Number of significant earthquakes in France
France: Number of significant earthquakes was 1 events in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
1 events
World rank
21st
of 97 countries
All-time high
2 events
in 1494
All-time low
1 events
in 1003
Years of data
37
1003–2023
Number of significant earthquakes in France, 1003–2023
Source: National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in events.
Analysis
France recorded 1 events for number of significant earthquakes in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 37 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over five years.
Over the whole period, number of significant earthquakes in France peaked at 2 events in 1494 and was at its lowest, 1 events, in 1003.
That places France 21st out of 97 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
Number of significant earthquakes in France, year by year
| Year | events | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1003 | 1 events | — |
| 1227 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1286 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1289 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1494 | 2 events | +100.0% |
| 1564 | 1 events | -50.0% |
| 1593 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1618 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1644 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1657 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1660 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1682 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1708 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1711 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1750 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1772 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1799 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1812 | 2 events | +100.0% |
| 1814 | 1 events | -50.0% |
| 1817 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1854 | 2 events | +100.0% |
| 1855 | 1 events | -50.0% |
| 1863 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1873 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1911 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1959 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 2 events | +100.0% |
| 2019 | 1 events | -50.0% |
| 2023 | 1 events | +0.0% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 1 events is above the median for high income countries, which is 1 events, 1.0× the median. (28 countries reporting)
- France's 1 events is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1 events, 1.0× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1220s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1280s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 2 |
| 1490s | 2 events | 2 events | 2 events | 1 |
| 1560s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1590s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1610s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1640s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1650s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1660s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1680s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1700s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1710s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1750s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1770s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1790s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1810s | 1.33 events | 1 events | 2 events | 3 |
| 1850s | 1.5 events | 1 events | 2 events | 2 |
| 1860s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1870s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1900s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1910s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1920s | 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 | 1 |
| 1990s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 2000s | 1.33 events | 1 events | 2 events | 3 |
| 2010s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 2020s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
Countries ranked near France
- 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 Australia 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 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 compare
- 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 France
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 5.48 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 22.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.81 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 22.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 18.36 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 11.75 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 14.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 106.68 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 15.3 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of significant earthquakes in France?
- Number of significant earthquakes in France was 1 events in 2023, 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 France?
- The highest recorded value was 2 events in 1494.
- What is the lowest number of significant earthquakes recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 1 events in 1003.
- How does France rank for number of significant earthquakes?
- France ranks 21st out of 97 countries with data for 2023.
- Where does this France 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 — 37 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.