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Country profile · USGS ComCat

Earthquakes in Israel

Israel has catalogued 11 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 139th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M4.7.

Israel ranks 139th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity, averaging about 1 M4+ events a year alongside 0 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900.

11
M4+ events (since 2005)
0
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M4.7
Strongest
~1
M4+ per year

The verdict

Israel is below the global median in catalogued seismic activity, with 11 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 0 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 4.7.

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 Angola sits immediately above at 12 events and Austria sits immediately below at 10.

Where Israel sits in the catalog

Rank 139th of 187 tracked countries (25th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Angola sits immediately above at 12 events and Austria sits immediately below at 10.

  • Angola - next more active (12 M4+)
  • Austria - next less active (10 M4+)

Same M4+ count, broken by peak magnitude

3 tracked countries share Israel's exact count of 11 M4+ events since 2005. Among that cohort, Israel ranks 2nd of 3 by strongest recorded magnitude (M4.7).

Country M4+ count Strongest
Gabon 11 M5.5
Israel (this page) 11 M4.7
Kosovo 11 M4.6
0%100%0%
Share of Israel's M4+ catalog that reached significant M6+ severity

0 of 11 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in Israel?
The USGS catalog records 11 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in Israel since 2005, an average of about 1 per year. Separately, 0 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in Israel?
The strongest catalogued earthquake in Israel measured magnitude 4.7. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 4.3 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is Israel?
By catalogued M4+ activity, Israel ranks 139th of 187 countries worldwide - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.
How deep are earthquakes in Israel?
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 Israel's figures

11 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M4.7 · average M4.3 · 0 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Jan 15, 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 Israel's numbers mean

Israel ranks 139th of 187 countries tracked - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.

  • About 1 M4+ earthquakes strike Israel per year on average. See the full country ranking
  • 0% of Israel'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 M4.7. 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.