Indonesia vs United States: Number of significant volcanic eruptions
Number of significant volcanic eruptions over time
- Indonesia
- United States
How they compare
Indonesia currently reports 4 events against 3 events in United States, a difference of 1 events.
That makes Indonesia's figure about 1.3 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 17 shared years of data; in 1800 it was United States ahead.
Indonesia ranks 1st and United States ranks 2nd of 25 countries.
Across the 11 decades both report, Indonesia averaged higher in 5 and United States in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Indonesia | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800s | 1 events | 2 events | 1 events | United States |
| 1840s | 1 events | 1 events | 0 events | — |
| 1850s | 1 events | 1 events | 0 events | — |
| 1880s | 2 events | 1 events | 1 events | Indonesia |
| 1910s | 2 events | 1 events | 1 events | Indonesia |
| 1920s | 1 events | 1 events | 0 events | — |
| 1940s | 1 events | 1 events | 0 events | — |
| 1970s | 1 events | 1 events | 0 events | — |
| 1990s | 2.75 events | 1 events | 1.75 events | Indonesia |
| 2000s | 2 events | 1 events | 1 events | Indonesia |
| 2010s | 3 events | 1.5 events | 1.5 events | Indonesia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher number of significant volcanic eruptions, Indonesia or United States?
- Indonesia, at 4 events against 3 events in United States as of 2024.
- What is the difference in number of significant volcanic eruptions between Indonesia and United States?
- 1 events, with Indonesia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Indonesia and United States?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 1800 to 2018.
- How do Indonesia and United States rank globally for number of significant volcanic eruptions?
- Indonesia ranks 1st and United States ranks 2nd of 25 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 volcanic eruptions. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
A significant eruption is classified as one that meets at least one of the following criteria: caused fatalities, caused moderate damage (approximately $1 million or more), with a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 6 or larger, caused a tsunami, or was associated with a major earthquake.