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Country profile · USGS ComCat

Earthquakes in Djibouti

Djibouti has catalogued 260 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 54th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M6.5.

Djibouti ranks 54th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a moderately seismically active country, averaging about 12 M4+ events a year alongside 10 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. The record is episodic - 60% of those M6+ events fall in 1989 alone.

260
M4+ events (since 2005)
10
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M6.5
Strongest
~12
M4+ per year

The verdict

Djibouti is moderately seismically active, above the global median, with 260 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 10 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 6.5.

1989
busiest year (6 major events)
12 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 Honduras sits immediately above at 269 events and Algeria sits immediately below at 245.

Where Djibouti sits in the catalog

Rank 54th of 187 tracked countries (71th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Honduras sits immediately above at 269 events and Algeria sits immediately below at 245.

  • Honduras - next more active (269 M4+)
  • Algeria - next less active (245 M4+)

Djibouti's M4+ count vs. every tracked country

Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat

260 Top 29% higher than 71% 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. Djibouti 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 Djibouti compares to its nearest peers

Djibouti ranks in the 71th 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).

Djibouti 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 100200300400500600 M5M5.5M6M6.5M7M7.5M8 M4+ events since 2005 Strongest recorded magnitude
Djibouti vs. its 20 nearest-ranked peer countries, USGS ComCat
Read the chart (all 21 values)
Country M4+ events Strongest magnitude
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 273 M6.4
Honduras 269 M7.5
Djibouti (this page) 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
Saint Helena 184 M6.0
Romania 183 M5.6

Major (M6+) earthquakes in Djibouti by year

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

Value

What this shows Djibouti's most active year for major earthquakes was 1989 (6 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%
Share of Djibouti's M4+ catalog that reached significant M6+ severity

0 of 260 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.

Magnitude distribution of major events

Breakdown of the 10 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Djibouti.

M6.0-6.9

10

100.0%

Depth of major earthquakes

Hypocentral depth of the 10 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 12 km.

Djibouti100%Shallow (<70 km)Intermediate (70-300 km)Deep (>300 km)
Depth distribution of Djibouti's M6+ events, USGS ComCat

Shallow (<70 km)

10

100.0% of events

Intermediate (70–300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Deep (>300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Strongest earthquakes in Djibouti

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

Mag Location Depth
6.5 12 km ENE of Gâlâfi, Djibouti 11.6 km
6.4 17 km NNE of Gâlâfi, Djibouti 15.8 km
6.2 4 km WSW of Arta, Djibouti 7.4 km
6.2 10 km WNW of Djibouti, Djibouti 15.0 km
6.1 26 km NNW of Gâlâfi, Djibouti 9.7 km
6.1 20 km N of Gâlâfi, Djibouti 11.7 km
6.1 18 km NNE of Gâlâfi, Djibouti 10.0 km
6.1 18 km N of Gâlâfi, Djibouti 10.0 km
6.1 26 km NNW of 'Ali Sabieh, Djibouti 15.0 km
6.0 39 km SSE of Holhol, Djibouti 15.0 km

Significant earthquake record (10 events)

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

Mag Location Depth
6.2 4 km WSW of Arta, Djibouti 7.4 km
6.1 26 km NNW of Gâlâfi, Djibouti 9.7 km
6.4 17 km NNE of Gâlâfi, Djibouti 15.8 km
6.1 20 km N of Gâlâfi, Djibouti 11.7 km
6.1 18 km NNE of Gâlâfi, Djibouti 10.0 km
6.1 18 km N of Gâlâfi, Djibouti 10.0 km
6.5 12 km ENE of Gâlâfi, Djibouti 11.6 km
6.2 10 km WNW of Djibouti, Djibouti 15.0 km
6.1 26 km NNW of 'Ali Sabieh, Djibouti 15.0 km
6.0 39 km SSE of Holhol, Djibouti 15.0 km

Other countries in this catalog sample

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

Honduras

269 M4+ events · strongest M7.5

M7.5

Papua New Guinea

15,655 M4+ events · strongest M7.9

M7.9

Uzbekistan

101 M4+ events · strongest M5.7

M5.7

Madagascar

38 M4+ events · strongest M5.7

M5.7

Lebanon

12 M4+ events · strongest M5.1

M5.1

Netherlands

1 M4+ events · strongest M4.2

M4.2

Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster

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

Eritrea

93 M4+ events

M5.6

Malta

34 M4+ events

M5.5

Azerbaijan

169 M4+ events

M5.6

French Southern Territories

14 M4+ events

M5.3

Gabon

11 M4+ events

M5.5

Romania

183 M4+ events

M5.6

Understand the data

Honduras

Next more active on the M4+ ladder.

Algeria

Next less active on the M4+ ladder.

Country rankings

Every country by M4+ activity.

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in Djibouti? ▼
The USGS catalog records 260 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in Djibouti since 2005, an average of about 12 per year. Separately, 10 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in Djibouti? ▼
The strongest catalogued earthquake in Djibouti measured magnitude 6.5. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 4.5 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is Djibouti? ▼
By catalogued M4+ activity, Djibouti ranks 54th of 187 countries worldwide - a moderately seismically active country. Its busiest year for major (M6+) events was 1989, with 6.
How deep are earthquakes in Djibouti? ▼
Across the 10 major (M6+) events on record, the average depth is 12 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 Djibouti's figures

260 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M6.5 · average M4.5 · 10 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Jul 28, 2025. 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 Djibouti's numbers mean

Djibouti ranks 54th of 187 countries tracked - a moderately seismically active country.

  • About 12 M4+ earthquakes strike Djibouti per year on average, though major (M6+) activity is episodic - 1989 was the busiest year on record with 6 significant events. See the full country ranking
  • 100% of Djibouti'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 M6.5. 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.