Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Tajikistan
Tajikistan has catalogued 1,594 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 27th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M7.5.
Tajikistan ranks 27th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a highly seismically active country, averaging about 76 M4+ events a year alongside 34 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. Its M6+ record runs from 1907 to 2023, peaking in 1949.
- 1,594
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 34
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M7.5
- Strongest
- ~76
- M4+ per year
The verdict
Tajikistan is more seismically active than most places tracked here, with 1,594 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 34 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.5.
- 1949
- busiest year (5 major events)
- 49 km
- average recorded event depth
- 76%
- of events are shallow (<70 km, the most damaging kind)
Average catalogued magnitude is 4.4 - most events are moderate M4-5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage. On the M4+ activity ladder Colombia sits immediately above at 1,738 events and El Salvador sits immediately below at 1,509.
Catalog event strip
Event tape TAJIKISTAN · Tajikistan M4+ · 27th/187
Tajikistan · 1,594 M4+ · max M7.5 · 34 M6+
- BAND 1,594
- STRIP 27th/187
- BOOK M7.5
- RANK 34
- MAX near Colombia
- M6 76% shallow
Stamps derive from this country's USGS ComCat row (M4+ book, rank, peak magnitude, M6+ record, ladder neighbour, depth/peak year), not a hazard forecast. PlainQuake is informational only - not professional advice and not a substitute for official USGS guidance. See our disclaimer. Verify with USGS ComCat → · Read with methodology → · How earthquakes are measured → · Reading earthquake data → · All country catalog rows → · Countries ranked →
Observed impact record
What ComCat observed after earthquakes in Tajikistan
USGS recorded Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) for 26 events in this catalogued record; their average observed intensity was MMI 6.1. These are only events with an observation, not an estimate of future shaking or a safety rating.
- MMI observations
- 26
- Average observed MMI
- 6.1
- PAGER alerts / tsunami flags
- 5 / 0
Source: USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) GeoJSON impact fields. Missing MMI, alert, and tsunami values remain unreported rather than being treated as zero.
Where Tajikistan sits in the catalog
Rank 27th of 187 tracked countries (86th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Colombia sits immediately above at 1,738 events and El Salvador sits immediately below at 1,509.
- Colombia - next more active (1,738 M4+)
- El Salvador - next less active (1,509 M4+)
Tajikistan's M4+ count vs. every tracked country
Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat
1,594 Top 14% higher than 86% of 187 countries
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
Major (M6+) earthquakes in Tajikistan by year
Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year
- 1965
1965: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1967
1967: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1969
1969: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1972
1972: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1984
1984: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2007
2007: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2011
2011: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2015
2015: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2016
2016: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2017
2017: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2018
2018: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2023
2023: 1 major (M6+) events
1
What this shows Tajikistan's most active year for major earthquakes was 1949 (5 M6+ events). Major-quake counts are irregular, they track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.
7 of 1,594 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.
Magnitude distribution of major events
Breakdown of the 34 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Tajikistan.
M7.0-7.9
4
11.8%
M6.0-6.9
30
