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Country profile · USGS ComCat

Earthquakes in Laos

Laos has catalogued 47 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 102nd of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M6.7.

Laos ranks 102nd of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity, averaging about 2 M4+ events a year alongside 4 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. The M6+ record here is thin - 4 events in all, so a single quake moves every figure on this page.

47
M4+ events (since 2005)
4
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M6.7
Strongest
~2
M4+ per year

The verdict

Laos is below the global median in catalogued seismic activity, with 47 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 4 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 6.7.

1925
busiest year (1 major events)
17 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 Thailand sits immediately above at 48 events and Egypt sits immediately below at 45.

Where Laos sits in the catalog

Rank 102nd of 187 tracked countries (45th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Thailand sits immediately above at 48 events and Egypt sits immediately below at 45.

  • Thailand - next more active (48 M4+)
  • Egypt - next less active (45 M4+)

Laos's M4+ count vs. every tracked country

Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat

47 Top 55% higher than 45% 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. Laos 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 Laos compares to its nearest peers

Laos ranks in the 45th 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).

Laos 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 3040506070 M4M5M6M7M8 M4+ events since 2005 Strongest recorded magnitude
Laos vs. its 20 nearest-ranked peer countries, USGS ComCat
Read the chart (all 21 values)
Country M4+ events Strongest magnitude
Barbados 66 M6.5
Croatia 65 M6.4
Bangladesh 64 M5.5
Zambia 62 M5.9
Federated States of Micronesia 59 M6.3
Mozambique 59 M5.6
Dominica 55 M5.6
France 53 M5.2
Sudan 51 M5.3
Thailand 48 M6.1
Laos (this page) 47 M6.3
Egypt 45 M5.5
Oman 44 M5.4
Montenegro 42 M5.2
North Macedonia 42 M5.5
Rwanda 42 M5.9
Jamaica 39 M7.7
Syria 39 M5.2
Madagascar 38 M5.7
Malaysia 37 M7.1
Bulgaria 36 M5.0

Major (M6+) earthquakes in Laos by year

Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year

Value

What this shows Laos's most active year for major earthquakes was 1925 (1 M6+ events). Major-quake counts are irregular, they track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.

Source USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) As of 2005–present
0%100%4.3%
Share of Laos's M4+ catalog that reached significant M6+ severity

2 of 47 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.

Magnitude distribution of major events

Breakdown of the 4 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Laos.

M6.0-6.9

4

100.0%

Depth of major earthquakes

Hypocentral depth of the 4 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 17 km.

Laos100%Shallow (<70 km)Intermediate (70-300 km)Deep (>300 km)
Depth distribution of Laos's M6+ events, USGS ComCat

Shallow (<70 km)

4

100.0% of events

Intermediate (70–300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Deep (>300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Strongest earthquakes in Laos

The 4 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).

Mag Location Depth
6.7 41 km S of Luang Namtha, Laos 15.0 km
6.3 40 km NE of Ban Houakhoua, Laos 9.0 km
6.2 67 km NNW of Sainyabuli, Laos 35.0 km
6.2 43 km WNW of Sainyabuli, Laos 10.0 km

Significant earthquake record (4 events)

Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Laos since 1900, most recent first.

Mag Location Depth
6.2 43 km WNW of Sainyabuli, Laos 10.0 km
6.3 40 km NE of Ban Houakhoua, Laos 9.0 km
6.2 67 km NNW of Sainyabuli, Laos 35.0 km
6.7 41 km S of Luang Namtha, Laos 15.0 km

Other countries in this catalog sample

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

Mongolia

196 M4+ events · strongest M6.7

M6.7

Iraq

185 M4+ events · strongest M7.3

M7.3

Timor Leste

3,416 M4+ events · strongest M7.3

M7.3

North Macedonia

42 M4+ events · strongest M5.5

M5.5

Ukraine

17 M4+ events · strongest M4.9

M4.9

South Sudan

7 M4+ events · strongest M4.8

M4.8

Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster

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

Mauritius

135 M4+ events

M6.0

Micronesia

672 M4+ events

M6.6

Cyprus

97 M4+ events

M6.6

Spain

88 M4+ events

M6.3

Federated States of Micronesia

59 M4+ events

M6.3

Samoa

116 M4+ events

M6.2

Understand the data

Thailand

Next more active on the M4+ ladder.

Egypt

Next less active on the M4+ ladder.

Country rankings

Every country by M4+ activity.

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in Laos? ▼
The USGS catalog records 47 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in Laos since 2005, an average of about 2 per year. Separately, 4 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in Laos? ▼
The strongest catalogued earthquake in Laos measured magnitude 6.7. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 4.5 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is Laos? ▼
By catalogued M4+ activity, Laos ranks 102nd of 187 countries worldwide - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity. Its busiest year for major (M6+) events was 1925, with 1.
How deep are earthquakes in Laos? ▼
Across the 4 major (M6+) events on record, the average depth is 17 km. 100% 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 Laos's figures

47 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M6.7 · average M4.5 · 4 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Dec 22, 2025. 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 Laos's numbers mean

Laos ranks 102nd of 187 countries tracked - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.

  • About 2 M4+ earthquakes strike Laos per year on average, though major (M6+) activity is episodic - 1925 was the busiest year on record with 1 significant events. See the full country ranking
  • 100% of Laos'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 M6.7. 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.