Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan has catalogued 628 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 41st of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M8.0.
Kyrgyzstan ranks 41st of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a moderately seismically active country, averaging about 30 M4+ events a year alongside 28 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. One of those major events reached M8 or greater, the catalogue's top magnitude class.
- 628
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 28
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M8.0
- Strongest
- ~30
- M4+ per year
The verdict
Kyrgyzstan is more seismically active than most places tracked here, with 628 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 28 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 8.0.
- 1992
- busiest year (5 major events)
- 23 km
- average recorded event depth
- 100%
- 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 Micronesia sits immediately above at 678 events and Italy sits immediately below at 613.
Catalog event strip
Event tape KYRGYZSTAN · Kyrgyzstan M4+ · 41st/187
Kyrgyzstan · 628 M4+ · max M8.0 · 28 M6+
- DEPTH 628
- PHOTO 41st/187
- BUSY M8.0
- SHAL 28
- PCT near Micronesia
- VS-PEER 100% 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 Kyrgyzstan
USGS recorded Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) for 23 events in this catalogued record; their average observed intensity was MMI 6.8. These are only events with an observation, not an estimate of future shaking or a safety rating.
- MMI observations
- 23
- Average observed MMI
- 6.8
- PAGER alerts / tsunami flags
- 1 / 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 Kyrgyzstan sits in the catalog
Rank 41st of 187 tracked countries (78th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Micronesia sits immediately above at 678 events and Italy sits immediately below at 613.
- Micronesia - next more active (678 M4+)
- Italy - next less active (613 M4+)
Kyrgyzstan's M4+ count vs. every tracked country
Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat
628 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 Kyrgyzstan by year
Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year
- 1946 1
1946: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1963 1
1963: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1970 1
1970: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1974
1974: 2 major (M6+) events
2
- 1976 1
1976: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1977 1
1977: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1978
1978: 2 major (M6+) events
2
- 1990 1
1990: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1992
1992: 5 major (M6+) events
5
- 2008 1
2008: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2011 1
2011: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2016 1
2016: 1 major (M6+) events
1
What this shows Kyrgyzstan's most active year for major earthquakes was 1992 (5 M6+ events). Major-quake counts are irregular, they track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.
3 of 628 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.
Magnitude distribution of major events
Breakdown of the 28 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Kyrgyzstan.
M8+
1
3.6%
M7.0-7.9
5
17.9%
M6.0-6.9
22
78.6%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 28 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 23 km.
Shallow (<70 km)
28
100.0% of events
Intermediate (70–300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Deep (>300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Strongest earthquakes in Kyrgyzstan
The 10 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.0 | The 1911 Kemin Earthquake, Kyrgyzstan | 20.0 km | Jan 3, 1911 |
| 7.5 | 34 km N of Kerben, Kyrgyzstan | 25.0 km | Nov 2, 1946 |
| 7.3 | 60 km ENE of Toktogul, Kyrgyzstan | 27.4 km | Aug 19, 1992 |
| 7.3 | 134 km E of Kyzyl-Eshme, Kyrgyzstan | 9.0 km | Aug 11, 1974 |
| 7.1 | 23 km ENE of Tyup, Kyrgyzstan | 33.0 km | Mar 24, 1978 |
| 7.0 | 22 km ESE of Kemin, Kyrgyzstan | 15.0 km | Jun 20, 1938 |
| 6.8 | 38 km SE of Kyzyl-Eshme, Kyrgyzstan | 40.0 km | Nov 1, 1978 |
| 6.7 | 131 km SE of Nookat, Kyrgyzstan | 27.4 km | Oct 5, 2008 |
| 6.7 | 19 km SE of Uzgen, Kyrgyzstan | 25.0 km | Jul 12, 1924 |
| 6.6 | 35 km NE of Toktogul, Kyrgyzstan | 18.5 km | Aug 19, 1992 |
Significant earthquake record (28 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Kyrgyzstan since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.4 | 92 km E of Kyzyl-Eshme, Kyrgyzstan | 13.0 km | Jun 26, 2016 |
| 6.1 | 16 km NNE of Aydarken, Kyrgyzstan | 20.0 km | Jul 19, 2011 |
| 6.7 | 131 km SE of Nookat, Kyrgyzstan | 27.4 km | Oct 5, 2008 |
| 6.6 | 35 km NE of Toktogul, Kyrgyzstan | 18.5 km | Aug 19, 1992 |
| 6.3 | 37 km NE of Toktogul, Kyrgyzstan | 21.1 km | Aug 19, 1992 |
| 6.1 | 55 km ENE of Toktogul, Kyrgyzstan | 33.0 km | Aug 19, 1992 |
| 7.3 | 60 km ENE of Toktogul, Kyrgyzstan | 27.4 km | Aug 19, 1992 |
| 6.2 | 4 km WSW of Kochkor-Ata, Kyrgyzstan | 49.5 km | May 15, 1992 |
| 6.4 | 35 km NW of Tyup, Kyrgyzstan | 19.1 km | Nov 12, 1990 |
| 6.8 | 38 km SE of Kyzyl-Eshme, Kyrgyzstan | 40.0 km | Nov 1, 1978 |
| 7.1 | 23 km ENE of Tyup, Kyrgyzstan | 33.0 km | Mar 24, 1978 |
| 6.1 | 3 km SE of Batken, Kyrgyzstan | 20.0 km | Jan 31, 1977 |
| 6.1 | 53 km SE of Kyzyl-Eshme, Kyrgyzstan | 50.0 km | Jul 28, 1976 |
| 6.1 | 117 km E of Kyzyl-Eshme, Kyrgyzstan | 9.0 km | Aug 11, 1974 |
| 7.3 | 134 km E of Kyzyl-Eshme, Kyrgyzstan | 9.0 km | Aug 11, 1974 |
| 6.3 | 13 km E of Ak-Suu, Kyrgyzstan | 19.8 km | Jun 5, 1970 |
| 6.5 | 144 km SSE of Uzgen, Kyrgyzstan | 15.0 km | Aug 29, 1963 |
| 7.5 | 34 km N of Kerben, Kyrgyzstan | 25.0 km | Nov 2, 1946 |
| 6.0 | 55 km ESE of Nookat, Kyrgyzstan | 15.0 km | Mar 15, 1944 |
| 6.1 | 18 km SW of Daroot-Korgon, Kyrgyzstan | 20.0 km | Jun 2, 1943 |
| 6.5 | 72 km E of Kyzyl-Eshme, Kyrgyzstan | 30.0 km | Apr 5, 1943 |
| 7.0 | 22 km ESE of Kemin, Kyrgyzstan | 15.0 km | Jun 20, 1938 |
| 6.1 | 18 km SE of Kyzyl-Eshme, Kyrgyzstan | 15.0 km | Oct 29, 1932 |
| 6.7 | 19 km SE of Uzgen, Kyrgyzstan | 25.0 km | Jul 12, 1924 |
| 6.5 | 53 km S of Uzgen, Kyrgyzstan | 25.0 km | Jul 6, 1924 |
| 6.5 | 102 km SSE of Ak-Suu, Kyrgyzstan | 20.0 km | Dec 17, 1915 |
| 8.0 | The 1911 Kemin Earthquake, Kyrgyzstan | 20.0 km | Jan 3, 1911 |
| 6.0 | 95 km SE of Kadzhi-Say, Kyrgyzstan | 15.0 km | Sep 15, 1907 |
Other countries in this catalog sample
A Kyrgyzstan-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second Kyrgyzstan-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.