This is a list of major earthquakes by the dollar value of property (public and private) losses directly attributable to the earthquake. Only earthquakes that have caused over $1 billion US dollars are listed here. Rank values are assigned based on inflation-adjusted comparison of property damage in US dollars. Wherever possible, indirect and socioeconomic losses are excluded. Damage estimates for particular earthquakes may vary over time as more data becomes available. Losses from earthquake–induced landslides and tsunamis are also be included.
Rank | Event | Location | Magnitude | Historic cost (year) | Adjusted for inflation (year) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | ![]() | 9.1 [1] | $235 billion (2011) [2] | $320.4 billion (2023) |
2 | 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake | ![]() | 6.9 | $30-200 billion (1995) [3] [4] | $60.0-399.9 billion (2023) |
3 | 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake | ![]() ![]() | 7.8 and 7.7 Mw | $163.3 billion (2023) [5] [6] | $163.3 billion (2023) |
4 | 2008 Sichuan earthquake | ![]() | 8.0 Ms | $150 billion (2008) [7] | $212.3 billion (2023) |
5 | 1994 Northridge earthquake | ![]() | 6.7 | $40 billion (1994) [8] | $82.2 billion (2023) |
6 | 2010 Canterbury earthquake | ![]() | 7.0 and 6.5 | $40 billion (2015) [9] | $56.2 billion (2023) |
7 | 2004 Chūetsu earthquake | ![]() | 6.8 | $28 billion (2004) [10] [11] | $45.1 billion (2024) |
8 | 2011 Sikkim earthquake | ![]() | 6.9 | $22.3 billion (2011) [12] | $30.2 billion (2024) |
9 | 1999 İzmit earthquake | ![]() | 7.6 | $6.5-20 billion (1999) [13] [10] | $11.9-36.6 billion (2023) |
10 | 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes | ![]() | 7.0 | $24-46 billion (2016) [14] | $30.5-58.4 billion (2024) |
11 | 2024 Noto earthquake | ![]() | 7.5 | $17.6 billion (2024) [15] | $17.6 billion (2024) |
12 | 2009 L'Aquila earthquake | ![]() | 6.3 | $16 billion (2009) [16] | $22.7 billion (2024) |
13 | 2012 Northern Italy earthquakes | ![]() | 6.1 [17] | $15.8 billion (2012) [18] | $20.9 billion (2024) |
15 | 1980 Irpinia earthquake | ![]() | 6.9 | $20 billion (1980) [18] | $73.9 billion (2024) |
16 | 1988 Armenian earthquake | ![]() | 6.8 | $16.2 billion (1977) [18] | $41.7 billion (2024) |
17 | 2010 Chile earthquake | ![]() | 8.8 [19] | $15-30 billion (2010) [19] | $20.3-40.6 billion (2024) |
18 | 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami | ![]() | 9.1-9.3 | $15 billion (2004) [20] | $24.2 billion (2024) |
19 | 2007 Chūetsu offshore earthquake | ![]() | 6.6 | $12.5 billion (2007) [18] | $18.4 billion (2024) |
20 | 2020 Zagreb earthquake | ![]() | 5.3 | $11.7 billion (2020) [21] | $13.7 billion (2024) |
21 | 1976 Tangshan earthquake | ![]() | 7.6 | $10 billion (1976) [22] | $53.5 billion (2024) |
22 | 1999 Jiji earthquake | ![]() | 7.7 | $10 billion (1999) | $18.2 billion (2024) |
23 | April 2015 Nepal earthquake | ![]() | 7.8 | $10 billion (2015) [23] | $12.8 billion (2024) |
24 | 2014 Ludian earthquake | ![]() | 6.1 | $9.9 billion (2014) [24] | $12.7 billion (2024) |
25 | 2022 Fukushima earthquake | ![]() | 7.3 | $8.8 billion (2022) [10] | $9.1 billion (2024) |
26 | 2017 Puebla earthquake | ![]() | 7.1 | $8 billion (2017) [18] | $9.9 billion (2024) |
27 | 2010 Haiti earthquake | ![]() | 7.0 | $7.8-8.5 billion (2010) [25] | $10.9-11.8 billion (2024) |
