Number of significant earthquakes in Australia
Australia: Number of significant earthquakes was 1 events in 2021. ▬ Flat
Latest (2021)
1 events
World rank
21st
of 97 countries
All-time high
2 events
in 1924
All-time low
1 events
in 1859
Years of data
23
1859–2021
Number of significant earthquakes in Australia, 1859–2021
Source: National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in events.
Analysis
In 2021, number of significant earthquakes in Australia stood at 1 events. That is the lowest value across all 23 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of significant earthquakes in Australia peaked at 2 events in 1924 and was at its lowest, 1 events, in 1859.
Australia ranks 21st of 97 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Number of significant earthquakes in Australia, year by year
| Year | events | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1859 | 1 events | — |
| 1897 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1899 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1906 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 2 events | +100.0% |
| 1926 | 1 events | -50.0% |
| 1943 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1961 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 2 events | +100.0% |
| 1989 | 2 events | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 1 events | -50.0% |
| 2000 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 1 events | +0.0% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 1 events is above the median for high income countries, which is 1 events, 1.0× the median. (28 countries reporting)
- Australia's 1 events is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1 events, 1.0× the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1850s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1890s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 2 |
| 1900s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1920s | 1.5 events | 1 events | 2 events | 2 |
| 1940s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1950s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1960s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 2 |
| 1970s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 3 |
| 1980s | 1.67 events | 1 events | 2 events | 3 |
| 1990s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 2000s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 3 |
| 2010s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 2 |
| 2020s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 21 Albania 1 events compare
- 21 Algeria 1 events compare
- 21 Antarctica 1 events compare
- 21 Argentina 1 events compare
- 21 Armenia 1 events compare
- 21 Austria 1 events compare
- 21 Azerbaijan 1 events compare
- 21 Bangladesh 1 events compare
- 21 Bolivia 1 events compare
- 21 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 events compare
- 21 Brazil 1 events compare
- 21 Bulgaria 1 events compare
- 21 Canada 1 events compare
- 21 Chile 1 events compare
- 21 China 1 events compare
- 21 Colombia 1 events compare
- 21 Congo 1 events compare
- 21 Costa Rica 1 events compare
- 21 Cuba 1 events compare
- 21 Ecuador 1 events compare
- 21 Egypt 1 events compare
- 21 El Salvador 1 events compare
- 21 Eritrea 1 events compare
- 21 Ethiopia 1 events compare
- 21 France 1 events compare
- 21 Georgia 1 events compare
- 21 Germany 1 events compare
- 21 Ghana 1 events compare
- 21 Guadeloupe 1 events compare
- 21 Guatemala 1 events compare
- 21 Haiti 1 events compare
- 21 Honduras 1 events compare
- 21 Iceland 1 events compare
- 21 Iraq 1 events compare
- 21 Israel 1 events compare
- 21 Jamaica 1 events compare
- 21 Kazakhstan 1 events compare
- 21 Kyrgyzstan 1 events compare
- 21 Lebanon 1 events compare
- 21 Martinique 1 events compare
- 21 Mongolia 1 events compare
- 21 Montenegro 1 events compare
- 21 Morocco 1 events compare
- 21 Myanmar 1 events compare
- 21 Nepal 1 events compare
- 21 North Korea 1 events
- 21 North Macedonia 1 events compare
- 21 Pakistan 1 events compare
- 21 Panama 1 events compare
- 21 Papua New Guinea 1 events compare
- 21 Poland 1 events compare
- 21 Portugal 1 events compare
- 21 Romania 1 events compare
- 21 Russia 1 events compare
- 21 Rwanda 1 events compare
- 21 Samoa 1 events compare
- 21 Serbia 1 events compare
- 21 Slovenia 1 events compare
- 21 Solomon Islands 1 events compare
- 21 South Africa 1 events compare
- 21 South Korea 1 events compare
- 21 Spain 1 events compare
- 21 Switzerland 1 events compare
- 21 Syria 1 events compare
- 21 Taiwan 1 events compare
- 21 Tajikistan 1 events compare
- 21 Tanzania 1 events compare
- 21 Tonga 1 events compare
- 21 Tunisia 1 events compare
- 21 Turkmenistan 1 events compare
- 21 United Kingdom 1 events compare
- 21 United States 1 events compare
- 21 Uzbekistan 1 events compare
- 21 Vanuatu 1 events compare
- 21 Vietnam 1 events compare
- 21 Yemen 1 events compare
More reference data data for Australia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.21 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 28.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 38.41 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 38.41 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 4.07 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 6.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 118.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 170.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 13.9 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of significant earthquakes in Australia?
- Number of significant earthquakes in Australia was 1 events in 2021, according to National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of significant earthquakes recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 2 events in 1924.
- What is the lowest number of significant earthquakes recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1 events in 1859.
- How does Australia rank for number of significant earthquakes?
- Australia ranks 21st out of 97 countries with data for 2021.
- Is number of significant earthquakes rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of significant earthquakes. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.