Earthquake Statistics 2024 By Economic Damage, Most Severe, Death Toll, Global Disaster Risk Index And Magnitude
WHAT WE HAVE ON THIS PAGE
- 1 Introduction
- 2 Editor’s Choice
- 3 General Earthquake Statistics
- 4 Earthquake Statistics By Countries With The Most Earthquakes Between 1990 to 2024
- 5 Top 10 Biggest Natural Disasters Between 1980 To 2023 By Economic Damage
- 6 Top 10 Natural Disasters By Death Toll
- 7 Earthquake Statistics by Global Disaster Risk Index
- 8 Earthquake Statistics Most Expensive Earthquakes In The USA For The Insurance Industry
- 9 Earthquake Statistics By Magnitude
- 10 Average Annual Deaths Occurred By Natural Disasters By Type
- 11 Earthquakes Prone Countries Comparison of Vulnerability and Resilience
- 12 Conclusion
Introduction
Earthquake Statistics: Every year many places are hit by natural calamities, and earthquakes are one of the main ones. Unlike in old times, the preparedness for such natural calamities has improved because of technological developments. Advanced sensors can inform any event beforehand so that people can be relocated to a safe place.
Earthquakes can be stopped or avoided, however, necessary measurements can reduce the aftermath or intensity of the same. With recent events in Japan in 2024, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake disturbed the households of many but due to the proper measurement the death ratio was reduced. Let’s look into the Earthquake Statistics and understand current as well as decade-wise insights.
Editor’s Choice
- In 2023, Turkey recorded the highest damages to buildings, supply structures, and streets and led to more than 100,000 injuries including deaths.
- According to Earthquake Statistics, a World Risk Report 2023 published by the Ruhr Universität Bochum, earthquakes in Turkey majorly impacted women as compared to men.
- In light of recent events, when other countries were celebrating the new year 2024, Japan was hit by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake.
- Considering the biggest natural disaster by earthquakes, in 2011, Japan was hit by an earthquake and then a tsunami that caused $210 billion of economic damage, which is the highest recorded economic loss till 2023.
- Earthquake Statistics 2023 state that, between 2000 to 2023, 2011 recorded the highest number of earthquakes were more than 5 Richter magnitudes resulting in 2,481 recorded events around the world.
- The Japan earthquake 2024 recorded 180 confirmed deaths, serious damage, or destruction of homes, as of 9 Jan. As of 5th Jan, 34,000 disaster survivors were located in shelters.
- Between 1990 and 2024, China, Indonesia, and Iran recorded major earthquakes, affecting millions of lives.
- In 1995, again Japan faced $100 billion of damage caused by the Kobe earthquake, followed by China in 2008 (Sichuan Earthquake) with $85 billion of costs to the economy.
- In 2023, there were more than 421 natural disasters around the globe were recorded, this has shown an increase of 23% in the last 2 decades.
- The global disaster risk index 2023 with the highest WRI was given to the Philippines of 46.86, followed by Indonesia (43.5) and India (41.52).
General Earthquake Statistics
- According to Earthquake Statistics, on average 50 to 80 earthquakes can occur a day, making it more than 20,000 per year around the world.
- Furthermore, each year 60,000 people die because of natural disasters every year, out of which the majority of the deaths are because of earthquakes.
- According to Earthquake Statistics, a World Risk Report 2023 published by the Ruhr Universität Bochum, earthquakes in Turkey majorly impacted women as compared to men. The reason for this is trying to save their children stuck under the rubble.
- In 2023, Turkey recorded the highest damages to buildings, supply structures, and streets and led to more than 100,000 injuries including deaths.
- The Japan earthquake 2024 recorded 180 confirmed deaths, serious damage, or destruction of homes, as of 9 Jan. As of 5th Jan, 34,000 disaster survivors were located in shelters.
- Moreover, the flood which was triggered by earthquakes hit on 296 acres of land.
- According to the British Geological Survey, 80% of major earthquakes are more likely to occur near the edges of the Pacific Ocean.
- In 2004, an undersea earthquake took place and led to tsunamis in the Indian Ocean with 100-foot waves which killed residents of 11 countries resulting in 225,000.
- Between 1975 and 1995 only 4 states in the USA recorded no earthquakes and they were North Dakota, Florida, Iowa, and Wisconsin.
- The majority of the earthquakes occurred in depths less than 80km from the surface of the earth.
- The deepest earthquakes can occur in a deep 750 km below the surface of the earth.
(Source: volcanodiscovery.com)
- On 12th January 2024, Earthquake Statistics observed that global seismic activity level was moderate. However, on the same day, 5+ magnitude (6 earthquakes), 4+ magnitude (42 earthquakes), 3+ magnitude (126 earthquakes), 2+ magnitude (272 earthquakes) were observed around the globe.
Earthquake Statistics By Countries With The Most Earthquakes Between 1990 to 2024
(Reference: statista.com)
Earthquake Statistics show that between 1990 and 2024, China, Indonesia, and Iran recorded major earthquakes, affecting millions of lives. However, the majority of the earthquakes were recorded in Asian countries such as China, India, the Philippines, and Indonesia. In light of recent events, when other countries were celebrating the new year 2024, Japan was hit by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake.
Top 10 Biggest Natural Disasters Between 1980 To 2023 By Economic Damage
(Reference: statista.com)
Considering the biggest natural disaster by earthquakes, in 2011, Japan was hit by an earthquake and then a tsunami that caused $210 billion of economic damage, which is the highest recorded economic loss till 2023. In 1995, again Japan faced $100 billion of damage caused by the Kobe earthquake, followed by China in 2008 (Sichuan Earthquake) with $85 billion of costs to the economy.