28 | 2021 Fukushima earthquake | ![]() | 7.1 | $7.7 billion (2021) [18] | $8.6 billion (2024) |
29 | 2001 Gujarat earthquake | ![]() | 7.7 | $7.5 billion (2001) [26] | $12.9 billion (2024) |
30 | 2023 Marrakesh–Safi earthquake | ![]() | 6.8 | $7 billion (2023) [18] | $7 billion (2024) |
31 | 2018 Osaka earthquake | ![]() | 5.5 | $7 billion (2018) [18] | $8.4 billion (2024) |
32 | 2013 Lushan earthquake | ![]() | 6.6 | $6.8 billion (2013) [18] | $8.8 billion (2024) |
33 | 2005 Kashmir earthquake | ![]() | 7.6 | $6.6 billion (2005) [18] | $12.8 billion (2024) |
34 | 2017 Kermanshah earthquake | ![]() | 7.3 | $6.2 billion (2017) [27] | $7.7 billion (2024) |
35 | 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake | ![]() | 6.9 | $5.6–6 billion (1989) | $13.7-14.7 billion (2024) |
36 | 2019 Ridgecrest earthquakes | ![]() | 7.1 | $5.3 billion (2019) [18] | $6.3 billion (2024) |
37 | 1980 El Asnam earthquake | ![]() | 7.3 | $5.2 billion (1980) [18] | $19.2 billion (2024) |
38 | 2003 Boumerdès earthquake | ![]() | 6.8 | $5 billion (2003) [18] | $8.2 billion (2024) |
39 | August 2016 Central Italy earthquake | ![]() | 6.2 | $5 billion (2016) [18] | $6.3 billion (2024) |
40 | 2020 Petrinja earthquake | ![]() | 6.4 | $5 billion (2020) [28] | $5.8 billion (2024) |
41 | 1985 Mexico City earthquake | ![]() | 8.0 | $5 billion (1985) [29] | $14.1 billion (2024) |
42 | 2017 Chiapas earthquake | ![]() | 8.2 | $4 billion (2017) [18] | $4.9 billion (2024) |
43 | 1976 Friuli earthquake | ![]() | 6.5 | $3.6 billion (1976) [18] | $19.2 billion (2024) |
44 | 2016 Ecuador earthquake | ![]() | 7.8 | $3.3 billion (2016) [18] | $4.1 billion (2024) |
45 | 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake | ![]() | 6.3 | $3.1 billion (2006) [18] | $4.6 billion (2024) |
46 | June 2011 Christchurch earthquake | ![]() | 6.0 | $3 billion (2011) [18] | $4 billion (2024) |
47 | 1972 Nicaragua earthquake | ![]() | 6.3 | $2.9 billion (1972) [18] | $21.6 billion (2024) |
48 | 1979 Montenegro earthquake | ![]() | 6.9 | $2.7 billion (1979) [18] | $12.6 billion (2024) |
49 | 2009 Sumatra earthquakes | ![]() | 7.6 | $2.2 billion (2009) [18] | $3.1 billion (2024) |
50 | 1976 Guatemala earthquake | ![]() | 7.6 | $2.1 billion (1976) [18] | $11.4 billion (2024) |
51 | 1977 Vrancea earthquake | ![]() | 7.5 | $2.1 billion (1977) [18] | $10.5 billion (2024) |
52 | 1982 North Yemen earthquake | ![]() | 6.3 | $2 billion (1982) [18] | $6.3 billion (2024) |
53 | 2001 Nisqually earthquake | ![]() | 6.8 | $2 billion (2001) [30] | $3.4 billion (2024) |
54 | 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake | ![]() | 6.6 | $2 billion (2018) [18] | $2.4 billion (2024) |
55 | 2023 Jishishan earthquake | ![]() | 5.9 | $2 billion (2023) [18] | $2 billion (2024) |
56 | 1985 Algarrobo earthquake | ![]() | 8.0 | $1.5 billion (1985) [18] | $4.2 billion (2024) |
57 | 2011 Van earthquakes | ![]() | 7.1 | $1.5 billion (2011) [18] | $2 billion (2024) |
58 | 2018 Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami | ![]() | 7.5 | $1.5 billion (2018) [18] | $1.8 billion (2024) |
59 | 2021 Haiti earthquake | ![]() | 7.2 | $1.5 billion (2021) [31] | $1.6 billion (2024) |
60 | 2019 Sichuan earthquake | ![]() | 5.8 | $1.3 billion (2019) [18] | $1.5 billion (2024) |
61 | 2010 Baja California earthquake | ![]() | 7.2 | $1.1 billion (2010) [18] | $1.5 billion (2024) |
