PlainQuake

Country profile · USGS ComCat

Earthquakes in Vietnam

Vietnam has catalogued 80 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 87th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M6.9.

Vietnam ranks 87th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity, averaging about 4 M4+ events a year alongside 3 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. The M6+ record here is thin - 3 events in all, so a single quake moves every figure on this page.

80
M4+ events (since 2005)
3
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M6.9
Strongest
~4
M4+ per year

The verdict

Vietnam is moderately seismically active, above the global median, with 80 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 3 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 6.9.

1983
busiest year (2 major events)
22 km
average recorded event depth
100%
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 Martinique sits immediately above at 83 events and Greenland sits immediately below at 77.

Where Vietnam sits in the catalog

Rank 87th of 187 tracked countries (53th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Martinique sits immediately above at 83 events and Greenland sits immediately below at 77.

Vietnam's M4+ count vs. every tracked country

Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat

80 Top 47% higher than 53% of 187 countries

0–500: 143 countries (76%). This entry sits in this band. 500–1,000: 11 countries (6%). Above this entry. 1,000–1,500: 5 countries (3%). Above this entry. 1,500–2,000: 5 countries (3%). Above this entry. 2,000–2,500: 1 countries (1%). Above this entry. 2,500–3,000: 1 countries (1%). Above this entry. 3,000–3,500: 2 countries (1%). Above this entry. 3,500–4,000: 1 countries (1%). Above this entry. 4,000–4,500: 3 countries (2%). Above this entry. 4,500–5,000: 3 countries (2%). Above this entry. 5,000–5,500: 12 countries (6%). Above this entry. Vietnam 0 5,000+ every tracked country, bucketed by value

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

How Vietnam compares to its nearest peers

Vietnam ranks in the 53th percentile for M4+ frequency among all 187 tracked countries. Plotted here against its 20 nearest-ranked peers by how OFTEN they shake (M4+ count) against how HARD the strongest one ever hit (max recorded magnitude).

Vietnam vs. its 20 nearest-ranked peer countries, USGS ComCat 2×2 strategic matrix plotting 21 entities by M4+ events since 2005 (X) and Strongest recorded magnitude (Y), with a crosshair dividing the plot into four quadrants. Frequent and severeRare but severeFrequent, capped so farLower on both axes 406080100120 M4M5M6M7M8 M4+ events since 2005 Strongest recorded magnitude
Vietnam vs. its 20 nearest-ranked peer countries, USGS ComCat
Read the chart (all 21 values)
Country M4+ events Strongest magnitude
Cayman Islands 107 M7.6
Brazil 101 M6.8
Uzbekistan 101 M5.7
Cyprus 97 M6.6
Cuba 96 M6.8
Eritrea 93 M5.6
Spain 88 M6.3
Trinidad and Tobago 88 M6.1
Palau 84 M6.2
Martinique 83 M7.4
Vietnam (this page) 80 M5.3
Greenland 77 M4.9
Malawi 73 M6.0
Uganda 73 M5.9
Bosnia and Herzegovina 69 M5.7
Barbados 66 M6.5
Croatia 65 M6.4
Bangladesh 64 M5.5
Zambia 62 M5.9
Federated States of Micronesia 59 M6.3
Mozambique 59 M5.6
0%100%0%
Share of Vietnam's M4+ catalog that reached significant M6+ severity

0 of 80 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.

Magnitude distribution of major events

Breakdown of the 3 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Vietnam.

M6.0-6.9

3

100.0%

Depth of major earthquakes

Hypocentral depth of the 3 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 22 km.

Vietnam100%Shallow (<70 km)Intermediate (70-300 km)Deep (>300 km)
Depth distribution of Vietnam's M6+ events, USGS ComCat

Shallow (<70 km)

3

100.0% of events

Intermediate (70–300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Deep (>300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Strongest earthquakes in Vietnam

The 3 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).

Mag Location Depth
6.9 43 km W of Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam 33.0 km
6.8 27 km SE of Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam 15.0 km
6.3 45 km NE of Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam 18.4 km

Significant earthquake record (3 events)

Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Vietnam since 1900, most recent first.

Mag Location Depth
6.9 43 km W of Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam 33.0 km
6.3 45 km NE of Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam 18.4 km
6.8 27 km SE of Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam 15.0 km

Other countries in this catalog sample

A Vietnam-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.

South Korea

15 M4+ events · strongest M5.5

M5.5

Mongolia

196 M4+ events · strongest M6.7

M6.7

Sao Tome and Principe

1 M4+ events · strongest M5.5

M5.5

Reunion

2 M4+ events · strongest M5.3

M5.3

Vanuatu

7,572 M4+ events · strongest M7.8

M7.8

Slovenia

10 M4+ events · strongest M4.5

M4.5

Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster

A second Vietnam-keyed shuffle of countries with a recorded max magnitude.

Kenya

14 M4+ events

M5.2

Egypt

45 M4+ events

M5.5

Sudan

51 M4+ events

M5.3

Saint Lucia

14 M4+ events

M5.2

Djibouti

260 M4+ events

M5.5

Norway

20 M4+ events

M5.2

Understand the data

Martinique

Next more active on the M4+ ladder.

Greenland

Next less active on the M4+ ladder.

Country rankings

Every country by M4+ activity.

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in Vietnam? ▼
The USGS catalog records 80 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in Vietnam since 2005, an average of about 4 per year. Separately, 3 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in Vietnam? ▼
The strongest catalogued earthquake in Vietnam measured magnitude 6.9. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 4.4 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is Vietnam? ▼
By catalogued M4+ activity, Vietnam ranks 87th of 187 countries worldwide - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity. Its busiest year for major (M6+) events was 1983, with 2.
How deep are earthquakes in Vietnam? ▼
Across the 3 major (M6+) events on record, the average depth is 22 km. 100% 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 Vietnam's figures

80 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M6.9 · average M4.4 · 3 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Jul 14, 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 Vietnam's numbers mean

Vietnam ranks 87th of 187 countries tracked - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.

  • About 4 M4+ earthquakes strike Vietnam per year on average, though major (M6+) activity is episodic - 1983 was the busiest year on record with 2 significant events. See the full country ranking
  • 100% of Vietnam'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 M6.9. 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.