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Country profile · USGS ComCat

Earthquakes in Nepal

Nepal ranks 41st 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.

694
M4+ events (since 2005)
17
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M7.8
Strongest
~33
M4+ per year

The verdict

Nepal has logged 694 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 and 17 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.8.

#41
of 215 countries by M4+ activity
694
catalogued M4+ events (2005–present)
M7.8
strongest earthquake on record
17
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 Nepal by year

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

Value

What this shows Nepal's most active year for major earthquakes was 2015 (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 17 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Nepal.

M7.0-7.9

1

5.9%

M6.0-6.9

16

94.1%

Depth of major earthquakes

Hypocentral depth of the 17 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 18 km.

Shallow (<70 km)

17

100.0% of events

Intermediate (70–300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Deep (>300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Strongest earthquakes in Nepal

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

Mag Location Depth
7.8 67 km NNE of Bharatpur, Nepal 8.2 km
7.0 21 km SE of Dārchulā, Nepal 20.0 km
6.9 9 km WSW of Triyuga, Nepal 57.4 km
6.9 28 km WNW of B?glung, Nepal 15.0 km
6.7 21 km SSE of Kod?ri??, Nepal 22.9 km
6.7 221 km NE of Jumla, Nepal 12.0 km
6.6 37 km ESE of Dārchulā, Nepal 26.5 km
6.6 71 km NNE of Bharatpur, Nepal 10.0 km
6.5 40 km NNE of Dipayal, Nepal 18.0 km
6.3 42 km SSE of Kod?ri??, Nepal 15.0 km

Significant earthquake record (17 events)

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

Mag Location Depth
6.3 42 km SSE of Kod?ri??, Nepal 15.0 km
6.7 21 km SSE of Kod?ri??, Nepal 22.9 km
6.6 71 km NNE of Bharatpur, Nepal 10.0 km
6.1 0 km NNW of Dhulikhel, Nepal 10.0 km
7.8 67 km NNE of Bharatpur, Nepal 8.2 km
6.0 213 km NE of Jumla, Nepal 4.0 km
6.7 221 km NE of Jumla, Nepal 12.0 km
6.3 196 km NE of Jumla, Nepal 11.0 km
6.2 213 km NE of Jumla, Nepal 13.0 km
6.2 135 km NNE of Lobujya, Nepal 12.2 km
6.9 9 km WSW of Triyuga, Nepal 57.4 km
6.5 40 km NNE of Dipayal, Nepal 18.0 km
6.6 37 km ESE of Dārchulā, Nepal 26.5 km
6.0 28 km NNW of Dipayal, Nepal 29.1 km
6.9 28 km WNW of B?glung, Nepal 15.0 km
6.2 26 km E of Birendranagar, Nepal 15.0 km
7.0 21 km SE of Dārchulā, Nepal 20.0 km

Countries with similar seismic activity

Comparable catalogued earthquake frequency to Nepal.

Panama

704 M4+ events · strongest M6.7

M6.7

Costa Rica

715 M4+ events · strongest M7.6

M7.6

Micronesia

671 M4+ events · strongest M6.6

M6.6

Kyrgyzstan

624 M4+ events · strongest M6.7

M6.7

Italy

608 M4+ events · strongest M6.6

M6.6

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 Nepal? ▼
The USGS catalog records 694 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in Nepal since 2005, an average of about 33 per year. Separately, 17 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in Nepal? ▼
The strongest catalogued earthquake in Nepal measured magnitude 7.8. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 4.5 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is Nepal? ▼
By catalogued M4+ activity, Nepal ranks 41st of 215 countries worldwide - a moderately seismically active country. Its busiest year for major (M6+) events was 2015, with 5.
How deep are earthquakes in Nepal? ▼
Across the 17 major (M6+) events on record, the average depth is 18 km. 100% 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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