Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in French Polynesia
French Polynesia has catalogued 8 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 146th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M4.8.
French Polynesia ranks 146th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity, averaging about 0 M4+ events a year alongside 0 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900.
- 8
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 0
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M4.8
- Strongest
- ~0
- M4+ per year
The verdict
French Polynesia is relatively quiet seismically compared to most places tracked here, with 8 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 0 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 4.8.
- 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 4.5 - most events are moderate M4-5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage. On the M4+ activity ladder Germany sits immediately above at 9 events and Hungary sits immediately below at 7.
Where French Polynesia sits in the catalog
Rank 146th of 187 tracked countries (21th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Germany sits immediately above at 9 events and Hungary sits immediately below at 7.
Same M4+ count, broken by peak magnitude
2 tracked countries share French Polynesia's exact count of 8 M4+ events since 2005. Among that cohort, French Polynesia ranks 2nd of 2 by strongest recorded magnitude (M4.8).
| Country | M4+ count | Strongest |
|---|---|---|
| Guinea | 8 | M5.0 |
| French Polynesia (this page) | 8 | M4.8 |
0 of 8 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.
Other countries in this catalog sample
A French Polynesia-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second French Polynesia-keyed shuffle of countries with a recorded max magnitude.
Understand the data
Frequently asked questions
How many earthquakes have occurred in French Polynesia? ▼
What was the strongest earthquake in French Polynesia? ▼
How seismically active is French Polynesia? ▼
How deep are earthquakes in French Polynesia? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
About French Polynesia's figures
8 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M4.8 · average M4.5 · 0 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Jun 11, 2023. 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 French Polynesia's numbers mean
French Polynesia ranks 146th of 187 countries tracked - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.
- About 0 M4+ earthquakes strike French Polynesia per year on average. See the full country ranking
- 0% of French Polynesia'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 M4.8. 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.