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Country profile · USGS ComCat

Earthquakes in China

China ranks 14th of 215 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a highly seismically active country. Below: the full M6+ event history, magnitude and depth profile, and yearly trend, straight from USGS data.

4,920
M4+ events (since 2005)
273
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M8.0
Strongest
~234
M4+ per year

The verdict

China has logged 4,920 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 and 273 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 8.0.

#14
of 215 countries by M4+ activity
4,920
catalogued M4+ events (2005–present)
M8.0
strongest earthquake on record
273
major M6+ events since 1900

Average catalogued magnitude is 4.5 - most events are moderate M4–5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage.

Major (M6+) earthquakes in China by year

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

Value

What this shows China's most active year for major earthquakes was 1976 (8 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 2025

Magnitude distribution of major events

Breakdown of the 273 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for China.

M7.0-7.9

39

14.3%

M6.0-6.9

234

85.7%

Depth of major earthquakes

Hypocentral depth of the 273 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 30 km.

Shallow (<70 km)

267

97.8% of events

Intermediate (70–300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Deep (>300 km)

6

2.2% of events

Strongest earthquakes in China

The 10 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).

Mag Location Depth
8.0 95 km WSW of Shihezi, China 15.0 km
7.9 125 km E of Baiyin, China 15.0 km
7.9 58 km W of Tianpeng, China 19.0 km
7.9 172 km SE of Altay, China 10.0 km
7.8 108 km WSW of Laojunmiao, China 15.0 km
7.8 Southern Qinghai, China 15.0 km
7.8 Southern Qinghai, China 10.0 km
7.7 145 km NW of Jinghong, China 17.8 km
7.7 89 km WSW of Nagqu, China 30.0 km
7.7 31 km SSW of Wuwei, China 15.0 km

Significant earthquake record (273 events)

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

Mag Location Depth
6.3 260 km SSE of Dunhuang, China 10.0 km
7.0 128 km WNW of Aykol, China 13.0 km
6.6 44 km SE of Kangding, China 12.0 km
6.6 northern Qinghai, China 13.0 km
7.3 Southern Qinghai, China 10.0 km
6.1 25 km NW of Dali, China 9.0 km
6.3 278 km SE of Hotan, China 10.0 km
6.0 104 km ENE of Kashgar, China 5.5 km
6.3 102 km NNW of Xinyuan, China 20.0 km
6.5 168 km SW of Mawu, China 9.0 km
6.0 58 km SSE of Shihezi, China 17.6 km
6.4 57 km WNW of Zangguy, China 20.0 km
6.1 125 km SW of Jianshui, China 8.5 km
6.2 33 km WSW of Zhaotong, China 12.0 km
6.9 272 km ESE of Hotan, China 10.0 km
6.6 56 km WSW of Linqiong, China 14.0 km
6.2 281 km SE of Hotan, China 13.0 km
6.3 117 km E of Xinyuan, China 18.0 km
6.1 239 km NNW of Qamdo, China 7.6 km
6.9 233 km NNW of Qamdo, China 17.0 km
6.3 294 km SW of Laojunmiao, China 13.0 km
6.3 northern Qinghai, China 19.0 km
6.3 39 km WSW of Dêqên, China 12.0 km
6.0 Sichuan-Yunnan border region, China 11.0 km
6.0 46 km NW of Guangyuan, China 6.0 km
6.1 39 km WNW of Guangyuan, China 18.0 km
6.1 39 km NW of Tianpeng, China 10.0 km
7.9 58 km W of Tianpeng, China 19.0 km
7.2 226 km SE of Hotan, China 10.0 km
6.1 119 km NNE of Jinghong, China 5.0 km
6.1 92 km NW of Aksu, China 22.0 km
6.0 75 km SSW of Dadukou, China 10.0 km
6.4 278 km SSW of Laojunmiao, China 14.0 km
6.3 107 km E of Kashgar, China 11.0 km
6.4 21 km ENE of Chaihe, China 586.3 km
7.3 50 km SW of Dongning, China 566.0 km
7.8 Southern Qinghai, China 10.0 km
6.1 257 km WSW of Xining, China 10.0 km
7.1 57 km ENE of Wangqing, China 565.7 km
6.4 118 km E of Kashgar, China 33.0 km
6.2 82 km E of Kashgar, China 15.0 km
6.0 87 km E of Kashgar, China 33.0 km
6.0 36 km NW of Baotou, China 26.0 km
6.3 83 km NE of Kashgar, China 28.2 km
6.6 47 km N of Lijiang, China 11.1 km
6.2 79 km SE of Dadukou, China 10.0 km
6.8 158 km W of Jinghong, China 12.5 km
6.1 southern Xinjiang, China 14.1 km
6.1 68 km SW of Dêqên, China 14.1 km
6.0 118 km WSW of Aykol, China 20.6 km
6.3 141 km WSW of Xining, China 9.6 km
6.5 153 km WSW of Xining, China 8.1 km
6.3 148 km WSW of Xining, China 10.0 km
6.0 93 km W of Kashgar, China 33.0 km
6.0 northern Qinghai, China 12.2 km
6.1 157 km WNW of Tianpeng, China 14.6 km
6.2 239 km W of Kangding, China 14.0 km
6.1 244 km W of Kangding, China 7.7 km
6.4 231 km SE of Qamdo, China 13.3 km
6.1 126 km NW of Jinghong, China 14.5 km
7.7 145 km NW of Jinghong, China 17.8 km
6.2 Southern Qinghai, China 7.6 km
6.2 89 km WNW of Aksu, China 28.9 km
6.0 102 km WSW of Wuwei, China 8.0 km
6.4 Southern Qinghai, China 33.0 km
6.1 263 km NE of Saga, China 33.0 km
6.2 51 km WSW of Kashgar, China 15.3 km
7.0 66 km W of Kashgar, China 6.8 km
6.0 51 km NE of Juegang, China 18.2 km
6.1 35 km WNW of Dongning, China 557.9 km
6.2 90 km NW of Kashgar, China 16.1 km
6.0 173 km NE of Burang, China 33.0 km
6.5 185 km NNE of Burang, China 33.0 km
6.0 Southern Qinghai, China 10.0 km
6.8 131 km NW of Kangding, China 33.0 km
6.2 142 km NNW of Rikaze, China 33.0 km
6.2 124 km S of Jianshui, China 33.0 km
6.3 Xinjiang-Qinghai border region, China 27.0 km
6.3 5 km ENE of Gaojingzhuang, China 15.0 km
6.5 115 km NE of Lijiang, China 33.0 km
6.7 94 km NNW of Jiangyou, China 33.0 km
6.4 99 km NNW of Jiangyou, China 33.0 km
6.9 121 km NNW of Jiangyou, China 16.0 km
7.4 6 km SW of Linxi, China 26.0 km
7.5 17 km NE of Penguanzhuang, China 23.0 km
6.9 169 km SW of Dali, China 8.0 km
6.1 196 km NNE of Nagqu, China 33.0 km
6.3 142 km S of Hotan, China 33.0 km
7.0 6 km E of Dashiqiao, China 33.0 km
6.0 70 km SSW of Kangding, China 33.0 km
6.8 72 km WSW of Xunchang, China 11.0 km
6.4 123 km NNE of Jinghong, China 33.0 km
6.1 151 km NNW of Jiangyou, China 33.0 km
7.4 203 km NW of Kangding, China 33.0 km
6.2 38 km NNW of Tumxuk, China 13.5 km
6.1 11 km NNW of Simao, China 23.2 km
6.0 22 km NE of Simao, China 10.0 km
6.0 271 km SW of Shaliuhe, China 10.0 km
6.1 92 km WNW of Aksu, China 9.5 km
6.0 111 km W of Tumxuk, China 14.8 km

