Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan has catalogued 101 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 78th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M7.1.
Uzbekistan ranks 78th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity, averaging about 5 M4+ events a year alongside 13 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. Severity outweighs frequency here: 31% of its M6+ record sits at M7 or above.
- 101
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 13
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M7.1
- Strongest
- ~5
- M4+ per year
The verdict
Uzbekistan is moderately seismically active, above the global median, with 101 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 13 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.1.
- 1976
- busiest year (3 major events)
- 22 km
- average recorded event depth
- 100%
- of events are shallow (<70 km, the most damaging kind)
Average catalogued magnitude is 4.5 - most events are moderate M4-5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage. On the M4+ activity ladder Cayman Islands sits immediately above at 107 events and Cyprus sits immediately below at 97.
Where Uzbekistan sits in the catalog
Rank 78th of 187 tracked countries (58th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Cayman Islands sits immediately above at 107 events and Cyprus sits immediately below at 97.
- Cayman Islands - next more active (107 M4+)
- Cyprus - next less active (97 M4+)
Same M4+ count, broken by peak magnitude
2 tracked countries share Uzbekistan's exact count of 101 M4+ events since 2005. Among that cohort, Uzbekistan ranks 2nd of 2 by strongest recorded magnitude (M5.7).
| Country | M4+ count | Strongest |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 101 | M6.8 |
| Uzbekistan (this page) | 101 | M5.7 |
Major (M6+) earthquakes in Uzbekistan by year
Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year
- 1906 1
1906: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1927 1
1927: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1932 1
1932: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1935 1
1935: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1942 1
1942: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1943 1
1943: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1947 1
1947: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1959 1
1959: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1976
1976: 3 major (M6+) events
3
- 1978 1
1978: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1984 1
1984: 1 major (M6+) events
1
What this shows Uzbekistan's most active year for major earthquakes was 1976 (3 M6+ events). Major-quake counts are irregular, they track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.
0 of 101 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.
Magnitude distribution of major events
Breakdown of the 13 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Uzbekistan.
M7.0-7.9
4
30.8%
M6.0-6.9
9
69.2%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 13 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 22 km.
Shallow (<70 km)
13
100.0% of events
Intermediate (70–300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Deep (>300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Strongest earthquakes in Uzbekistan
The 10 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.1 | 24 km SSW of Tirmiz, Uzbekistan | 35.0 km | Oct 24, 1906 |
| 7.0 | 22 km NNW of Gazli, Uzbekistan | 14.5 km | Mar 19, 1984 |
| 7.0 | 27 km N of Gazli, Uzbekistan | 10.0 km | May 17, 1976 |
| 7.0 | 33 km NE of Gazli, Uzbekistan | 33.0 km | Apr 8, 1976 |
| 6.3 | 12 km NNE of Sho‘rchi, Uzbekistan | 35.0 km | Jan 11, 1943 |
| 6.3 | 14 km ENE of Haqqulobod, Uzbekistan | 15.0 km | Jun 2, 1947 |
| 6.2 | 18 km SE of Boysun, Uzbekistan | 15.0 km | Jul 5, 1935 |
| 6.2 | 29 km E of Gazli, Uzbekistan | 33.0 km | Apr 8, 1976 |
| 6.2 | 1 km ENE of To‘rqao‘rg‘on, Uzbekistan | 15.0 km | Aug 12, 1927 |
| 6.1 | 115 km NNE of Nurota, Uzbekistan | 15.0 km | Oct 2, 1932 |
Significant earthquake record (13 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Uzbekistan since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.0 | 22 km NNW of Gazli, Uzbekistan | 14.5 km | Mar 19, 1984 |
| 6.0 | 30 km NNE of Gazli, Uzbekistan | 33.0 km | Jun 4, 1978 |
| 7.0 | 27 km N of Gazli, Uzbekistan | 10.0 km | May 17, 1976 |
| 6.2 | 29 km E of Gazli, Uzbekistan | 33.0 km | Apr 8, 1976 |
| 7.0 | 33 km NE of Gazli, Uzbekistan | 33.0 km | Apr 8, 1976 |
| 6.0 | 13 km NNE of G‘azalkent, Uzbekistan | 15.0 km | Oct 24, 1959 |
| 6.3 | 14 km ENE of Haqqulobod, Uzbekistan | 15.0 km | Jun 2, 1947 |
| 6.3 | 12 km NNE of Sho‘rchi, Uzbekistan | 35.0 km | Jan 11, 1943 |
| 6.1 | 11 km ESE of Chust, Uzbekistan | 15.0 km | Jan 18, 1942 |
| 6.2 | 18 km SE of Boysun, Uzbekistan | 15.0 km | Jul 5, 1935 |
| 6.1 | 115 km NNE of Nurota, Uzbekistan | 15.0 km | Oct 2, 1932 |
| 6.2 | 1 km ENE of To‘rqao‘rg‘on, Uzbekistan | 15.0 km | Aug 12, 1927 |
| 7.1 | 24 km SSW of Tirmiz, Uzbekistan | 35.0 km | Oct 24, 1906 |
Other countries in this catalog sample
A Uzbekistan-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second Uzbekistan-keyed shuffle of countries with a recorded max magnitude.
Understand the data
Frequently asked questions
How many earthquakes have occurred in Uzbekistan? ▼
What was the strongest earthquake in Uzbekistan? ▼
How seismically active is Uzbekistan? ▼
How deep are earthquakes in Uzbekistan? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
About Uzbekistan's figures
101 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M7.1 · average M4.5 · 13 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Jun 24, 2026. 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 Uzbekistan's numbers mean
Uzbekistan ranks 78th of 187 countries tracked - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.
- About 5 M4+ earthquakes strike Uzbekistan per year on average, though major (M6+) activity is episodic - 1976 was the busiest year on record with 3 significant events. See the full country ranking
- 100% of Uzbekistan'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 M7.1. 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.