Japan vs New Zealand: Number of significant volcanic eruptions
Japan
2 events
in 2018
New Zealand
1 events
in 2019
Japan rank
3rd
New Zealand rank
6th
Number of significant volcanic eruptions over time
- Japan
- New Zealand
How they compare
Japan currently reports 2 events against 1 events in New Zealand, a difference of 1 events.
That makes Japan's figure about 2.0 times New Zealand's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 7 shared years of data; in 1846 it was New Zealand ahead.
Japan ranks 3rd and New Zealand ranks 6th of 25 countries.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | New Zealand | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1840s | 1 events | 1 events | 0 events | — |
| 1910s | 1 events | 1 events | 0 events | — |
| 1950s | 5 events | 1 events | 4 events | Japan |
| 2000s | 1 events | 1 events | 0 events | — |
| 2010s | 1 events | 1 events | 0 events | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher number of significant volcanic eruptions, Japan or New Zealand?
- Japan, at 2 events against 1 events in New Zealand as of 2018.
- What is the difference in number of significant volcanic eruptions between Japan and New Zealand?
- 1 events, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and New Zealand?
- 7 years are reported by both, from 1846 to 2015.
- How do Japan and New Zealand rank globally for number of significant volcanic eruptions?
- Japan ranks 3rd and New Zealand ranks 6th 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.