Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Rwanda
Rwanda has catalogued 42 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 105th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M5.9.
Rwanda ranks 105th 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.
- 42
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 0
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M5.9
- Strongest
- ~2
- M4+ per year
The verdict
Rwanda is below the global median in catalogued seismic activity, with 42 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 0 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 5.9.
- 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 4.6 - most events are moderate M4-5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage. On the M4+ activity ladder Oman sits immediately above at 44 events and Jamaica sits immediately below at 39.
Where Rwanda sits in the catalog
Rank 105th of 187 tracked countries (43th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Oman sits immediately above at 44 events and Jamaica sits immediately below at 39.
Same M4+ count, broken by peak magnitude
3 tracked countries share Rwanda's exact count of 42 M4+ events since 2005. Among that cohort, Rwanda ranks 1st of 3 by strongest recorded magnitude (M5.9).
| Country | M4+ count | Strongest |
|---|---|---|
| Rwanda (this page) | 42 | M5.9 |
| North Macedonia | 42 | M5.5 |
| Montenegro | 42 | M5.2 |
0 of 42 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.
Other countries in this catalog sample
A Rwanda-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second Rwanda-keyed shuffle of countries with a recorded max magnitude.
Understand the data
Frequently asked questions
How many earthquakes have occurred in Rwanda? ▼
What was the strongest earthquake in Rwanda? ▼
How seismically active is Rwanda? ▼
How deep are earthquakes in Rwanda? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
About Rwanda's figures
42 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M5.9 · average M4.6 · 0 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Nov 1, 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 Rwanda's numbers mean
Rwanda ranks 105th of 187 countries tracked - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.
- About 2 M4+ earthquakes strike Rwanda per year on average. See the full country ranking
- 0% of Rwanda'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 M5.9. 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.