China vs United States: Number of significant earthquakes
China
1 events
in 2024
United States
1 events
in 2024
China rank
21st
United States rank
21st
Number of significant earthquakes over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
China currently reports 1 events against 1 events in United States, a difference of 0 events.
The two have swapped places 38 times across 104 shared years of data; in 1500 it was United States ahead.
China ranks 21st and United States ranks 21st of 97 countries.
Across the 26 decades both report, China averaged higher in 12 and United States in 9.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1500s | 1 events | 1 events | 0 events | — |
| 1660s | 1 events | 1 events | 0 events | — |
| 1750s | 2 events | 1 events | 1 events | China |
| 1790s | 1 events | 1 events | 0 events | — |
| 1800s | 1 events | 1 events | 0 events | — |
| 1810s | 1 events | 2.33 events | 1.33 events | United States |
| 1820s | 1 events | 1 events | 0 events | — |
| 1830s | 2 events | 1 events | 1 events | China |
| 1850s | 1.25 events | 2 events | 0.75 events | United States |
| 1860s | 1 events | 1.67 events | 0.6667 events | United States |
| 1870s | 1 events | 1.5 events | 0.5 events | United States |
| 1880s | 1 events | 2.5 events | 1.5 events | United States |
| 1890s | 1.33 events | 2 events | 0.6667 events | United States |
| 1900s | 1.67 events | 2 events | 0.3333 events | United States |
| 1910s | 2.25 events | 1.25 events | 1 events | China |
| 1920s | 1.83 events | 2 events | 0.1667 events | United States |
| 1930s | 2.33 events | 1.67 events | 0.6667 events | China |
| 1940s | 3.17 events | 1.5 events | 1.67 events | China |
| 1950s | 3.29 events | 2.14 events | 1.14 events | China |
| 1960s | 4 events | 1.8 events | 2.2 events | China |
| 1970s | 1.4 events | 2.4 events | 1 events | United States |
| 1980s | 3.2 events | 2.8 events | 0.4 events | China |
| 1990s | 2.5 events | 2.38 events | 0.125 events | China |
| 2000s | 7.11 events | 2.78 events | 4.33 events | China |
| 2010s | 7 events | 3.38 events | 3.62 events | China |
| 2020s | 3.2 events | 1.6 events | 1.6 events | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher number of significant earthquakes, China or United States?
- China, at 1 events against 1 events in United States as of 2024.
- What is the difference in number of significant earthquakes between China and United States?
- 0 events, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 104 years are reported by both, from 1500 to 2024.
- How do China and United States rank globally for number of significant earthquakes?
- China ranks 21st and United States ranks 21st of 97 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Number of significant earthquakes. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
A significant earthquake meets at least one of the following: caused deaths, moderate damage ($1 million or more), a magnitude 7.5 or greater, Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) X or greater, or generated a tsunami. Due to data availability, recent data will be more complete than older historical estimates.