Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in France
France has catalogued 53 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 99th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M5.2.
France ranks 99th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity, averaging about 3 M4+ events a year alongside 0 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900.
- 53
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 0
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M5.2
- Strongest
- ~3
- M4+ per year
The verdict
France is below the global median in catalogued seismic activity, with 53 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 0 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 5.2.
- N/A
- no yearly breakdown available
- N/A
- average recorded event depth
- 0%
- of events are shallow (<70 km, the most damaging kind)
Average catalogued magnitude is 4.3 - most events are moderate M4-5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage. On the M4+ activity ladder Dominica sits immediately above at 55 events and Sudan sits immediately below at 51.
Where France sits in the catalog
Rank 99th of 187 tracked countries (47th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Dominica sits immediately above at 55 events and Sudan sits immediately below at 51.
France's M4+ count vs. every tracked country
Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat
53 Top 53% higher than 47% 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 France compares to its nearest peers
France ranks in the 47th 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Malawi | 73 | M6.0 |
| Uganda | 73 | M5.9 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 69 | M5.7 |
| Barbados | 66 | M6.5 |
| Croatia | 65 | M6.4 |
| Bangladesh | 64 | M5.5 |
| Zambia | 62 | M5.9 |
| Federated States of Micronesia | 59 | M6.3 |
| Mozambique | 59 | M5.6 |
| Dominica | 55 | M5.6 |
| France (this page) | 53 | M5.2 |
| Sudan | 51 | M5.3 |
| Thailand | 48 | M6.1 |
| Laos | 47 | M6.3 |
| Egypt | 45 | M5.5 |
| Oman | 44 | M5.4 |
| Montenegro | 42 | M5.2 |
| North Macedonia | 42 | M5.5 |
| Rwanda | 42 | M5.9 |
| Jamaica | 39 | M7.7 |
| Syria | 39 | M5.2 |
0 of 53 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.
Other countries in this catalog sample
A France-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second France-keyed shuffle of countries with a recorded max magnitude.
Understand the data
Frequently asked questions
How many earthquakes have occurred in France? ▼
What was the strongest earthquake in France? ▼
How seismically active is France? ▼
How deep are earthquakes in France? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
About France's figures
53 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M5.2 · average M4.3 · 0 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Sep 14, 2024. 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 France's numbers mean
France ranks 99th of 187 countries tracked - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.
- About 3 M4+ earthquakes strike France per year on average. See the full country ranking
- 0% of France'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 M5.2. 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.