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Country profile · USGS ComCat

Earthquakes in Ethiopia

Ethiopia has catalogued 574 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 43rd of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M6.5.

Ethiopia ranks 43rd of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a moderately seismically active country, averaging about 27 M4+ events a year alongside 19 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. Its M6+ record runs from 1906 to 1987, peaking in 1938.

574
M4+ events (since 2005)
19
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M6.5
Strongest
~27
M4+ per year

The verdict

Ethiopia is more seismically active than most places tracked here, with 574 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 19 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 6.5.

1938
busiest year (3 major events)
14 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 Italy sits immediately above at 609 events and Venezuela sits immediately below at 531.

Where Ethiopia sits in the catalog

Rank 43rd of 187 tracked countries (77th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Italy sits immediately above at 609 events and Venezuela sits immediately below at 531.

  • Italy - next more active (609 M4+)
  • Venezuela - next less active (531 M4+)

Ethiopia's M4+ count vs. every tracked country

Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat

574 Top 23% higher than 77% of 187 countries

0–500: 143 countries (76%). Below this entry. 500–1,000: 11 countries (6%). This entry sits in this band. 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. Ethiopia 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 Ethiopia compares to its nearest peers

Ethiopia ranks in the 77th 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).

Ethiopia 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 2004006008001,0001,200 M5.5M6M6.5M7M7.5M8 M4+ events since 2005 Strongest recorded magnitude
Ethiopia vs. its 20 nearest-ranked peer countries, USGS ComCat
Read the chart (all 21 values)
Country M4+ events Strongest magnitude
Canada 1,026 M7.8
Iceland 982 M6.3
Bolivia 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 (this page) 574 M5.9
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

Major (M6+) earthquakes in Ethiopia by year

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

Value

What this shows Ethiopia's most active year for major earthquakes was 1938 (3 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 Ethiopia's M4+ catalog that reached significant M6+ severity

0 of 574 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.

Magnitude distribution of major events

Breakdown of the 19 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Ethiopia.

M6.0-6.9

19

100.0%

Depth of major earthquakes

Hypocentral depth of the 19 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 14 km.

Ethiopia100%Shallow (<70 km)Intermediate (70-300 km)Deep (>300 km)
Depth distribution of Ethiopia's M6+ events, USGS ComCat

Shallow (<70 km)

19

100.0% of events

Intermediate (70–300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Deep (>300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Strongest earthquakes in Ethiopia

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

Mag Location Depth
6.5 8 km E of Goba, Ethiopia 15.0 km
6.4 10 km SE of Jinka, Ethiopia 15.0 km
6.4 31 km E of Turmi, Ethiopia 10.0 km
6.3 28 km SSE of Jinka, Ethiopia 12.0 km
6.3 47 km ESE of Kemis?, Ethiopia 15.0 km
6.2 42 km NNW of Axum, Ethiopia 10.0 km
6.2 17 km NE of Dubti, Ethiopia 12.7 km
6.2 32 km SSW of Kemis?, Ethiopia 25.0 km
6.2 44 km N of Arba Minch, Ethiopia 15.0 km
6.1 36 km ENE of Dubti, Ethiopia 10.0 km

Significant earthquake record (19 events)

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

Mag Location Depth
6.0 13 km NE of Jinka, Ethiopia 10.0 km
6.3 28 km SSE of Jinka, Ethiopia 12.0 km
6.1 36 km ENE of Dubti, Ethiopia 10.0 km
6.2 17 km NE of Dubti, Ethiopia 12.7 km
6.0 31 km NW of Abomsa, Ethiopia 20.0 km
6.2 32 km SSW of Kemis?, Ethiopia 25.0 km
6.0 24 km W of G?dol?, Ethiopia 15.0 km
6.0 38 km NW of Hagere Maryam, Ethiopia 10.0 km
6.1 82 km ENE of Debre Werk’, Ethiopia 15.0 km
6.0 35 km SW of Gewan?, Ethiopia 15.0 km
6.0 28 km ESE of Debre S?na, Ethiopia 15.0 km
6.3 47 km ESE of Kemis?, Ethiopia 15.0 km
6.4 31 km E of Turmi, Ethiopia 10.0 km
6.0 34 km SSE of Asaita, Ethiopia 15.0 km
6.2 44 km N of Arba Minch, Ethiopia 15.0 km
6.4 10 km SE of Jinka, Ethiopia 15.0 km
6.2 42 km NNW of Axum, Ethiopia 10.0 km
6.1 47 km SSW of Lobuni, Ethiopia 10.0 km
6.5 8 km E of Goba, Ethiopia 15.0 km

Other countries in this catalog sample

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

Hungary

7 M4+ events · strongest M4.5

M4.5

Bulgaria

36 M4+ events · strongest M5.0

M5.0

Maldives

5 M4+ events · strongest M4.9

M4.9

Bermuda

6 M4+ events · strongest M4.6

M4.6

Indonesia

37,560 M4+ events · strongest M8.6

M8.6

Anguilla

113 M4+ events · strongest M5.6

M5.6

Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster

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

Saudi Arabia

114 M4+ events

M5.7

Uganda

73 M4+ events

M5.9

Samoa

116 M4+ events

M6.2

Madagascar

38 M4+ events

M5.7

Rwanda

42 M4+ events

M5.9

Tanzania

368 M4+ events

M6.0

Understand the data

Italy

Next more active on the M4+ ladder.

Venezuela

Next less active on the M4+ ladder.

Country rankings

Every country by M4+ activity.

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in Ethiopia? ▼
The USGS catalog records 574 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in Ethiopia since 2005, an average of about 27 per year. Separately, 19 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in Ethiopia? ▼
The strongest catalogued earthquake in Ethiopia measured magnitude 6.5. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 4.5 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is Ethiopia? ▼
By catalogued M4+ activity, Ethiopia ranks 43rd of 187 countries worldwide - a moderately seismically active country. Its busiest year for major (M6+) events was 1938, with 3.
How deep are earthquakes in Ethiopia? ▼
Across the 19 major (M6+) events on record, the average depth is 14 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 Ethiopia's figures

574 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M6.5 · average M4.5 · 19 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Jul 7, 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 Ethiopia's numbers mean

Ethiopia ranks 43rd of 187 countries tracked - a moderately seismically active country.

  • About 27 M4+ earthquakes strike Ethiopia per year on average, though major (M6+) activity is episodic - 1938 was the busiest year on record with 3 significant events. See the full country ranking
  • 100% of Ethiopia'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.