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Country profile · USGS ComCat

Earthquakes in Myanmar

Myanmar ranks 34th of 215 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a moderately seismically active country. Below: the full M6+ event history, magnitude and depth profile, and yearly trend, straight from USGS data.

983
M4+ events (since 2005)
58
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M7.9
Strongest
~47
M4+ per year

The verdict

Myanmar has logged 983 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 and 58 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.9.

#34
of 215 countries by M4+ activity
983
catalogued M4+ events (2005–present)
M7.9
strongest earthquake on record
58
major M6+ events since 1900

Average catalogued magnitude is 4.5 - most events are moderate M4–5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage.

Major (M6+) earthquakes in Myanmar by year

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

Value

What this shows Myanmar's most active year for major earthquakes was 1930 (5 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 2025

Magnitude distribution of major events

Breakdown of the 58 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Myanmar.

M7.0-7.9

9

15.5%

M6.0-6.9

49

84.5%

Depth of major earthquakes

Hypocentral depth of the 58 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 32 km.

Shallow (<70 km)

51

87.9% of events

Intermediate (70–300 km)

7

12.1% of events

Deep (>300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Strongest earthquakes in Myanmar

The 10 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).

Mag Location Depth
7.9 32 km NW of Taunggyi, Myanmar 15.0 km
7.5 36 km SSW of Pyu, Myanmar 10.0 km
7.4 41 km SW of Nyaunglebin, Myanmar 35.0 km
7.3 99 km E of Lashio, Myanmar 25.0 km
7.3 62 km S of Bhamo, Myanmar 15.0 km
7.1 129 km ENE of Mawlaik, Myanmar 15.0 km
7.0 31 km SE of Falam, Myanmar 75.0 km
7.0 99 km NW of Mogok, Myanmar 19.7 km
7.0 152 km ENE of Bhamo, Myanmar 10.0 km
6.9 23 km NNE of K?ng Tung, Myanmar 35.0 km

Significant earthquake record (58 events)

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

Mag Location Depth
6.2 20 km WSW of Falam, Myanmar 43.0 km
6.0 40 km WSW of Pyu, Myanmar 9.0 km
6.8 26 km W of Chauk, Myanmar 82.0 km
6.9 76 km SE of Mawlaik, Myanmar 136.0 km
6.8 51 km NNE of Shwebo, Myanmar 13.7 km
6.9 27 km NNW of Tachilek, Myanmar 8.0 km
6.0 48 km SE of Myitkyina, Myanmar 10.0 km
6.6 16 km SE of Taungdwingyi, Myanmar 10.0 km
6.0 17 km W of Thayetmyo, Myanmar 80.0 km
6.1 28 km WSW of Nyaunglebin, Myanmar 11.4 km
6.5 74 km W of Yenangyaung, Myanmar 35.6 km
6.1 25 km SW of Myitkyina, Myanmar 9.9 km
6.3 134 km W of Bhamo, Myanmar 17.3 km
6.2 126 km ESE of Lashio, Myanmar 9.6 km
6.1 130 km ESE of Lashio, Myanmar 12.0 km
6.0 60 km S of Pyapon, Myanmar 15.0 km
7.0 99 km NW of Mogok, Myanmar 19.7 km
6.4 175 km E of Lashio, Myanmar 10.0 km
6.3 147 km ESE of Myitkyina, Myanmar 9.0 km
7.0 152 km ENE of Bhamo, Myanmar 10.0 km
6.5 43 km WNW of Pakokku, Myanmar 157.0 km
6.3 70 km SSE of Mawlaik, Myanmar 135.0 km
6.0 79 km WNW of Pakokku, Myanmar 100.6 km
6.0 59 km WSW of Mawlaik, Myanmar 50.0 km
6.3 229 km S of Pyapon, Myanmar 35.0 km
6.1 227 km S of Pyapon, Myanmar 45.0 km
6.8 38 km NW of Mandalay, Myanmar 34.3 km
6.2 39 km SSW of Mawlaik, Myanmar 52.7 km
6.7 104 km N of K?ng Tung, Myanmar 10.0 km
6.7 26 km NNE of K?ng Tung, Myanmar 35.0 km
6.9 23 km NNE of K?ng Tung, Myanmar 35.0 km
6.5 55 km E of Hakha, Myanmar 65.0 km
6.0 81 km NW of Bhamo, Myanmar 15.0 km
6.0 33 km NNE of Mawlaik, Myanmar 57.3 km
6.1 86 km W of Bhamo, Myanmar 15.0 km
7.1 129 km ENE of Mawlaik, Myanmar 15.0 km
6.1 93 km ENE of Bhamo, Myanmar 15.0 km
6.9 80 km N of K?ng Tung, Myanmar 10.0 km
6.0 94 km E of Myitkyina, Myanmar 15.0 km
6.7 172 km ENE of Lashio, Myanmar 25.0 km
7.0 31 km SE of Falam, Myanmar 75.0 km
6.2 139 km N of K?ng Tung, Myanmar 15.0 km
6.1 76 km NNW of Mogok, Myanmar 15.0 km
6.1 290 km WSW of Dawei, Myanmar 15.0 km
6.3 106 km ENE of Myitkyina, Myanmar 10.0 km
6.1 64 km WSW of Myitkyina, Myanmar 15.0 km
7.5 36 km SSW of Pyu, Myanmar 10.0 km
6.3 113 km ENE of Myitkyina, Myanmar 35.0 km
6.7 129 km ENE of Myitkyina, Myanmar 15.0 km
7.4 41 km SW of Nyaunglebin, Myanmar 35.0 km
6.5 110 km E of Myitkyina, Myanmar 35.0 km
6.2 88 km NE of Myitkyina, Myanmar 15.0 km
6.5 56 km SSW of Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar 15.0 km
7.3 99 km E of Lashio, Myanmar 25.0 km
6.1 292 km SW of Sittwe, Myanmar 15.0 km
7.9 32 km NW of Taunggyi, Myanmar 15.0 km
6.7 36 km NE of Magway, Myanmar 35.0 km
7.3 62 km S of Bhamo, Myanmar 15.0 km

