Number of significant volcanic eruptions in Ecuador
Ecuador: Number of significant volcanic eruptions was 1 events in 2021. ▲ Rising
Number of significant volcanic eruptions in Ecuador, 1280–2021
Source: National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in events.
Analysis
In 2021, number of significant volcanic eruptions in Ecuador stood at 1 events. That is the lowest value across all 19 years on record.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of significant volcanic eruptions in Ecuador peaked at 2 events in 1742 and was at its lowest, 1 events, in 1280.
Ecuador ranks 6th of 25 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.
Number of significant volcanic eruptions in Ecuador, year by year
| Year | events | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1280 | 1 events | — |
| 1640 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1660 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1698 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1742 | 2 events | +100.0% |
| 1768 | 1 events | -50.0% |
| 1877 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1886 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1916 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 1 events | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 2 events | +100.0% |
| 2002 | 1 events | -50.0% |
| 2006 | 2 events | +100.0% |
| 2008 | 1 events | -50.0% |
| 2010 | 2 events | +100.0% |
| 2011 | 1 events | -50.0% |
| 2021 | 1 events | +0.0% |
Ecuador compared with similar countries
- Ecuador's 1 events is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1 events, 1.0× the median. (7 countries reporting)
- Ecuador's 1 events is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1 events, 1.0× the median. (7 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1280s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1640s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1660s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1690s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1740s | 2 events | 2 events | 2 events | 1 |
| 1760s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1870s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1880s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1910s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1940s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1970s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
| 1990s | 1.5 events | 1 events | 2 events | 2 |
| 2000s | 1.33 events | 1 events | 2 events | 3 |
| 2010s | 1.5 events | 1 events | 2 events | 2 |
| 2020s | 1 events | 1 events | 1 events | 1 |
Countries ranked near Ecuador
- 3 Italy 2 events compare
- 3 Japan 2 events compare
- 3 Philippines 2 events compare
- 6 Chile 1 events compare
- 6 Colombia 1 events compare
- 6 Comoros 1 events compare
- 6 Costa Rica 1 events compare
- 6 Democratic Republic of Congo 1 events compare
- 6 Greece 1 events compare
- 6 Guatemala 1 events compare
- 6 Iceland 1 events compare
- 6 Mexico 1 events compare
- 6 New Zealand 1 events compare
- 6 Nicaragua 1 events compare
- 6 Papua New Guinea 1 events compare
- 6 Portugal 1 events compare
- 6 Russia 1 events compare
- 6 Solomon Islands 1 events compare
- 6 Spain 1 events compare
- 6 Tanzania 1 events compare
- 6 Tonga 1 events compare
- 6 Vanuatu 1 events compare
More reference data data for Ecuador
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9379 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.51 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1826 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.18 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 23.57 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.9943 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of significant volcanic eruptions in Ecuador?
- Number of significant volcanic eruptions in Ecuador was 1 events in 2021, 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 Ecuador?
- The highest recorded value was 2 events in 1742.
- What is the lowest number of significant volcanic eruptions recorded in Ecuador?
- The lowest recorded value was 1 events in 1280.
- How does Ecuador rank for number of significant volcanic eruptions?
- Ecuador ranks 6th out of 25 countries with data for 2021.
- Is number of significant volcanic eruptions rising or falling in Ecuador?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ecuador 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 — 19 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.