Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Maldives
Maldives has catalogued 5 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 156th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M7.4.
Maldives ranks 156th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity, averaging about 0 M4+ events a year alongside 1 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. The M6+ record here is a single event, so one quake sets every figure on this page.
- 5
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 1
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M7.4
- Strongest
- ~0
- M4+ per year
The verdict
Maldives is relatively quiet seismically compared to most places tracked here, with 5 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 1 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.4.
- 1944
- busiest year (1 major events)
- 15 km
- average recorded event depth
- 100%
- of events are shallow (<70 km, the most damaging kind)
Average catalogued magnitude is 4.6 - most events are moderate M4-5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage. On the M4+ activity ladder Bermuda sits immediately above at 6 events and Cabo Verde sits immediately below at 4.
Where Maldives sits in the catalog
Rank 156th of 187 tracked countries (16th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Bermuda sits immediately above at 6 events and Cabo Verde sits immediately below at 4.
- Bermuda - next more active (6 M4+)
- Cabo Verde - next less active (4 M4+)
Same M4+ count, broken by peak magnitude
2 tracked countries share Maldives's exact count of 5 M4+ events since 2005. Among that cohort, Maldives ranks 1st of 2 by strongest recorded magnitude (M4.9).
| Country | M4+ count | Strongest |
|---|---|---|
| Maldives (this page) | 5 | M4.9 |
| Jordan | 5 | M4.5 |
0 of 5 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.
Magnitude distribution of major events
Breakdown of the 1 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Maldives.
M7.0-7.9
1
100.0%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 1 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 15 km.
Shallow (<70 km)
1
100.0% of events
Intermediate (70–300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Deep (>300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Strongest earthquakes in Maldives
The 1 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.4 | 212 km E of Fuvahmulah, Maldives | 15.0 km | Feb 29, 1944 |
Significant earthquake record (1 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Maldives since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.4 | 212 km E of Fuvahmulah, Maldives | 15.0 km | Feb 29, 1944 |
Other countries in this catalog sample
A Maldives-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second Maldives-keyed shuffle of countries with a recorded max magnitude.
Understand the data
Frequently asked questions
How many earthquakes have occurred in Maldives? ▼
What was the strongest earthquake in Maldives? ▼
How seismically active is Maldives? ▼
How deep are earthquakes in Maldives? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
About Maldives's figures
5 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M7.4 · average M4.6 · 1 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp May 27, 2024. 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 Maldives's numbers mean
Maldives ranks 156th of 187 countries tracked - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.
- About 0 M4+ earthquakes strike Maldives per year on average, though major (M6+) activity is episodic - 1944 was the busiest year on record with 1 significant events. See the full country ranking
- 100% of Maldives'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 M7.4. 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.