Number of significant earthquakes in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Number of significant earthquakes was 2 events in 2016. ▲ Rising
Number of significant earthquakes in Nicaragua, 1648–2016
Source: National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in events.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of significant earthquakes in Nicaragua is 2 events, measured in 2016. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
The figure is up 100.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of significant earthquakes in Nicaragua peaked at 2 events in 1844 and was at its lowest, 1 events, in 1648.
That places Nicaragua 11th out of 97 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Number of significant earthquakes in Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | events | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1648 | 1 events | — |
| 1663 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1844 | 2 events | +100.0% |
| 1870 | 1 events | -50.0% |
| 1881 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1885 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1898 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1901 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1919 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1921 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 2 events | +100.0% |
| 1940 | 1 events | -50.0% |
| 1947 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 2 events | +100.0% |
| 1955 | 1 events | -50.0% |
| 1956 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 2 events | +100.0% |
| 2016 | 2 events | +0.0% |
Nicaragua compared with similar countries
- Nicaragua's 2 events is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1 events, 2.0× the median. (23 countries reporting)
- Nicaragua's 2 events is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1 events, 2.0× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1640s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1660s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1840s | 2 events | 2 events | 2 events | 1 |
| 1870s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1880s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 2 |
| 1890s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1900s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1910s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 2 |
| 1920s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 4 |
| 1930s | 1.25 events | 1 events | 2 events | 4 |
| 1940s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 2 |
| 1950s | 1.33 events | 1 events | 2 events | 3 |
| 1960s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 2 |
| 1970s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1980s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1990s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 2000s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 3 |
| 2010s | 1.67 events | 1 events | 2 events | 3 |
Countries ranked near Nicaragua
- 11 Croatia 2 events compare
- 11 Dominican Republic 2 events compare
- 11 Fiji 2 events compare
- 11 India 2 events compare
- 11 Italy 2 events compare
- 11 New Caledonia 2 events compare
- 11 New Zealand 2 events compare
- 11 Trinidad and Tobago 2 events compare
- 11 Venezuela 2 events compare
More reference data data for Nicaragua
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.4575 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.72 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.76 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0819 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.76 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.53 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.4557 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 9.61 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 14.12 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.4457 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of significant earthquakes in Nicaragua?
- Number of significant earthquakes in Nicaragua was 2 events in 2016, 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 Nicaragua?
- The highest recorded value was 2 events in 1844.
- What is the lowest number of significant earthquakes recorded in Nicaragua?
- The lowest recorded value was 1 events in 1648.
- How does Nicaragua rank for number of significant earthquakes?
- Nicaragua ranks 11th out of 97 countries with data for 2016.
- Is number of significant earthquakes rising or falling in Nicaragua?
- Over the last ten years it is up 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nicaragua 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 — 34 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.