Number of significant earthquakes in Vanuatu
Vanuatu: Number of significant earthquakes was 1 events in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Number of significant earthquakes in Vanuatu, 1863–2024
Source: National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in events.
Analysis
Vanuatu recorded 1 events for number of significant earthquakes in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.
The figure is down 50.0% on the previous year and unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of significant earthquakes in Vanuatu peaked at 4 events in 1910 and was at its lowest, 1 events, in 1863.
Vanuatu ranks 21st of 97 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1860s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1870s | 2.5 events | 2 events | 3 events | 2 |
| 1890s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 2 |
| 1900s | 1.67 events | 1 events | 3 events | 3 |
| 1910s | 3 events | 2 events | 4 events | 2 |
| 1920s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1930s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1940s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1950s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 3 |
| 1960s | 1.33 events | 1 events | 2 events | 3 |
| 1970s | 1.5 events | 1 events | 2 events | 2 |
| 1980s | 1.33 events | 1 events | 2 events | 3 |
| 1990s | 1.33 events | 1 events | 2 events | 3 |
| 2000s | 2 events | 1 events | 3 events | 4 |
| 2010s | 2.17 events | 1 events | 3 events | 6 |
| 2020s | 1.5 events | 1 events | 2 events | 2 |
Countries ranked near Vanuatu
- 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 France 1 events compare
- 21 Georgia 1 events compare
- 21 Germany 1 events compare
- 21 Ghana 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 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 Vietnam 1 events compare
- 21 Yemen 1 events compare
More reference data data for Vanuatu
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.3744 °C (2026)
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.3923 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies -0.1753 °C (2026)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.4368 °C (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.7024 °C (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating 2 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
- Free country 2 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of significant earthquakes in Vanuatu?
- Number of significant earthquakes in Vanuatu was 1 events in 2024, 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 Vanuatu?
- The highest recorded value was 4 events in 1910.
- What is the lowest number of significant earthquakes recorded in Vanuatu?
- The lowest recorded value was 1 events in 1863.
- How does Vanuatu rank for number of significant earthquakes?
- Vanuatu ranks 21st out of 97 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of significant earthquakes rising or falling in Vanuatu?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Vanuatu 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 — 39 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.