Countries with similar seismic activity

Comparable catalogued earthquake frequency to Myanmar.

Iceland

982 M4+ events · strongest M6.3

M6.3

Canada

1,014 M4+ events · strongest M7.8

M7.8

Ecuador

1,069 M4+ events · strongest M7.8

M7.8

India region

835 M4+ events · strongest M7.5

M7.5

Bolivia

832 M4+ events · strongest M6.8

M6.8

Wallis and Futuna

805 M4+ events · strongest M6.7

M6.7

Understand the data

How earthquakes are measured

Magnitude scales, seismographs, and depth.

Reading earthquake data

Interpreting magnitude, depth and frequency.

Earthquake preparedness

Before, during and after a quake.

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in Myanmar? ▼
The USGS catalog records 983 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in Myanmar since 2005, an average of about 47 per year. Separately, 58 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in Myanmar? ▼
The strongest catalogued earthquake in Myanmar measured magnitude 7.9. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 4.5 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is Myanmar? ▼
By catalogued M4+ activity, Myanmar ranks 34th of 215 countries worldwide - a moderately seismically active country. Its busiest year for major (M6+) events was 1930, with 5.
How deep are earthquakes in Myanmar? ▼
Across the 58 major (M6+) events on record, the average depth is 32 km. 88% 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 this data

Every figure on this page is computed directly from the USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), the public-domain record maintained by the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. Two series are combined: a worldwide catalog of magnitude-4.0-and-above events from 2005 onward, the period over which the global seismograph network reliably detects and locates earthquakes everywhere, and a historical series of significant magnitude-6.0-and-above events stretching back to 1900. Magnitudes use the moment-magnitude scale (Mw), the modern standard that supersedes the older Richter scale; because the scale is logarithmic, each whole step represents roughly thirty-two times more energy released. Depth is measured in kilometres from the surface, and shallow earthquakes generally produce stronger shaking than deep ones of the same magnitude. Counts reflect what instruments recorded, not every tremor that occurred, and recent events can be revised as seismologists refine the catalog.

Source: USGS ComCat, verify with USGS → · See our methodology for the full pipeline.

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