62 | 1948 Fukui earthquake | ![]() | 6.8 | $1 billion (1948) [18] | $12.6 billion (2024) |
63 | 1960 Valdivia earthquake | ![]() | 9.5 | $1 billion [18] | $10.2 billion (2024) |
64 | 1963 Skopje earthquake | ![]() | 6.0 | $1 billion [18] | $9.9 billion (2024) |
65 | 1981 Sirch earthquake | ![]() | 7.1 | $1 billion (1981) [18] | $3.3 billion (2024) |
66 | 2012 Yiliang earthquakes | ![]() | 5.5 | $1 billion [18] | $1.3 billion (2024) |
67 | 2010 Kaohsiung earthquake | ![]() | 6.3 | $1 billion [18] | $1.3 billion (2024) |
68 | 2019 Albania earthquake | ![]() | 6.4 | $1 billion [18] | $1.1 billion (2024) |
Rank | Event | Location | Magnitude | Historic cost (year) | Adjusted for inflation (year) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1939 Chillán earthquake | ![]() | 7.9 | $920 million (1939) [18] | $20.1 billion (2024) |
2 | 1906 San Francisco earthquake | ![]() | 7.7–7.9 | $400 million (1906) [32] | $13.6 billion (2024) |
3 | 1923 Great Kantō earthquake | ![]() | 8.0 | $600 million (1923) [18] | $10.6 billion (2024) |
4 | 1953 Concepción earthquake | ![]() | 7.6 | $500 million (1953) [18] | $5.7 billion (2024) |
5 | 1970 Ancash earthquake | ![]() | 7.9 | $530 million (1970) [18] | $4.1 billion (2024) |
6 | 1971 San Fernando earthquake | ![]() | 6.6 | $530 million (1971) [33] | $4.1 billion (2024) |
7 | 1978 Miyagi earthquake | ![]() | 7.7 | $865 million (1978) [18] | $4 billion (2024) |
8 | 1964 Alaska earthquake | ![]() | 9.2 | $400 million (1964) [18] | $3.9 billion (2024) |
9 | 1966 Tashkent earthquake | ![]() | 5.2 | $300 million (1966) [18] | $2.8 billion (2024) |
10 | 1968 Belice earthquake | ![]() | 6.1 | $320 million (1968) [18] | $2.8 billion (2024) |
11 | 1981 Gulf of Corinth earthquakes | ![]() | 6.7 | $812 million (1981) [18] | $2.7 billion (2024) |
12 | 1983 Sea of Japan earthquake | ![]() | 7.4 | $800 million (1983) [18] | $2.4 billion (2024) |
13 | 1972 Ancona earthquake | ![]() | 4.9 | $300 million (1972) [18] | $2.1 billion (2024) |
14 | 1986 Vrancea earthquake | ![]() | 7.2 | $730 million (1977) [18] | $2 billion (2024) |
15 | 1915 Avezzano earthquake | ![]() | 6.7 | $60 million (1915) [18] | $1.8 billion (2024) |
16 | 1971 Aconcagua earthquake | ![]() | 7.8 | $236 million (1971) [18] | $1.7 billion (2024) |
17 | 1944 San Juan earthquake | ![]() | 6.9 | $100 million (1944) [18] | $1.7 billion (2024) |
18 | 1967 Caracas earthquake | ![]() | 6.6 | $140 million (1967) [18] | $1.2 billion (2024) |
19 | 1965 Valparaíso earthquake and the El Cobre dam failures | ![]() | 7.4 | $125 million (1965) [18] | $1.2 billion (2024) |
20 | 1983 Popayán earthquake | ![]() | 5.5 | $410 million (1983) [18] | $1.2 billion (2024) |
21 | 1960 Agadir earthquake | ![]() | 5.9 | $120 million (1960) [18] | $1.2 billion (2024) |
22 | 1978 Thessaloniki earthquake | ![]() | 6.4 | $250 million (1978) [18] | $1.1 billion (2024) |
23 | 1953 Ionian earthquake | ![]() | 6.8 | $100 million (1953) [18] | $1.1 billion (2024) |
24 | 1976 Bali earthquake | ![]() | 6.5 | $195 million (1976) [18] | $1 billion (2024) |
The 1964 Alaskan earthquake, also known as the Great Alaskan earthquake and Good Friday earthquake, occurred at 5:36 pm AKST on Good Friday, March 27. Across south-central Alaska, ground fissures, collapsing structures, and tsunamis resulting from the earthquake caused about 131 deaths.