By Most Severe
(Reference: statista.com)
Earthquake Statistics by severity show that the highest severity of the earthquake that followed the major nuclear disaster led by hitting the nuclear plant in Fukushima, Japan in 2011 recorded $210 billion in economic damage. In 1995, Japan was hit again leading to $100 billion of damage. China, the USA, and Turkey were the other listed countries in the top 5 biggest earthquakes by severity causing $85 billion, $44 billion, and $34 billion of damage.
Top 10 Natural Disasters By Death Toll
(Reference: statista.com)
According to Earthquake Statistics, between 1950 to 2022, half of the causes of natural disasters around the globe that caused unfortunate deaths were Earthquake. In 1976 China recorded the Tangshan earthquake with 242,769 deaths. IN 2004, Thailand was initially hit by an earthquake following the tsunami that caused 227,898 deaths. After 6 years of which, Haiti recorded the same that followed 160,000 deaths. Again in 2008, China experienced the Sichuan earthquake with 87,652 fatalities.
Earthquake Statistics by Global Disaster Risk Index
(Reference: statista.com)
The global disaster risk index 2023 with the highest WRI was given to the Philippines of 46.86, followed by Indonesia (43.5) and India (41.52). In 2023, there were more than 421 natural disasters around the globe that were recorded, this has shown an increase of 23% in the last 2 decades. Mexico, Colombia, Myanmar, Mozambique, Russia, Bangladesh, and China are listed in the top 10 highest global disaster risk index list.
Earthquake Statistics Most Expensive Earthquakes In The USA For The Insurance Industry
(Reference: statista.com)
According to Earthquake Statistics, the most expensive earthquake for the insurance industry occurred in 1994 in California costing $31.2 billion with a value in 2022. Furthermore, all there of the costly earthquakes were reported in California in 1906 and 1989 with respective costs of $8,039 and $2,280 billion converting to today’s value. On average, the list of top 10 costly earthquakes shows, that California was the most hit area with the highest repayments of insurance amounts.
Earthquake Statistics By Magnitude
(Reference: statista.com)
Earthquake Statistics 2023 state that, between 2000 to 2023, 2011 recorded the highest number of earthquakes were more than 5 Richter magnitudes resulting in 2,481 recorded events around the world. Furthermore, the same was experienced in 2007 and 2021 with 2,270 and 2,206 respective records.
By Places
(Reference: statista.com)
Earthquake Statistics by Strongest Earthquakes Worldwide 2023 reported that, till recent years, Chile experienced the strongest one on a 9.5 Richter scale in 1960. Furthermore, in 1964 and 2004 Alaska and North Sumatra were hit by 9.2 and 9.1 Richter scale earthquakes respectively.
(Source: statista.com)
Average Annual Deaths Occurred By Natural Disasters By Type
(Source: statista.com)
Earthquakes Prone Countries Comparison of Vulnerability and Resilience
(Source: statista.com)
According to a report by World Risk Index 2023, Syria is a country vulnerable to more earthquakes due to a lack of progression, insufficient stability, health and infrastructure, social inequality, and lack of development, all of which are very high in the World Risk Index. On the other hand, Japan being the most earthquake-prone country has taken proper steps to reduce above mentioned vulnerability causes giving is low to very low rating in the index.
Conclusion
Earthquakes are natural and thus can’t be avoided. However, Japan being the most earthquake-prone country, has adopted technologies to control and reduce the after-effects of such natural calamities. Japan uses the basic earthquake resistance design in building structures which is called Taishin Structure, depending on the size of the building the design changes to menshin or seishin.
Following the structure of these designs has been made compulsory by the Japanese government. Thus to conclude Earthquake Statistics, using technology in such cases is a must to reduce the intensity of natural calamities.
Sources
FAQ.
The top 10 earthquake-prone countries are Japan, Indonesia, China, the Philippines, Iran, Turkey, Peru, the USA, Italy and Mexico. As stated in the Earthquake Statistics about a survey by British Geology, earthquakes are more likely to occur near the Pacific Ocean edges. The tectonic plates that move beneath the ground affect surrounding plates. Thus, countries near these plates or situated on such plates are
more prone to earthquakes.
The reason for the earth’s tectonic plates moving is the heat generated from radioactive processes leading to toward or away movements from every plate.
The Ring of Fire or Girdle of Fire, Rim of Fire, or Pacific Ring of Fire is a tectonic belt of earthquakes and volcanoes that is 40,000 km long and 500 km wide. 90% of global earthquakes and 750 to 915 active or nonactive volcanoes are under this belt.
An open space with no buildings, and towers nearby is the safest place to hide during an earthquake.
The South American plate, the Indo-Australian Plate, the Antarctic plate, the African plate, the Eurasian plate, the North American plate, and the Pacific plate are the smallest to largest tectonic plates. Each plate is named after the place above it.
Earthquakes occur when plates in the outermost layers of the earth are moving either towards each other or the other way around. This creates seismic waves that could destroy everything about it. Earthquakes are primarily measured in seismographs that can detect and measure the duration and strength of earthquakes.
By conducting scientific research, I write about illness, health and healthcare. As a professional medical writer, my experience includes creating feature articles for newsletters and websites as well as research news stories for doctors and researchers. Reading has been an integral part of me since childhood - I'm fan of "Friends" and the "Harry Potter series". Before this career, I was employed by a French multinational company. However, my passion for reading led me to pursue writing professionally; my first Amazon-published short story entitled "The envelope that changed our lives" has recently been released. In my free moments, I enjoy long bike rides around town.
