Death toll in great earthquakes 1900-2023

Since 1900, the earthquake in Tangshan in China in 1976 caused the highest number of deaths, reaching over 240,000. However, some estimate the number to be over 650,000 fatalities. The earthquake in Haiti in 2010 has the second highest death toll, but also here numbers vary from just above 100,000 to over 300,000 fatalities. Four of the 10 deadliest earthquakes during the period were registered in China.

Earthquakes with the highest death toll worldwide from 1900 to September 2023

Characteristic	Death toll
Tangshan (China, 1976)	242,000
Haiti (2010)	222,570
Nanchang (China, 1927)	200,000
Haiyuan (China, 1920)	180,000
Sumatra (Indonesia, 2004)*	165,708
Kanto (Japan, 1923)	143,000
Ashgabat (Turkmenistan, 1948)	110,000
Szechuan (China, 2008)	87,476
Messina (Italy, 1908)	75,000
Muzaffarabad (Pakistan, 2005)	73,338

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Release date

September 2023

More information

Region

Worldwide

Survey time period

1900 to 2023

Supplementary notes

Please note that the death count for the different disasters vary from source to source, as these are extremely difficult to count.

*Only includes the death toll for Indonesia, which was the country affected the most. Death tolls for the whole tsunami are usually between 220,000 and 230,000, with around 44,000 people missing.

The earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria in February 2023 caused more than 50,000 fatalities.

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