Showing the first 100 of 273 significant events.

Countries with similar seismic activity

Comparable catalogued earthquake frequency to China.

Greece

4,600 M4+ events · strongest M7.0

M7.0

Peru

4,591 M4+ events · strongest M8.0

M8.0

Fiji

4,493 M4+ events · strongest M7.9

M7.9

Argentina

4,371 M4+ events · strongest M7.0

M7.0

Solomon Islands

6,125 M4+ events · strongest M7.8

M7.8

Iran

3,544 M4+ events · strongest M7.7

M7.7

Understand the data

How earthquakes are measured

Magnitude scales, seismographs, and depth.

Reading earthquake data

Interpreting magnitude, depth and frequency.

Earthquake preparedness

Before, during and after a quake.

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in China? ▼
The USGS catalog records 4,920 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in China since 2005, an average of about 234 per year. Separately, 273 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in China? ▼
The strongest catalogued earthquake in China measured magnitude 8.0. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 4.5 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is China? ▼
By catalogued M4+ activity, China ranks 14th of 215 countries worldwide - a highly seismically active country. Its busiest year for major (M6+) events was 1976, with 8.
How deep are earthquakes in China? ▼
Across the 273 major (M6+) events on record, the average depth is 30 km. 98% 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 this data

Every figure on this page is computed directly from the USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), the public-domain record maintained by the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. Two series are combined: a worldwide catalog of magnitude-4.0-and-above events from 2005 onward, the period over which the global seismograph network reliably detects and locates earthquakes everywhere, and a historical series of significant magnitude-6.0-and-above events stretching back to 1900. Magnitudes use the moment-magnitude scale (Mw), the modern standard that supersedes the older Richter scale; because the scale is logarithmic, each whole step represents roughly thirty-two times more energy released. Depth is measured in kilometres from the surface, and shallow earthquakes generally produce stronger shaking than deep ones of the same magnitude. Counts reflect what instruments recorded, not every tremor that occurred, and recent events can be revised as seismologists refine the catalog.

Source: USGS ComCat, verify with USGS → · See our methodology for the full pipeline.

Disclaimer: PlainQuake is an informational reference for informational purposes only, not an emergency or early-warning service, and not professional engineering or safety advice. For official alerts and guidance, consult the USGS and your local emergency authorities. See our full disclaimer.