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Country profile · USGS ComCat

Earthquakes in Sweden

Sweden has catalogued 6 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 150th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M4.6.

Sweden ranks 150th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity, averaging about 0 M4+ events a year alongside 0 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900.

6
M4+ events (since 2005)
0
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M4.6
Strongest
~0
M4+ per year

The verdict

Sweden is relatively quiet seismically compared to most places tracked here, with 6 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 0 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 4.6.

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 4.2 - most events are moderate M4-5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage. On the M4+ activity ladder Hungary sits immediately above at 7 events and Jordan sits immediately below at 5.

Where Sweden sits in the catalog

Rank 150th of 187 tracked countries (17th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Hungary sits immediately above at 7 events and Jordan sits immediately below at 5.

  • Hungary - next more active (7 M4+)
  • Jordan - next less active (5 M4+)

Same M4+ count, broken by peak magnitude

6 tracked countries share Sweden's exact count of 6 M4+ events since 2005. Among that cohort, Sweden ranks 5th of 6 by strongest recorded magnitude (M4.6).

Country M4+ count Strongest
United Arab Emirates 6 M4.7
Bermuda 6 M4.6
Sweden (this page) 6 M4.6
Czechia 6 M4.4
0%100%0%
Share of Sweden's M4+ catalog that reached significant M6+ severity

0 of 6 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in Sweden?
The USGS catalog records 6 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in Sweden since 2005, an average of about 0 per year. Separately, 0 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in Sweden?
The strongest catalogued earthquake in Sweden measured magnitude 4.6. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 4.2 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is Sweden?
By catalogued M4+ activity, Sweden ranks 150th of 187 countries worldwide - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.
How deep are earthquakes in Sweden?
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 Sweden's figures

6 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M4.6 · average M4.2 · 0 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Mar 19, 2016. 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 Sweden's numbers mean

Sweden ranks 150th of 187 countries tracked - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.

  • About 0 M4+ earthquakes strike Sweden per year on average. See the full country ranking
  • 0% of Sweden'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 M4.6. 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.