The 2001 Nisqually earthquake occurred at 10:54:32 local time on February 28, 2001, and lasted nearly a minute. The intraslab earthquake had a moment magnitude of 6.8 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). The epicenter was in the southern Puget Sound, northeast of Olympia, but the shock was felt in Oregon, British Columbia, eastern Washington, and Idaho. This was the most recent of several large earthquakes that occurred in the Puget Sound region over a 52-year period and caused property damage valued at $1–4 billion. One person died of a heart attack and several hundred were injured.
The 1989 Newcastle earthquake was an intraplate earthquake that occurred in Newcastle, New South Wales on Thursday 28 December. The shock measured 5.6 on the Richter magnitude scale and was one of Australia's most serious natural disasters, killing 13 people and injuring more than 160. The damage bill has been estimated at A$4 billion, including an insured loss of about $1 billion.
Milan Bandić was a Croatian politician and the longest-serving mayor of Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. Bandić was mayor almost continuously from 2000 to 2021, except during the time between his resignation in 2002 and the 2005 election. He was also suspended from exercising his powers and duties for several months after his 2014 arrest over a corruption scandal. Out of Bandić's multifaceted engagement in politics, the most noted part was his mayoralty of Zagreb, which followed the Croatian Democratic Union's (HDZ) first post-socialist period of government (1990–2000), and exacerbated many existing transitional problems in the city.
The following is a summary of significant earthquakes during the 21st century. In terms of fatalities, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was the most destructive event with 227,898 confirmed fatalities, followed by the 2010 Haiti earthquake with about 160,000 fatalities, the 2008 Sichuan earthquake with 87,587 fatalities, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake with 87,351 fatalities, and the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes with at least 59,259 fatalities.
The Chi-Chi earthquake, was a 7.3 ML or 7.7 Mw earthquake which occurred in Jiji (Chi-Chi), Nantou County, Taiwan on Tuesday, 21 September 1999 at 01:47:12 local time. 2,415 people were killed, 11,305 injured, and NT$300 billion worth of damage was done. It is the second-deadliest earthquake in Taiwan's recorded history, after the 1935 Shinchiku-Taichū earthquake.
A major earthquake occurred in Christchurch on Tuesday 22 February 2011 at 12:51 p.m. local time. The Mw6.2 earthquake struck the Canterbury region in the South Island, centred 6.7 kilometres (4.2 mi) south-east of the central business district. It caused widespread damage across Christchurch, killing 185 people in New Zealand's fifth-deadliest disaster.
On 11 March 2011, at 14:46 JST, a Mw 9.0–9.1 undersea megathrust earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, 72 km (45 mi) east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region. It lasted approximately six minutes, causing a tsunami. It is sometimes known in Japan as the "Great East Japan Earthquake", among other names. The disaster is often referred to by its numerical date, 3.11.
