Region · live catalogue
Earthquakes in China
In the last 30 days, 36 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater were recorded in China; the largest was a magnitude 7.0 earthquake in the Xizang on 22 Oct 2026.
Data: GFZ, USGS, INGV, JMA · updated · sources and licences
- 24 hours
- 1
- all magnitudes
- 7 days
- 3
- M2.5+
- 30 days
- 36
- M2.5+
Seismic record
In China, the USGS catalogue lists 269 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or more since 1900 and 633 of magnitude 5 or more since 2000, about 24 a year. In the 12 months to 13 Oct 2026 it recorded 290 of magnitude 2.5 or more, 289 of them magnitude 4 or more.
The largest since 1900: M8.0 on 22 Dec 1906, 39 km S of Xininglu, Xinjiang, China. The most recent of magnitude 5 or more: M5.0 on 27 Sept 2026, 118 km NNW of Maqin County, Qinghai, China.
Counts from the USGS ComCat catalogue (public domain), last compiled 13 Oct 2026. Outside the United States, ComCat is complete from about magnitude 4.5, so smaller local earthquakes may be missing from these counts but appear in the lists below. How these pages are built
Last 24 hours
| Mag | Location | Time (UTC) |
|---|---|---|
| 4.9mb | 42 km N of Weining, Guizhou, China2 agencies |
Earlier this week, magnitude 2.5 and above
| Mag | Location | Time (UTC) |
|---|---|---|
| 4.5mb | 16 km SSE of Gaoyou, Jiangsu, China | |
| 4.3mb | 79 km SSE of Qamdo, Tibet, China |
Largest in the last 30 days
| Mag | Location | Time (UTC) |
|---|---|---|
| 7.0mww | Xizang4 agencies | |
| 5.2mb | Xizang2 agencies | |
| 5.1mb | Xizang2 agencies | |
| 5.1mb | Qinghai, China2 agencies | |
| 5.0mb | 16 km WNW of Jiangyou, Sichuan, China2 agencies | |
| 4.9mb | 42 km N of Weining, Guizhou, China2 agencies | |
| 4.9mb | 41 km SSE of Kax, Xinjiang, China2 agencies | |
| 4.7mb | Xizang2 agencies | |
| 4.7mb | Xizang2 agencies | |
| 4.7mb | Xizang2 agencies |
Where they occurred
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Largest since 1900
Magnitude 6 and above in China.
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Questions
How many earthquakes happen in China?
In the last 30 days, 36 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater were recorded in China, 3 of them in the last 7 days. In the last 24 hours, 1 earthquakes of any magnitude were recorded. Most small earthquakes are not felt.
What was the largest recent earthquake in China?
The largest in the last 30 days was a magnitude 7.0 earthquake in the Xizang on 22 Oct 2026, at a depth of 18 km.
What is the largest earthquake recorded in China since 1900?
According to the USGS catalogue, the largest was a magnitude 8.0 earthquake on 22 Dec 1906 (95 km WSW of Shihezi, China). Magnitudes of early 20th-century earthquakes are less certain than modern ones.
How deep are earthquakes in China?
100% of the magnitude 2.5+ earthquakes recorded in China in the last 30 days were shallower than 70 km. Shallow earthquakes generally cause stronger shaking at the surface than deep ones of the same magnitude.
Where can I get official earthquake information for China?
For official information, warnings and safety advice, follow China Earthquake Networks Center (https://www.cenc.ac.cn/) and your local civil protection authority. This site compiles agency reports and is not a warning service.
Can earthquakes be predicted?
No. Scientists can estimate how likely strong shaking is in a region over years or decades, but no method predicts the time, place and size of a specific earthquake. Aftershocks are expected after large earthquakes and become less frequent over time.