Number of significant volcanic eruptions in Chile

Chile: Number of significant volcanic eruptions was 1 events in 2015. ▲ Rising

Latest (2015)
1 events
World rank
6th
of 25 countries
All-time high
2 events
in 1971
All-time low
1 events
in 1839
Years of data
18
1839–2015

Number of significant volcanic eruptions in Chile, 1839–2015

00.511.521839192720151839: 1 events1893: 1 events1917: 1 events1929: 1 events1937: 1 events1949: 1 events1955: 1 events1960: 1 events1961: 1 events1963: 1 events1964: 1 events1971: 2 events1973: 1 events1988: 1 events1991: 1 events2008: 1 events2011: 1 events2015: 1 events

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 volcanic eruptions in Chile is 1 events, measured in 2015. That is the lowest value across all 18 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of significant volcanic eruptions in Chile peaked at 2 events in 1971 and was at its lowest, 1 events, in 1839.

That places Chile 6th out of 25 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1830s 1 events 1 events 1 events 1
1890s 1 events 1 events 1 events 1
1910s 1 events 1 events 1 events 1
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 1
1960s 1 events 1 events 1 events 4
1970s 1.5 events 1 events 2 events 2
1980s 1 events 1 events 1 events 1
1990s 1 events 1 events 1 events 1
2000s 1 events 1 events 1 events 1
2010s 1 events 1 events 1 events 2

Countries ranked near Chile

  1. 3 Italy 2 events compare
  2. 3 Japan 2 events compare
  3. 3 Philippines 2 events compare
  4. 6 Colombia 1 events compare
  5. 6 Comoros 1 events compare
  6. 6 Costa Rica 1 events compare
  7. 6 Democratic Republic of Congo 1 events compare
  8. 6 Ecuador 1 events compare
  9. 6 Greece 1 events compare
  10. 6 Guatemala 1 events compare
  11. 6 Iceland 1 events compare
  12. 6 Mexico 1 events compare
  13. 6 New Zealand 1 events compare
  14. 6 Nicaragua 1 events compare
  15. 6 Papua New Guinea 1 events compare
  16. 6 Portugal 1 events compare
  17. 6 Russia 1 events compare
  18. 6 Solomon Islands 1 events compare
  19. 6 Spain 1 events compare
  20. 6 Tanzania 1 events compare
  21. 6 Tonga 1 events compare
  22. 6 Vanuatu 1 events compare

See the full ranking of 25 places →

More reference data data for Chile

All data for Chile →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of significant volcanic eruptions in Chile?
Number of significant volcanic eruptions in Chile was 1 events in 2015, 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 volcanic eruptions recorded in Chile?
The highest recorded value was 2 events in 1971.
What is the lowest number of significant volcanic eruptions recorded in Chile?
The lowest recorded value was 1 events in 1839.
How does Chile rank for number of significant volcanic eruptions?
Chile ranks 6th out of 25 countries with data for 2015.
Is number of significant volcanic eruptions rising or falling in Chile?
Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Chile 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 volcanic eruptions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 18 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Number of significant volcanic eruptions
Unit
events
Source
National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
25 places, 619 data points, 1050–2024
Last refreshed

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.