Japan vs United States: Number of significant volcanic eruptions
Japan
2 events
in 2018
United States
3 events
in 2018
Japan rank
3rd
United States rank
2nd
Number of significant volcanic eruptions over time
- Japan
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 3 events against 2 events in Japan, a difference of 1 events.
That makes United States's figure about 1.5 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 10 shared years of data; in 1856 it was United States ahead.
Japan ranks 3rd and United States ranks 2nd of 25 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 2 and United States in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 1 events | 1 events | 0 events | — |
| 1910s | 1 events | 1 events | 0 events | — |
| 1940s | 3 events | 1 events | 2 events | Japan |
| 1950s | 3 events | 1 events | 2 events | Japan |
| 1990s | 1 events | 1 events | 0 events | — |
| 2000s | 1 events | 1 events | 0 events | — |
| 2010s | 1.33 events | 1.67 events | 0.3333 events | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher number of significant volcanic eruptions, Japan or United States?
- United States, at 3 events against 2 events in Japan as of 2018.
- What is the difference in number of significant volcanic eruptions between Japan and United States?
- 1 events, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and United States?
- 10 years are reported by both, from 1856 to 2018.
- How do Japan and United States rank globally for number of significant volcanic eruptions?
- Japan ranks 3rd 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.