Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo has catalogued 161 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 67th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M6.8.
Democratic Republic of the Congo ranks 67th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity, averaging about 8 M4+ events a year alongside 5 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. The M6+ record here is thin - 5 events in all, so a single quake moves every figure on this page.
- 161
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 5
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M6.8
- Strongest
- ~8
- M4+ per year
The verdict
Democratic Republic of the Congo is moderately seismically active, above the global median, with 161 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 5 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 6.8.
- 1960
- busiest year (2 major events)
- 15 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 Azerbaijan sits immediately above at 169 events and Guadeloupe sits immediately below at 152.
Where Democratic Republic of the Congo sits in the catalog
Rank 67th of 187 tracked countries (64th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Azerbaijan sits immediately above at 169 events and Guadeloupe sits immediately below at 152.
- Azerbaijan - next more active (169 M4+)
- Guadeloupe - next less active (152 M4+)
Democratic Republic of the Congo's M4+ count vs. every tracked country
Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat
161 Top 36% higher than 64% 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo compares to its nearest peers
Democratic Republic of the Congo ranks in the 64th 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Saint Helena | 184 | M6.0 |
| Romania | 183 | M5.6 |
| Kazakhstan | 174 | M6.1 |
| Azerbaijan | 169 | M5.6 |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo (this page) | 161 | M6.8 |
| Guadeloupe | 152 | M6.5 |
| Turkmenistan | 143 | M5.4 |
| Mauritius | 135 | M6.0 |
| Zimbabwe | 135 | M7.0 |
| Poland | 130 | M5.0 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 129 | M6.6 |
| Samoa | 116 | M6.2 |
| Saudi Arabia | 114 | M5.7 |
| Anguilla | 113 | M5.6 |
| Cayman Islands | 107 | M7.6 |
Major (M6+) earthquakes in Democratic Republic of the Congo by year
Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year
- 1960
1960: 2 major (M6+) events
2
- 1992
1992: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2002
2002: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2005
2005: 1 major (M6+) events
1
What this shows Democratic Republic of the Congo's most active year for major earthquakes was 1960 (2 M6+ events). Major-quake counts are irregular, they track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.
1 of 161 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.
Magnitude distribution of major events
Breakdown of the 5 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Democratic Republic of the Congo.
M6.0-6.9
5
100.0%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 5 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 15 km.
Shallow (<70 km)
5
100.0% of events
Intermediate (70–300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Deep (>300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Strongest earthquakes in Democratic Republic of the Congo
The 5 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.8 | 76 km ESE of Kalemie, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 22.0 km | Dec 5, 2005 |
| 6.5 | 19 km SW of Uvira, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 13.7 km | Sep 22, 1960 |
| 6.4 | 29 km W of Kabalo, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 10.8 km | Sep 11, 1992 |
| 6.3 | 16 km N of Uvira, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 15.0 km | Sep 22, 1960 |
| 6.2 | 34 km SW of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 11.0 km | Oct 24, 2002 |
Significant earthquake record (5 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Democratic Republic of the Congo since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.8 | 76 km ESE of Kalemie, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 22.0 km | Dec 5, 2005 |
| 6.2 | 34 km SW of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 11.0 km | Oct 24, 2002 |
| 6.4 | 29 km W of Kabalo, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 10.8 km | Sep 11, 1992 |
| 6.3 | 16 km N of Uvira, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 15.0 km | Sep 22, 1960 |
| 6.5 | 19 km SW of Uvira, Democratic Republic of the Congo | 13.7 km | Sep 22, 1960 |
Other countries in this catalog sample
A Democratic Republic of the Congo-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second Democratic Republic of the Congo-keyed shuffle of countries with a recorded max magnitude.
Understand the data
Frequently asked questions
How many earthquakes have occurred in Democratic Republic of the Congo? ▼
What was the strongest earthquake in Democratic Republic of the Congo? ▼
How seismically active is Democratic Republic of the Congo? ▼
How deep are earthquakes in Democratic Republic of the Congo? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
About Democratic Republic of the Congo's figures
161 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M6.8 · average M4.5 · 5 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Mar 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 Democratic Republic of the Congo's numbers mean
Democratic Republic of the Congo ranks 67th of 187 countries tracked - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.
- About 8 M4+ earthquakes strike Democratic Republic of the Congo per year on average, though major (M6+) activity is episodic - 1960 was the busiest year on record with 2 significant events. See the full country ranking
- 100% of Democratic Republic of the Congo'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 M6.8. 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.