Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Switzerland
Switzerland has catalogued 12 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 132nd of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M6.2.
Switzerland ranks 132nd of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity, averaging about 1 M4+ events a year alongside 1 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. The M6+ record here is a single event, so one quake sets every figure on this page.
- 12
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 1
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M6.2
- Strongest
- ~1
- M4+ per year
The verdict
Switzerland is below the global median in catalogued seismic activity, with 12 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 1 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 6.2.
- 1946
- busiest year (1 major events)
- 10 km
- average recorded event depth
- 100%
- 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 Botswana sits immediately above at 13 events and Gabon sits immediately below at 11.
Where Switzerland sits in the catalog
Rank 132nd of 187 tracked countries (26th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Botswana sits immediately above at 13 events and Gabon sits immediately below at 11.
Same M4+ count, broken by peak magnitude
7 tracked countries share Switzerland's exact count of 12 M4+ events since 2005. Among that cohort, Switzerland ranks 7th of 7 by strongest recorded magnitude (M4.5).
0 of 12 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.
Magnitude distribution of major events
Breakdown of the 1 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Switzerland.
M6.0-6.9
1
100.0%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 1 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 10 km.
Shallow (<70 km)
1
100.0% of events
Intermediate (70–300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Deep (>300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Strongest earthquakes in Switzerland
The 1 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.2 | 2 km WNW of Kandersteg, Switzerland | 10.0 km | Jan 25, 1946 |
Significant earthquake record (1 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Switzerland since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.2 | 2 km WNW of Kandersteg, Switzerland | 10.0 km | Jan 25, 1946 |
Other countries in this catalog sample
A Switzerland-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
6 M4+ events · strongest M4.8
China
4,952 M4+ events · strongest M7.9
Tonga
10,847 M4+ events · strongest M7.6
Mayotte
232 M4+ events · strongest M5.9
Comoros
12 M4+ events · strongest M5.1
Antigua and Barbuda
129 M4+ events · strongest M6.6
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second Switzerland-keyed shuffle of countries with a recorded max magnitude.
Understand the data
Frequently asked questions
How many earthquakes have occurred in Switzerland? ▼
What was the strongest earthquake in Switzerland? ▼
How seismically active is Switzerland? ▼
How deep are earthquakes in Switzerland? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
About Switzerland's figures
12 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M6.2 · average M4.2 · 1 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Jul 21, 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 Switzerland's numbers mean
Switzerland ranks 132nd of 187 countries tracked - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.
- About 1 M4+ earthquakes strike Switzerland per year on average, though major (M6+) activity is episodic - 1946 was the busiest year on record with 1 significant events. See the full country ranking
- 100% of Switzerland'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 M6.2. 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.