List of earthquakes in 2023
This is a list of earthquakes in 2023. Only earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above are included, unless they result in a significant impact due to major damage, deaths or serious injuries. All dates are listed according to UTC time. The maximum intensities are based on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale. Earthquake magnitudes are based on data from the USGS. Nineteen earthquakes ≥M7 occurred within the year, and no ≥M8 earthquakes recorded for the second consecutive year.
Approximate epicenters of the earthquakes in 2023
| |||
| Strongest magnitude | 7.8 Mw Turkey | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadliest | 7.8 Mw Turkey 59,488–62,013 deaths | ||
| Total fatalities | 64,347–66,872 | ||
| Number by magnitude | |||
| 9.0+ | 0 | ||
| 8.0–8.9 | 0 | ||
| 7.0–7.9 | 19 | ||
| 6.0–6.9 | 128 | ||
| 5.0–5.9 | 1,637 | ||
| 4.0–4.9 | 13,816 | ||
Up to 66,900 people died from earthquakes in 2023, the highest death toll for earthquakes since 2010. At least 59,488 people died in the Turkey–Syria doublets of February, which dominated world headlines because of its extensive devastation; the first mainshock was also the largest earthquake of the year at Mw 7.8. In September, Morocco suffered its largest earthquake in centuries; the Mw 6.8 shock killed nearly 3,000 people. In October, four Mw 6.3 earthquakes struck Afghanistan's Herat Province, killing over 1,400 people. A moderate shock in western Nepal also killed 153 people in November. In December, another tremor in northern China killed 151; the nation's deadliest since 2014. Other deadly earthquakes occurred in Ecuador, Pakistan and the Philippines.