PlainQuake

Country profile · USGS ComCat

Earthquakes in Germany

Germany has catalogued 9 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 145th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M4.5.

Germany ranks 145th 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.

9
M4+ events (since 2005)
0
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M4.5
Strongest
~0
M4+ per year

The verdict

Germany is relatively quiet seismically compared to most places tracked here, with 9 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 0 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 4.5.

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 4.1 - most events are moderate M4-5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage. On the M4+ activity ladder Austria sits immediately above at 10 events and French Polynesia sits immediately below at 8.

Where Germany sits in the catalog

Rank 145th of 187 tracked countries (22th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Austria sits immediately above at 10 events and French Polynesia sits immediately below at 8.

Germany's M4+ count vs. every tracked country

Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat

9 Top 78% higher than 22% 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. Germany 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 Germany compares to its nearest peers

Germany ranks in the 22th 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).

Germany 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 468101214 M4M4.5M5M5.5M6 M4+ events since 2005 Strongest recorded magnitude
Germany vs. its 20 nearest-ranked peer countries, USGS ComCat
Read the chart (all 21 values)
Country M4+ events Strongest magnitude
Kuwait 12 M4.7
Lebanon 12 M5.1
North Korea 12 M5.9
Switzerland 12 M4.5
Gabon 11 M5.5
Israel 11 M4.7
Kosovo 11 M4.6
Austria 10 M4.2
Slovenia 10 M4.5
United Kingdom 10 M4.8
Germany (this page) 9 M4.5
French Polynesia 8 M4.8
Guinea 8 M5.0
Hungary 7 M4.5
South Sudan 7 M4.8
Bermuda 6 M4.6
Czechia 6 M4.4
Kiribati 6 M5.1
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6 M4.8
Sweden 6 M4.6
United Arab Emirates 6 M4.7
0%100%0%
Share of Germany's M4+ catalog that reached significant M6+ severity

0 of 9 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.

Other countries in this catalog sample

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

Benin

1 M4+ events · strongest M4.4

M4.4

Albania

273 M4+ events · strongest M6.4

M6.4

Hungary

7 M4+ events · strongest M4.5

M4.5

Sri Lanka

2 M4+ events · strongest M4.7

M4.7

Greenland

77 M4+ events · strongest M4.9

M4.9

Anguilla

113 M4+ events · strongest M5.6

M5.6

Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster

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

Central African Republic

2 M4+ events

M4.7

Senegal

1 M4+ events

M4.5

Slovenia

10 M4+ events

M4.5

Bermuda

6 M4+ events

M4.6

Mauritania

21 M4+ events

M4.6

Switzerland

12 M4+ events

M4.5

Understand the data

Austria

Next more active on the M4+ ladder.

French Polynesia

Next less active on the M4+ ladder.

Country rankings

Every country by M4+ activity.

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in Germany? ▼
The USGS catalog records 9 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in Germany since 2005, an average of about 0 per year. Separately, 0 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in Germany? ▼
The strongest catalogued earthquake in Germany measured magnitude 4.5. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 4.1 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is Germany? ▼
By catalogued M4+ activity, Germany ranks 145th of 187 countries worldwide - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.
How deep are earthquakes in Germany? ▼
Across the 0 major (M6+) events on record, the average depth is N/A km. 0% 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 Germany's figures

9 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M4.5 · average M4.1 · 0 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Jul 9, 2022. 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 Germany's numbers mean

Germany ranks 145th of 187 countries tracked - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.

  • About 0 M4+ earthquakes strike Germany per year on average. See the full country ranking
  • 0% of Germany'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 M4.5. 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.