Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Italy
Italy has catalogued 613 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 42nd of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M7.2.
Italy ranks 42nd of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a moderately seismically active country, averaging about 29 M4+ events a year alongside 26 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. Its M6+ record runs from 1905 to 2026, peaking in 1976.
- 613
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 26
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M7.2
- Strongest
- ~29
- M4+ per year
The verdict
Italy is more seismically active than most places tracked here, with 613 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 26 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.2.
- 1976
- busiest year (3 major events)
- 56 km
- average recorded event depth
- 85%
- of events are shallow (<70 km, the most damaging kind)
Average catalogued magnitude is 4.4 - most events are moderate M4-5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage. On the M4+ activity ladder Kyrgyzstan sits immediately above at 628 events and Ethiopia sits immediately below at 576.
Catalog event strip
Event tape ITALY · Italy M4+ · 42nd/187
Italy · 613 M4+ · max M7.2 · 26 M6+
- YOY 613
- BAND 42nd/187
- STRIP M7.2
- BOOK 26
- RANK near Kyrgyzstan
- MAX 85% shallow
Stamps derive from this country's USGS ComCat row (M4+ book, rank, peak magnitude, M6+ record, ladder neighbour, depth/peak year), not a hazard forecast. PlainQuake is informational only - not professional advice and not a substitute for official USGS guidance. See our disclaimer. Verify with USGS ComCat → · Read with methodology → · How earthquakes are measured → · Reading earthquake data → · All country catalog rows → · Countries ranked →
Observed impact record
What ComCat observed after earthquakes in Italy
USGS recorded Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) for 18 events in this catalogued record; their average observed intensity was MMI 7.0. These are only events with an observation, not an estimate of future shaking or a safety rating.
- MMI observations
- 18
- Average observed MMI
- 7.0
- PAGER alerts / tsunami flags
- 6 / 0
Source: USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) GeoJSON impact fields. Missing MMI, alert, and tsunami values remain unreported rather than being treated as zero.
Where Italy sits in the catalog
Rank 42nd of 187 tracked countries (78th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Kyrgyzstan sits immediately above at 628 events and Ethiopia sits immediately below at 576.
- Kyrgyzstan - next more active (628 M4+)
- Ethiopia - next less active (576 M4+)
Italy's M4+ count vs. every tracked country
Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat
613 Top 22% higher than 78% 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
Major (M6+) earthquakes in Italy by year
Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year
- 1930 1
1930: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1962 1
1962: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1963
1963: 2 major (M6+) events
2
- 1968 1
1968: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1976
1976: 3 major (M6+) events
3
- 1980 1
1980: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1997 1
1997: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2002 1
2002: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2009 1
2009: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2012 1
2012: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2016
2016: 3 major (M6+) events
3
- 2026
2026: 2 major (M6+) events
2
What this shows Italy's most active year for major earthquakes was 1976 (3 M6+ events). Major-quake counts are irregular, they track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.
7 of 613 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.
Magnitude distribution of major events
Breakdown of the 26 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Italy.
M7.0-7.9
1
3.8%
M6.0-6.9
25
96.2%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 26 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 56 km.
Shallow (<70 km)
22
84.6% of events
Intermediate (70–300 km)
2
7.7% of events
Deep (>300 km)
2
7.7% of events
Strongest earthquakes in Italy
The 10 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.2 | 5 km W of San Nicolò, Italy | 15.0 km | Sep 8, 1905 |
| 6.9 | 2 km N of Cairano, Italy | 10.0 km | Nov 23, 1980 |
| 6.7 | 4 km WNW of San Benedetto dei Marsi, Italy | 15.0 km | Jan 13, 1915 |
| 6.6 | 3 km SSW of Bisaccia Nuova, Italy | 15.0 km | Jul 23, 1930 |
| 6.6 | 5 km ESE of Preci, Italy | 8.0 km | Oct 30, 2016 |
| 6.5 | 3 km SW of Prato, Italy | 9.0 km | May 6, 1976 |
| 6.5 | 72 km WSW of Cittadella del Capo, Italy | 260.0 km | Aug 1, 1910 |
| 6.3 | 2 km SW of Molazzana, Italy | 15.0 km | Sep 7, 1920 |
| 6.3 | 3 km SE of Sassa, Italy | 8.8 km | Apr 6, 2009 |
| 6.3 | 58 km SSE of San Lorenzo al Mare, Italy | 15.0 km | Jul 19, 1963 |
Significant earthquake record (26 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Italy since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.2 | 23 km WSW of San Lucido, Italy | 243.0 km | Jun 1, 2026 |
| 6.0 | 16 km SSE of Sant'Angelo, Italy | 375.0 km | Mar 9, 2026 |
| 6.6 | 5 km ESE of Preci, Italy | 8.0 km | Oct 30, 2016 |
| 6.1 | 2 km NNW of Visso, Italy | 10.0 km | Oct 26, 2016 |
| 6.2 | 5 km WNW of Accumoli, Italy | 4.4 km | Aug 24, 2016 |
| 6.0 | 4 km NNE of Massa Finalese, Italy | 6.3 km | May 20, 2012 |
| 6.3 | 3 km SE of Sassa, Italy | 8.8 km | Apr 6, 2009 |
| 6.0 | 34 km NNE of Santa Flavia, Italy | 5.0 km | Sep 6, 2002 |
| 6.0 | 3 km SSE of Nocera Umbra, Italy | 10.0 km | Sep 26, 1997 |
| 6.9 | 2 km N of Cairano, Italy | 10.0 km | Nov 23, 1980 |
| 6.0 | 5 km NNE of Isola, Italy | 10.0 km | Sep 15, 1976 |
| 6.1 | 1 km WNW of Lestans, Italy | 24.0 km | Jun 17, 1976 |
| 6.5 | 3 km SW of Prato, Italy | 9.0 km | May 6, 1976 |
| 6.1 | 3 km NE of Montevago, Italy | 10.0 km | Jan 15, 1968 |
| 6.1 | 62 km SSE of San Lorenzo al Mare, Italy | 15.0 km | Jul 19, 1963 |
| 6.3 | 58 km SSE of San Lorenzo al Mare, Italy | 15.0 km | Jul 19, 1963 |
| 6.2 | 3 km SW of Montecalvo Irpino, Italy | 20.0 km | Aug 21, 1962 |
| 6.6 | 3 km SSW of Bisaccia Nuova, Italy | 15.0 km | Jul 23, 1930 |
| 6.3 | 2 km SW of Molazzana, Italy | 15.0 km | Sep 7, 1920 |
| 6.2 | 1 km NNW of Vicchio, Italy | 15.0 km | Jun 29, 1919 |
| 6.0 | 15 km NNE of Pesaro, Italy | 10.0 km | Aug 16, 1916 |
| 6.0 | 19 km NNE of Gabicce Mare, Italy | 15.0 km | May 17, 1916 |
| 6.0 | 25 km W of San Marco, Italy | 320.0 km | Jul 7, 1915 |
| 6.7 | 4 km WNW of San Benedetto dei Marsi, Italy | 15.0 km | Jan 13, 1915 |
| 6.5 | 72 km WSW of Cittadella del Capo, Italy | 260.0 km | Aug 1, 1910 |
| 7.2 | 5 km W of San Nicolò, Italy | 15.0 km | Sep 8, 1905 |
Other countries in this catalog sample
A Italy-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second Italy-keyed shuffle of countries with a recorded max magnitude.
Showing 6 of 186 countries with a recorded max magnitude.
According to the US Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, PlainQuake's figures are rendered directly from 317,293 recorded M4+ earthquakes and 14,444 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 2026-08-26.