| Strongest | 7.9 Mw, |
|---|---|
| Deadliest | 7.8 Mw, 676 deaths |
| Total fatalities | 1,585 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 9.0+ | 0 |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 16 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 127 |
| 5.0–5.9 | 1,507 |
| 4.0–4.9 | 12,771 |
This is a list of earthquakes in 2016. Only earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above are included, unless they result in damage and/or casualties, or are notable for some other reason. All dates are listed according to UTC time. Maximum intensities are indicated on the Mercalli intensity scale and are sourced from United States Geological Survey (USGS) ShakeMap data. Major events took place in Ecuador, Italy, Taiwan, Indonesia and New Zealand this year, while the strongest tremor was observed in Papua New Guinea. 2016 was also the first year since 2002 with no magnitude 8+ earthquakes.
| Magnitude | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.0–9.9 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 9 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 16 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 142 | 178 | 168 | 144 | 151 | 204 | 129 | 125 | 140 | 124 | 127 |
| 5.0–5.9 | 1,712 | 2,074 | 1,768 | 1,896 | 1,963 | 2,271 | 1,412 | 1,402 | 1,475 | 1,413 | 1,507 |
| 4.0–4.9 | 12,838 | 12,080 | 12,292 | 6,805 | 10,164 | 13,303 | 10,990 | 9,795 | 13,494 | 13,239 | 12,771 |
| Total | 14,703 | 14,350 | 14,240 | 8,862 | 12,300 | 15,798 | 12,548 | 11,341 | 15,121 | 14,795 | 14,421 |
An increase in detected earthquake numbers does not necessarily represent an increase in earthquakes per se. Population increase, habitation spread, and advances in earthquake detection technology all contribute to higher earthquake numbers being recorded over time.

| Rank | Death toll | Magnitude | Location | MMI | Depth (km) | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 676 | 7.8 | VIII (Severe) | 20.6 | April 16 | |
| 2 | 299 | 6.2 | XI (Extreme) | 4.4 | August 24 | |
| 3 | 273 | 7.0 | IX (Violent) | 10.0 | April 15 | |
| 4 | 117 | 6.4 | VII (Very strong) | 23.0 | February 6 | |
| 5 | 104 | 6.5 | VIII (Severe) | 13.0 | December 6 | |
| 6 | 23 | 5.9 | VII (Very strong) | 40.0 | September 10 | |
| 7 | 11 | 6.7 | VII (Very strong) | 55.0 | January 3 | |
Listed are earthquakes with at least 10 dead.
| Rank | Magnitude | Death toll | Location | MMI | Depth (km) | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7.9 | 0 | VII (Very strong) | 93.0 | December 17 | |
| 2 | 7.8 | 676 | VIII (Severe) | 20.6 | April 16 | |
| 2 | 7.8 | 0 | III (Weak) | 24.0 | March 2 | |
| 2 | 7.8 | 2 | IX (Violent) | 22.0 | November 14 | |
| 2 | 7.8 | 1 | VIII (Severe) | 41.0 | December 8 | |
| 6 | 7.7 | 0 | VI (Strong) | 212.4 | July 29 | |
| 7 | 7.6 | 0 | VIII (Severe) | 35.2 | December 25 | |
| 8 | 7.4 | 0 | I (Not felt) | 10.0 | August 19 | |
| 9 | 7.2 | 0 | VII (Very strong) | 163.2 | January 30 | |
| 9 | 7.2 | 0 | VI (Strong) | 72.7 | May 28 | |
| 9 | 7.2 | 0 | V (Moderate) | 9.9 | August 12 | |
| 12 | 7.1 | 0 | VII (Very strong) | 125.6 | January 24 | |
| 12 | 7.1 | 0 | I (Not felt) | 10.0 | August 29 | |
| 14 | 7.0 | 273 | IX (Violent) | 10.0 | April 15 | |
| 14 | 7.0 | 0 | VII (Very strong) | 27.2 | April 28 | |
| 14 | 7.0 | 0 | VI (Strong) | 19.0 | September 1 |
Listed are earthquakes with at least 7.0 magnitude.
| Strongest | 7.2 Mw, |
|---|---|
| Deadliest | 6.7 Mw, 11 deaths |
| Total fatalities | 13 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 2 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 11 |
| 5.0–5.9 | 119 |
| 4.0–4.9 | 1,024 |
| Strongest | 6.4 Mw, 6.4 Mw, |
|---|---|
| Deadliest | 6.4 Mw, 117 deaths |
| Total fatalities | 118 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 0 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 10 |
| 5.0–5.9 | 93 |
| 4.0–4.9 | 982 |

| Strongest | 7.8 Mw |
|---|---|
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 1 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 4 |
| 5.0–5.9 | 99 |
| 4.0–4.9 | 990 |
| Strongest | 7.8 Mw |
|---|---|
| Deadliest | 7.8 Mw 676 deaths |
| Total fatalities | 970 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 3 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 20 |
| 5.0–5.9 | 136 |
| 4.0–4.9 | 1,276 |
| Strongest | 7.2 Mw |
|---|---|
| Deadliest | 4.9 Mw 4 deaths |
| Total fatalities | 5 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 1 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 6 |
| 5.0–5.9 | 87 |
| 4.0–4.9 | 1,084 |
| Strongest | 6.6 Mw |
|---|---|
| Deadliest | 6.6 Mw 1 death |
| Total fatalities | 1 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 0 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 15 |
| 5.0–5.9 | 111 |
| 4.0–4.9 | 1,149 |
| Strongest | 7.7 Mw |
|---|---|
| Deadliest | 6.3 Mw 2 deaths |
| Total fatalities | 3 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 1 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 6 |
| 5.0–5.9 | 119 |
| 4.0–4.9 | 1,044 |
| Strongest | 7.4 Mw |
|---|---|
| Deadliest | 6.2 Mw 299 deaths |
| Total fatalities | 310 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 3 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 10 |
| 5.0–5.9 | 140 |
| 4.0–4.9 | 1,236 |
| Strongest | 7.0 Mw |
|---|---|
| Deadliest | 5.9 Mw 23 deaths |
| Total fatalities | 32 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 1 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 12 |
| 5.0–5.9 | 164 |
| 4.0–4.9 | 1,268 |
| Strongest | 6.8 Mw |
|---|---|
| Deadliest | 5.4 Mw 2 deaths 6.6 Mw 2 deaths |
| Total fatalities | 7 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 0 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 8 |
| 5.0–5.9 | 98 |
| 4.0–4.9 | 944 |
| Strongest | 7.8 Mw |
|---|---|
| Deadliest | 4.4 Mw 8 deaths |
| Total fatalities | 13 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 1 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 12 |
| 5.0–5.9 | 159 |
| 4.0–4.9 | 1,267 |
| Strongest | 7.9 Mw |
|---|---|
| Deadliest | 6.5 Mw 104 deaths |
| Total fatalities | 111 |
| Number by magnitude | |
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9 | 3 |
| 6.0–6.9 | 17 |
| 5.0–5.9 | 200 |
| 4.0–4.9 | 754 |
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