nov 29, 1957 |
| 7.3 | 136 km WSW of Challapata, Bolivia | 160.0 km | Jun 6, 1915 |
| 7.2 | 78 km SW of Colchani, Bolivia | 120.0 km | Oct 4, 1910 |
| 7.1 | 16 km NW of Villazón, Bolivia | 276.2 km | Jan 23, 1997 |
| 7.0 | 69 km NW of Camargo, Bolivia | 255.0 km | May 17, 1909 |
| 6.8 | 38 km SE of Boyuibe, Bolivia | 559.0 km | Apr 2, 2018 |
| 6.6 | 62 km SSW of Trinidad, Bolivia | 549.9 km | Nov 22, 2011 |
| 6.6 | 25 km NNW of Mizque, Bolivia | 24.0 km | May 22, 1998 |
| 6.6 | 68 km SSE of Challapata, Bolivia | 266.0 km | Oct 10, 1990 |
Significant earthquake record (33 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Bolivia since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.3 | 31 km SSE of Tarata, Bolivia | 359.0 km | Mar 15, 2019 |
| 6.8 | 38 km SE of Boyuibe, Bolivia | 559.0 km | Apr 2, 2018 |
| 6.5 | 41 km E of Padilla, Bolivia | 596.0 km | Feb 21, 2017 |
| 6.1 | 14 km WNW of Charagua, Bolivia | 582.6 km | Jan 14, 2016 |
| 6.4 | 94 km SW of Curahuara de Carangas, Bolivia | 130.0 km | Mar 23, 2015 |
| 6.6 | 62 km SSW of Trinidad, Bolivia | 549.9 km | Nov 22, 2011 |
| 6.2 | 62 km NNE of Camargo, Bolivia | 352.7 km | Oct 12, 2008 |
| 6.1 | 38 km NNE of Tupiza, Bolivia | 289.8 km | Mar 17, 2004 |
| 6.0 | 56 km N of Camargo, Bolivia | 345.3 km | Jul 27, 2003 |
| 6.2 | 41 km NNE of Colomi, Bolivia | 33.0 km | Jul 4, 2001 |
| 6.1 | 53 km W of Potosí, Bolivia | 273.9 km | Jun 29, 2001 |
| 6.4 | 70 km SW of Uyuni, Bolivia | 218.0 km | Sep 15, 1999 |
| 6.6 | 25 km NNW of Mizque, Bolivia | 24.0 km | May 22, 1998 |
| 7.1 | 16 km NW of Villazón, Bolivia | 276.2 km | Jan 23, 1997 |
| 8.2 | 55 km NNW of Reyes, Bolivia | 631.3 km | Jun 9, 1994 |
| 6.6 | 68 km SSE of Challapata, Bolivia | 266.0 km | Oct 10, 1990 |
| 6.1 | 131 km SW of Colchani, Bolivia | 139.5 km | Nov 1, 1989 |
| 6.2 | 12 km WNW of Villazón, Bolivia | 279.3 km | Jul 28, 1988 |
| 6.5 | 32 km NE of Oruro, Bolivia | 285.2 km | Feb 6, 1988 |
| 6.3 | 65 km W of Challapata, Bolivia | 243.1 km | Mar 15, 1986 |
| 6.0 | 141 km SSW of Curahuara de Carangas, Bolivia | 109.8 km | May 18, 1985 |
| 6.1 | 4 km NNE of Yacuiba, Bolivia | 529.0 km | Oct 25, 1973 |
| 6.3 | 13 km ENE of Yacuiba, Bolivia | 533.6 km | Aug 23, 1968 |
| 6.1 | 11 km N of Comarapa, Bolivia | 15.0 km | Dec 28, 1957 |
| 7.7 | 51 km W of Atocha, Bolivia | 232.5 km | Nov 29, 1957 |
| 6.3 | 45 km W of Abapó, Bolivia | 15.0 km | Aug 26, 1957 |
| 6.3 | 36 km W of Mapiri, Bolivia | 35.0 km | Aug 23, 1956 |
| 6.4 | 5 km WNW of Mapiri, Bolivia | 20.0 km | Feb 24, 1947 |
| 6.1 | 93 km WSW of Colchani, Bolivia | 15.0 km | Dec 23, 1934 |
| 6.1 | 40 km SSE of Vallegrande, Bolivia | 15.0 km | Aug 13, 1920 |
| 7.3 | 136 km WSW of Challapata, Bolivia | 160.0 km | Jun 6, 1915 |
| 7.2 | 78 km SW of Colchani, Bolivia | 120.0 km | Oct 4, 1910 |
| 7.0 | 69 km NW of Camargo, Bolivia | 255.0 km | May 17, 1909 |
Other countries in this catalog sample
A Bolivia-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second Bolivia-keyed shuffle of countries with a recorded max magnitude.
Understand the data
Frequently asked questions
How many earthquakes have occurred in Bolivia? ▼
What was the strongest earthquake in Bolivia? ▼
How seismically active is Bolivia? ▼
How deep are earthquakes in Bolivia? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
About Bolivia's figures
832 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M8.2 · average M4.4 · 33 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Jul 3, 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 Bolivia's numbers mean
Bolivia ranks 35th of 187 countries tracked - a moderately seismically active country.
- About 40 M4+ earthquakes strike Bolivia per year on average, though major (M6+) activity is episodic - 1957 was the busiest year on record with 3 significant events. See the full country ranking
- 24% of Bolivia'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 M8.2. 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.