Largest Earthquakes in Recorded History
Source:
US Geological Survey
Key Findings
🏆
Valdivia Earthquake leads in Magnitude (Mw) with 9.50 in 2011.
📅
1960 recorded the highest combined total across all categories.
↔️
Gap in 2011: Valdivia Earthquake is 1.1× larger than Rat Islands Earthquake.
About This Dataset
Largest Earthquakes in Recorded History
The chart illustrates the largest earthquakes recorded in history, showcasing their magnitudes and the years they occurred. The Valdivia Earthquake of 1960 holds the record with a magnitude of 9.5, followed closely by the Alaska Good Friday Earthquake in 1964 at 9.2. Other significant earthquakes include the Indian Ocean Earthquake and the Tohoku Earthquake, both measuring 9.1.
Analysis
Valdivia Earthquake heads the table on 9.50, ahead of Alaska Good Friday Earthquake (9.20) and Indian Ocean Earthquake (9.10) in Magnitude (Mw) in 2011. 0.80 separates the highest figure (9.50) from the lowest (8.70) in Magnitude (Mw). First and second are separated by 0.30, so the leader sits inside the field rather than apart from it. Places 3 to 8 are close together, spanning 9.10 to 8.70 Magnitude (Mw).
Data Insights
Numbers, trends & sources behind this chart
Methodology & source
- Data source
- US Geological Survey
- Coverage
- 8 entities · 1906–2011 (8 years) · 8 observations
- Measure
- Magnitude (Mw)
- Last updated
- 16 September 2026
- Compiled by
- The ANYSTAT team, from the source above
How the figures are calculated
- Values use the measure and unit named on this page. Consult the dataset description and cited source for coverage, definitions and any unit conversions. Displayed values may be rounded for readability.
- Missing years are left empty rather than estimated — no interpolation, no carrying a previous year forward.
- Change is measured between the first and last year in which an entity actually reported a value, so a series that starts late is not penalised for the years before it existed.
- The compound annual rate is (last ÷ first)^(1 ÷ years) − 1, using those same two reported years.
- Entities are ranked highest-first on their value in 2011.
- An entity that reported nothing in the latest year is still listed — it follows the ranked entities in the table rather than being dropped.
An article using this data
The Biggest Earthquake of 2025 Was Magnitude 8.8. It Was Not the Most Significant.
USGS ranks earthquakes three different ways: by magnitude, by a significance score that includes impact, and by how many people report feeling them. For 2025 th...
Data Sources & References
All external sources cited in this dataset
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