PlainQuake

Country profile · USGS ComCat

Earthquakes in Malta

Malta has catalogued 34 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 116th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M5.5.

Malta ranks 116th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity, averaging about 2 M4+ events a year alongside 0 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900.

34
M4+ events (since 2005)
0
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M5.5
Strongest
~2
M4+ per year

The verdict

Malta is below the global median in catalogued seismic activity, with 34 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 0 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 5.5.

N/A
no yearly breakdown available
N/A
average recorded event depth
0%
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 Bhutan sits immediately above at 35 events and Armenia sits immediately below at 27.

Where Malta sits in the catalog

Rank 116th of 187 tracked countries (38th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Bhutan sits immediately above at 35 events and Armenia sits immediately below at 27.

  • Bhutan - next more active (35 M4+)
  • Armenia - next less active (27 M4+)

Malta's M4+ count vs. every tracked country

Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat

34 Top 62% higher than 38% 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. Malta 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 Malta compares to its nearest peers

Malta ranks in the 38th 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).

Malta 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
Malta vs. its 20 nearest-ranked peer countries, USGS ComCat
Read the chart (all 21 values)
Country M4+ events Strongest magnitude
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
Libya 36 M5.2
Bhutan 35 M6.1
Tunisia 35 M5.1
Malta (this page) 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
Grenada 19 M5.5
Saint Eustatius and Saba 19 M5.0
Burundi 18 M5.2
Serbia 18 M5.5
Ukraine 17 M4.9
0%100%0%
Share of Malta's M4+ catalog that reached significant M6+ severity

0 of 34 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.

Other countries in this catalog sample

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

Democratic Republic of the Congo

161 M4+ events · strongest M6.8

M6.8

Palestinian Territory

3 M4+ events · strongest M4.5

M4.5

Bhutan

35 M4+ events · strongest M6.1

M6.1

Namibia

20 M4+ events · strongest M5.4

M5.4

Fiji

4,498 M4+ events · strongest M7.9

M7.9

Algeria

245 M4+ events · strongest M6.0

M6.0

Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster

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

Sao Tome and Principe

1 M4+ events

M5.5

Dominica

55 M4+ events

M5.6

Bangladesh

64 M4+ events

M5.5

Armenia

27 M4+ events

M5.3

Serbia

18 M4+ events

M5.5

South Africa

191 M4+ events

M5.4

Understand the data

Bhutan

Next more active on the M4+ ladder.

Armenia

Next less active on the M4+ ladder.

Country rankings

Every country by M4+ activity.

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in Malta? ▼
The USGS catalog records 34 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in Malta since 2005, an average of about 2 per year. Separately, 0 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in Malta? ▼
The strongest catalogued earthquake in Malta measured magnitude 5.5. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 4.5 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is Malta? ▼
By catalogued M4+ activity, Malta ranks 116th of 187 countries worldwide - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.
How deep are earthquakes in Malta? ▼
Across the 0 major (M6+) events on record, the average depth is N/A km. 0% 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 Malta's figures

34 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M5.5 · average M4.5 · 0 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Oct 20, 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 Malta's numbers mean

Malta ranks 116th of 187 countries tracked - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.

  • About 2 M4+ earthquakes strike Malta per year on average. See the full country ranking
  • 0% of Malta'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 M5.5. 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.