Deadliest earthquakes of the 21st Century

Intro

We live with earthquakes. According to the National Earthquake Information Center, there are about 55 earthquakes worldwide every day. That adds up to approximately 20,000 earthquakes in a year. In South Korea, where I live, an average of 70.6 earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.0 or higher occur annually (Source: Korea Meteorological Administration). In this content, we'll explore the earthquakes that caused the most casualties each year in the 21st century. Also we’ll be able to identify regions where earthquakes occur frequently and areas vulnerable to earthquakes.

Animated Map of Deadliest earthquakes of the 21st Century

The video displays the earthquakes that caused the most fatalities each year, with a world map depicting the Ring of Fire. As shown in the video, deadly earthquakes tend to occur predominantly around the Ring of Fire.

21st-century earthquakes that have caused the most fatalities each year

The table below summarizes the top 5 earthquakes that caused the most fatalities.

The table below lists the earthquakes that have caused the most fatalities each year from 2001 to 2023 in the 21st century.

Summary

In summary, considering fatalities, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake stands as the most devastating incident, resulting in 227,898 confirmed deaths, followed by the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

As you can see from the table, having a higher magnitude does not necessarily mean a higher number of fatalities. The reason for this is that factors such as the distance from the epicenter, population density, structural design, and ground conditions can influence the outcome.

In particular, looking at the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, despite its massive magnitude of 9.1, the number of fatalities was not as high. However, it led to the Fukushima nuclear accident, causing over $360 billion in costs.

※ If you click on the keywords below "Topics," you can view related contents.