Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in United Kingdom
United Kingdom has catalogued 10 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 142nd of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M4.8.
United Kingdom ranks 142nd 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.
- 10
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 0
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M4.8
- Strongest
- ~0
- M4+ per year
The verdict
United Kingdom is relatively quiet seismically compared to most places tracked here, with 10 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 0 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 4.8.
- 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 4.3 - most events are moderate M4-5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage. On the M4+ activity ladder Gabon sits immediately above at 11 events and Germany sits immediately below at 9.
Where United Kingdom sits in the catalog
Rank 142nd of 187 tracked countries (23th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Gabon sits immediately above at 11 events and Germany sits immediately below at 9.
Same M4+ count, broken by peak magnitude
3 tracked countries share United Kingdom's exact count of 10 M4+ events since 2005. Among that cohort, United Kingdom ranks 1st of 3 by strongest recorded magnitude (M4.8).
0 of 10 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.
Other countries in this catalog sample
A United Kingdom-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second United Kingdom-keyed shuffle of countries with a recorded max magnitude.
Understand the data
Frequently asked questions
How many earthquakes have occurred in United Kingdom? ▼
What was the strongest earthquake in United Kingdom? ▼
How seismically active is United Kingdom? ▼
How deep are earthquakes in United Kingdom? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
About United Kingdom's figures
10 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M4.8 · average M4.3 · 0 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Jan 31, 2022. 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 United Kingdom's numbers mean
United Kingdom ranks 142nd of 187 countries tracked - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.
- About 0 M4+ earthquakes strike United Kingdom per year on average. See the full country ranking
- 0% of United Kingdom'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 M4.8. 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.