PlainQuake

Country profile · USGS ComCat

Earthquakes in Myanmar

Myanmar has catalogued 1,136 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 31st of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M7.9.

Myanmar ranks 31st of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a highly seismically active country, averaging about 54 M4+ events a year alongside 62 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. Its M6+ record runs from 1905 to 2025, peaking in 1930.

1,136
M4+ events (since 2005)
62
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M7.9
Strongest
~54
M4+ per year

The verdict

Myanmar is more seismically active than most places tracked here, with 1,136 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 62 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.9.

1930
busiest year (5 major events)
31 km
average recorded event depth
89%
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 Pakistan sits immediately above at 1,262 events and Ecuador sits immediately below at 1,130.

Where Myanmar sits in the catalog

Rank 31st of 187 tracked countries (83th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Pakistan sits immediately above at 1,262 events and Ecuador sits immediately below at 1,130.

  • Pakistan - next more active (1,262 M4+)
  • Ecuador - next less active (1,130 M4+)

Myanmar's M4+ count vs. every tracked country

Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat

1,136 Top 17% higher than 83% of 187 countries

0–500: 143 countries (76%). Below this entry. 500–1,000: 11 countries (6%). Below this entry. 1,000–1,500: 5 countries (3%). This entry sits in this band. 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. Myanmar 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 Myanmar compares to its nearest peers

Myanmar ranks in the 83th 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).

Myanmar 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 01,0002,0003,0004,000 M6M6.5M7M7.5M8 M4+ events since 2005 Strongest recorded magnitude
Myanmar vs. its 20 nearest-ranked peer countries, USGS ComCat
Read the chart (all 21 values)
Country M4+ events Strongest magnitude
Timor Leste 3,416 M7.3
Taiwan 2,531 M7.4
Turkey 2,249 M7.8
Guatemala 1,951 M7.4
New Caledonia 1,917 M7.5
Colombia 1,721 M7.3
Tajikistan 1,583 M7.2
El Salvador 1,501 M7.3
Nicaragua 1,416 M6.6
Pakistan 1,262 M7.7
Myanmar (this page) 1,136 M7.7
Ecuador 1,130 M7.8
Canada 1,026 M7.8
Iceland 982 M6.3
Bolivia 832 M6.8
Wallis and Futuna 807 M6.7
Costa Rica 717 M7.6
Panama 704 M6.7
Nepal 694 M7.8
Micronesia 672 M6.6
Kyrgyzstan 625 M6.7

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 2005–present
0%100%0.7%
Share of Myanmar's M4+ catalog that reached significant M6+ severity

8 of 1,136 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.

Magnitude distribution of major events

Breakdown of the 62 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Myanmar.

How the 62 total breaks down by magnitude M6.0-6.9 is the largest share -- 83.9%

M7.0-7.9

10

16.1%

M6.0-6.9

52

83.9%

Depth of major earthquakes

Hypocentral depth of the 62 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 31 km.

Myanmar88.7%11.3%Shallow (<70 km)Intermediate (70-300 km)Deep (>300 km)
Depth distribution of Myanmar's M6+ events, USGS ComCat

Shallow (<70 km)

55

88.7% of events

Intermediate (70–300 km)

7

11.3% 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
7.7 2025 Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar) Earthquake 10.0 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

Significant earthquake record (62 events)

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

Mag Location Depth
7.7 2025 Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar) Earthquake 10.0 km
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
6.2 101 km W of Myitkyina, Burma (Myanmar) 10.0 km
6.3 70 km SSE of Mawlaik, Myanmar 135.0 km
6.7 188 km WSW of Dawei, Burma (Myanmar) 26.6 km
6.4 230 km W of Dawei, Burma (Myanmar) 13.1 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

Other countries in this catalog sample

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

Sweden

6 M4+ events · strongest M4.6

M4.6

Algeria

245 M4+ events · strongest M6.0

M6.0

Mayotte

232 M4+ events · strongest M5.9

M5.9

Mozambique

59 M4+ events · strongest M5.6

M5.6

Japan

27,851 M4+ events · strongest M9.1

M9.1

Venezuela

531 M4+ events · strongest M7.5

M7.5

Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster

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

Peru

4,598 M4+ events

M8.0

Venezuela

531 M4+ events

M7.5

Papua New Guinea

15,655 M4+ events

M7.9

Costa Rica

717 M4+ events

M7.6

Turkey

2,249 M4+ events

M7.8

Cayman Islands

107 M4+ events

M7.6

Understand the data

Pakistan

Next more active on the M4+ ladder.

Ecuador

Next less active on the M4+ ladder.

Country rankings

Every country by M4+ activity.

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in Myanmar? ▼
The USGS catalog records 1,136 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in Myanmar since 2005, an average of about 54 per year. Separately, 62 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 31st of 187 countries worldwide - a highly seismically active country. Its busiest year for major (M6+) events was 1930, with 5.
How deep are earthquakes in Myanmar? ▼
Across the 62 major (M6+) events on record, the average depth is 31 km. 89% 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 Myanmar's figures

1,136 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M7.9 · average M4.5 · 62 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Jul 17, 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 Myanmar's numbers mean

Myanmar ranks 31st of 187 countries tracked - a highly seismically active country.

  • About 54 M4+ earthquakes strike Myanmar per year on average, though major (M6+) activity is episodic - 1930 was the busiest year on record with 5 significant events. See the full country ranking
  • 89% of Myanmar'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 M7.9. 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.