The 2011 Sikkim earthquake occurred with a moment magnitude of 6.9 and was centered within the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, near the border of Nepal and the Indian state of Sikkim, at 18:10 IST on Sunday, 18 September. The earthquake was felt across northeastern India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and southern Tibet.
The 2014 South Napa earthquake occurred in the North San Francisco Bay Area on August 24 at 03:20:44 Pacific Daylight Time. At 6.0 on the moment magnitude scale and with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe), the event was the largest in the San Francisco Bay Area since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The epicenter of the earthquake was located to the south of Napa and to the northwest of American Canyon on the West Napa Fault.
The 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes were a series of earthquakes, including a magnitude 7.0 mainshock which struck at 01:25 JST on April 16, 2016 beneath Kumamoto City of Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu Region, Japan, at a depth of about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi), and a foreshock earthquake with a magnitude 6.2 at 21:26 JST (12:26 UTC) on April 14, 2016, at a depth of about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi).
An earthquake measuring 6.6 Mw on the moment magnitude scale struck Iburi Subprefecture in southern Hokkaido, Japan, on 6 September 2018 at 3:08 a.m. JST. The earthquake's epicenter was near Tomakomai and occurred at a depth of 35.0 kilometers (21.7 mi). The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) registered a magnitude of 6.7 Mj and a maximum intensity of 7 on the shindo scale. Shaking from the earthquake was felt strongly in Hokkaido and Aomori Prefecture, and shaking was felt as far away as the Kantō region. Long period ground motion (LPGM) during the earthquake reached maximum of class 4 on the JMA LPGM intensity scales. The earthquake disrupted electrical service throughout Hokkaido, leaving 5.3 million residents without power. Forty-one people were confirmed dead and six hundred and ninety-one were injured. The event is officially known as Heisei san-jū-nen Hokkaidō Iburi tōbu jishin.
At approximately 6:24 AM CET on the morning of 22 March 2020, an earthquake of magnitude 5.3 Mw, 5.5 ML, hit Zagreb, Croatia, with an epicenter 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) north of the city centre. The maximum felt intensity was VII–VIII on the Medvedev–Sponheuer–Karnik scale. The earthquake was followed by numerous aftershocks, the strongest of which with a magnitude of 5.0. It was the strongest earthquake in Zagreb since the 1880 earthquake and caused substantial damage in the historical city center. More than 1,900 buildings were reported to have been damaged to the point of becoming uninhabitable. The earthquake was also felt in Slovenia. One person was killed and 27 others were injured.
At 12:19 PM CET on 29 December 2020, an earthquake of magnitude 6.4 Mw hit central Croatia, with an epicenter located roughly 3 km (1.9 mi) west-southwest of Petrinja. The maximum felt intensity was estimated at VIII to IX (Destructive) on the European macroseismic scale. Before this event there were three foreshocks, the strongest of which had a magnitude of 5.2 Mw on the day before. The earthquake was followed by numerous aftershocks, the strongest of which had a magnitude of 4.9 Mw. The adversely affected areas were mostly in the Sisak-Moslavina County and other nearby Croatian counties, as well as some of the nearby areas of Bosnia and Slovenia.
On the night of 24–25 July 2020, after 21:00 local time, Zagreb, Croatia, was struck by a storm which produced one of the worst flash floods in the city's history. An episode of intense rainfall dumped more than 50 millimetres (2 in) of rain within two hours. The torrential streams of the mountain overlying Zagreb surged and overwhelmed the city's combined sewer system, causing flooding. The effects were worst felt in the inner city, notably Ilica, Donji grad and Trnje, though many suburbs were also affected, including Buzin, Črnomerec, Jankomir, and Maksimir. Public transport and automobile traffic ceased in many streets, while trapped people had to be rescued from flooded cars and apartments. A firefighter died at an intervention. No financial estimate of damages was released by the authorities. The city government reported receiving over 2,000 damage claims during an eight-day filing period.