88.2%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 34 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 49 km.
Shallow (<70 km)
26
76.5% of events
Intermediate (70–300 km)
8
23.5% of events
Deep (>300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Strongest earthquakes in Tajikistan
The 10 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.5 | 43 km ENE of Rasht, Tajikistan | 20.0 km | Jul 10, 1949 |
| 7.4 | 45 km SE of Panjakent, Tajikistan | 20.0 km | Oct 21, 1907 |
| 7.2 | 120 km W of Murghob, Tajikistan | 15.0 km | Feb 18, 1911 |
| 7.2 | 104 km W of Murghob, Tajikistan | 22.0 km | Dec 7, 2015 |
| 6.9 | 65 km WSW of Murghob, Tajikistan | 9.0 km | Feb 23, 2023 |
| 6.9 | 127 km E of Khorugh, Tajikistan | 220.0 km | Oct 23, 1908 |
| 6.8 | 40 km WSW of Karakenja, Tajikistan | 20.0 km | Jul 10, 1949 |
| 6.6 | 107 km WNW of Murghob, Tajikistan | 20.0 km | Dec 1, 1918 |
| 6.6 | 122 km N of Murghob, Tajikistan | 17.0 km | Nov 25, 2016 |
| 6.6 | 43 km NE of Khorugh, Tajikistan | 105.0 km | Dec 25, 1907 |
Significant earthquake record (34 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Tajikistan since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.9 | 65 km WSW of Murghob, Tajikistan | 9.0 km | Feb 23, 2023 |
| 6.2 | 36 km NW of Ishqoshim, Tajikistan | 116.0 km | May 9, 2018 |
| 6.0 | 29 km NNW of Karakenja, Tajikistan | 11.0 km | May 3, 2017 |
| 6.6 | 122 km N of Murghob, Tajikistan | 17.0 km | Nov 25, 2016 |
| 7.2 | 104 km W of Murghob, Tajikistan | 22.0 km | Dec 7, 2015 |
| 6.0 | 106 km WNW of Murghob, Tajikistan | 110.0 km | Jan 24, 2011 |
| 6.0 | 23 km WSW of Vorukh, Tajikistan | 16.0 km | Jan 8, 2007 |
| 6.1 | 19 km WSW of Karakenja, Tajikistan | 33.0 km | Oct 26, 1984 |
| 6.2 | 73 km WNW of Murghob, Tajikistan | 113.5 km | Nov 12, 1972 |
| 6.1 | 42 km SSE of Khorugh, Tajikistan | 115.1 km | Nov 24, 1969 |
| 6.0 | 1 km SE of Ishqoshim, Tajikistan | 273.2 km | Jan 25, 1967 |
| 6.1 | 98 km SW of Murghob, Tajikistan | 21.1 km | Feb 2, 1965 |
| 6.5 | 82 km NW of Murghob, Tajikistan | 35.0 km | Oct 16, 1963 |
| 6.3 | 104 km W of Murghob, Tajikistan | 124.9 km | Mar 6, 1955 |
| 6.1 | 17 km SSE of Karakenja, Tajikistan | 15.0 km | Apr 14, 1951 |
| 6.0 | 40 km WSW of Karakenja, Tajikistan | 20.0 km | Jul 19, 1949 |
| 6.8 | 40 km WSW of Karakenja, Tajikistan | 20.0 km | Jul 10, 1949 |
| 6.6 | 28 km SW of Karakenja, Tajikistan | 20.0 km | Jul 10, 1949 |
| 6.1 | 46 km WSW of Karakenja, Tajikistan | 20.0 km | Jul 10, 1949 |
| 7.5 | 43 km ENE of Rasht, Tajikistan | 20.0 km | Jul 10, 1949 |
| 6.5 | 67 km NNE of Murghob, Tajikistan | 15.0 km | Sep 27, 1944 |
| 6.5 | 18 km NNE of Rasht, Tajikistan | 20.0 km | Apr 20, 1941 |
| 6.3 | 38 km ENE of Rasht, Tajikistan | 20.0 km | Oct 8, 1935 |
| 6.5 | 47 km WSW of Karakenja, Tajikistan | 15.0 km | Aug 31, 1934 |
| 6.2 | 25 km E of Rasht, Tajikistan | 20.0 km | Sep 16, 1924 |
| 6.5 | 29 km S of Istaravshan, Tajikistan | 20.0 km | Dec 28, 1923 |
| 6.4 | 64 km NNW of Khorugh, Tajikistan | 10.0 km | Dec 17, 1922 |
| 6.6 | 107 km WNW of Murghob, Tajikistan | 20.0 km | Dec 1, 1918 |
| 7.2 | 120 km W of Murghob, Tajikistan | 15.0 km | Feb 18, 1911 |
| 6.9 | 127 km E of Khorugh, Tajikistan | 220.0 km | Oct 23, 1908 |
| 6.6 | 43 km NE of Khorugh, Tajikistan | 105.0 km | Dec 25, 1907 |
| 6.5 | 47 km NW of Khodzha-Maston, Tajikistan | 15.0 km | Oct 27, 1907 |
| 7.4 | 45 km SE of Panjakent, Tajikistan | 20.0 km | Oct 21, 1907 |
| 6.3 | 11 km NE of Karakenja, Tajikistan | 15.0 km | Sep 15, 1907 |
Other countries in this catalog sample
A Tajikistan-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.
Grenada
19 M4+ events · strongest M5.5
Saudi Arabia
114 M4+ events · strongest M5.7
Philippines
14,420 M4+ events · strongest M7.8
Central African Republic
2 M4+ events · strongest M4.7
Guatemala
1,971 M4+ events · strongest M7.4
North Korea
12 M4+ events · strongest M5.9
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second Tajikistan-keyed shuffle of countries with a recorded max magnitude.
Showing 6 of 186 countries with a recorded max magnitude.
According to the US Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, PlainQuake's figures are rendered directly from 317,293 recorded M4+ earthquakes and 14,444 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 2026-08-26.