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Country profile · USGS ComCat

Earthquakes in Malaysia

Malaysia has catalogued 37 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 111th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M7.1.

Malaysia ranks 111th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity, averaging about 2 M4+ events a year alongside 5 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. The M6+ record here is thin - 5 events in all, so a single quake moves every figure on this page.

37
M4+ events (since 2005)
5
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M7.1
Strongest
~2
M4+ per year

The verdict

Malaysia is below the global median in catalogued seismic activity, with 37 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 5 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.1.

1923
busiest year (1 major events)
144 km
average recorded event depth
80%
of events are shallow (<70 km, the most damaging kind)

Average catalogued magnitude is 4.7 - most events are moderate M4-5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage. On the M4+ activity ladder Madagascar sits immediately above at 38 events and Bulgaria sits immediately below at 36.

Where Malaysia sits in the catalog

Rank 111th of 187 tracked countries (41th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Madagascar sits immediately above at 38 events and Bulgaria sits immediately below at 36.

Malaysia's M4+ count vs. every tracked country

Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat

37 Top 59% higher than 41% 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. Malaysia 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 Malaysia compares to its nearest peers

Malaysia ranks in the 41th 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).

Malaysia 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 1020304050 M4M5M6M7M8 M4+ events since 2005 Strongest recorded magnitude
Malaysia vs. its 20 nearest-ranked peer countries, USGS ComCat
Read the chart (all 21 values)
Country M4+ events Strongest magnitude
Thailand 48 M6.1
Laos 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 (this page) 37 M7.1
Bulgaria 36 M5.0
Libya 36 M5.2
Bhutan 35 M6.1
Tunisia 35 M5.1
Malta 34 M5.5
Armenia 27 M5.3
Saint Kitts and Nevis 23 M4.8
Mauritania 21 M4.6
Namibia 20 M5.4
Norway 20 M5.2

Major (M6+) earthquakes in Malaysia by year

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

Value

What this shows Malaysia's most active year for major earthquakes was 1923 (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%5.4%
Share of Malaysia's M4+ catalog that reached significant M6+ severity

2 of 37 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.

Magnitude distribution of major events

Breakdown of the 5 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Malaysia.

How the 5 total breaks down by magnitude M6.0-6.9 is the largest share -- 80.0%

M7.0-7.9

1

20.0%

M6.0-6.9

4

80.0%

Depth of major earthquakes

Hypocentral depth of the 5 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 144 km.

Malaysia80%20%Shallow (<70 km)Intermediate (70-300 km)Deep (>300 km)
Depth distribution of Malaysia's M6+ events, USGS ComCat

Shallow (<70 km)

4

80.0% of events

Intermediate (70–300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Deep (>300 km)

1

20.0% of events

Strongest earthquakes in Malaysia

The 5 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).

Mag Location Depth
7.1 57 km NNW of Kota Belud, Malaysia 629.0 km
6.5 26 km NNW of Lahad Datu, Malaysia 35.0 km
6.2 7 km SSW of Lahad Datu, Malaysia 33.0 km
6.1 10 km W of Kudat, Malaysia 15.0 km
6.0 14 km WNW of Ranau, Malaysia 10.0 km

Significant earthquake record (5 events)

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

Mag Location Depth
7.1 57 km NNW of Kota Belud, Malaysia 629.0 km
6.0 14 km WNW of Ranau, Malaysia 10.0 km
6.2 7 km SSW of Lahad Datu, Malaysia 33.0 km
6.1 10 km W of Kudat, Malaysia 15.0 km
6.5 26 km NNW of Lahad Datu, Malaysia 35.0 km

Other countries in this catalog sample

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

Egypt

45 M4+ events · strongest M5.5

M5.5

Afghanistan

3,478 M4+ events · strongest M7.5

M7.5

Benin

1 M4+ events · strongest M4.4

M4.4

Vietnam

80 M4+ events · strongest M5.3

M5.3

Japan

27,851 M4+ events · strongest M9.1

M9.1

Greenland

77 M4+ events · strongest M4.9

M4.9

Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster

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

Bolivia

832 M4+ events

M6.8

Haiti

217 M4+ events

M7.2

Democratic Republic of the Congo

161 M4+ events

M6.8

Iraq

185 M4+ events

M7.3

Mongolia

196 M4+ events

M6.7

Afghanistan

3,478 M4+ events

M7.5

Understand the data

Madagascar

Next more active on the M4+ ladder.

Bulgaria

Next less active on the M4+ ladder.

Country rankings

Every country by M4+ activity.

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in Malaysia? ▼
The USGS catalog records 37 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in Malaysia since 2005, an average of about 2 per year. Separately, 5 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in Malaysia? ▼
The strongest catalogued earthquake in Malaysia measured magnitude 7.1. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 4.7 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is Malaysia? ▼
By catalogued M4+ activity, Malaysia ranks 111th of 187 countries worldwide - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity. Its busiest year for major (M6+) events was 1923, with 1.
How deep are earthquakes in Malaysia? ▼
Across the 5 major (M6+) events on record, the average depth is 144 km. 80% 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 Malaysia's figures

37 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M7.1 · average M4.7 · 5 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Mar 12, 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 Malaysia's numbers mean

Malaysia ranks 111th of 187 countries tracked - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.

  • About 2 M4+ earthquakes strike Malaysia per year on average, though major (M6+) activity is episodic - 1923 was the busiest year on record with 1 significant events. See the full country ranking
  • 80% of Malaysia'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 M7.1. 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.