Number of significant volcanic eruptions by country
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.
What the numbers show
Number of significant volcanic eruptions is currently reported for 25 countries. The highest value is 4 events in Indonesia; the lowest is 1 events in Democratic Republic of Congo.
The median across all reporting countries is 1 events, and the mean is 1.32 events.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 4.
Number of significant volcanic eruptions: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indonesia | 4 events | 2024 | up 33.3% | volatile |
| 2 | United States | 3 events | 2018 | up 200.0% | rising |
| 3 | Philippines | 2 events | 2024 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 3 | Italy | 2 events | 2022 | unchanged | falling |
| 3 | Japan | 2 events | 2018 | up 100.0% | volatile |
| 6 | Vanuatu | 1 events | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 6 | Chile | 1 events | 2015 | unchanged | rising |
| 6 | Tanzania | 1 events | 1967 | — | flat |
| 6 | Tonga | 1 events | 2022 | — | flat |
| 6 | Solomon Islands | 1 events | 1971 | unchanged | falling |
| 6 | Russia | 1 events | 2024 | unchanged | falling |
| 6 | Portugal | 1 events | 1808 | — | flat |
| 6 | Papua New Guinea | 1 events | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 6 | New Zealand | 1 events | 2019 | unchanged | flat |
| 6 | Nicaragua | 1 events | 1998 | unchanged | flat |
| 6 | Mexico | 1 events | 2022 | — | rising |
| 6 | Iceland | 1 events | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 6 | Guatemala | 1 events | 2021 | unchanged | flat |
| 6 | Greece | 1 events | 1926 | — | flat |
| 6 | Spain | 1 events | 2021 | — | flat |
| 6 | Ecuador | 1 events | 2021 | unchanged | rising |
| 6 | Costa Rica | 1 events | 2019 | — | falling |
| 6 | Comoros | 1 events | 2005 | unchanged | flat |
| 6 | Colombia | 1 events | 2008 | unchanged | flat |
| 6 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 1 events | 2021 | — | flat |
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.