Indonesia is situated across the convergence zone of the Indo-Australian, Eurasian, Pacific, and Philippine Sea plates.Data compiled by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency of Indonesia (BMKG), the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centers for Environmental Information, and Geoscience Australia trace significant seismic ruptures from the late 17th century through the modern instrumental era.
The chronological table below organizes Indonesia’s major historical and modern seismic events in descending order (newest to oldest), based on official seismic and disaster management agency catalogs.
Chronological Record of Major Indonesian Earthquakes
| Date & Origin Time (Local / UTC) | Magnitude (Mw / Ms / Est.) & Depth | Aftershocks / Rupture Dynamics | Primary Regencies / Island Arc Affected | Confirmed Fatalities | Injuries / Displaced Population | Projected / Direct Economic Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Aug 2026 05:58 WITA (21:58 UTC – 14 Aug) | 7.7 10–15 km (Shallow) | >235 aftershocks recorded within 24h (Max: Mw6.1) | East Nusa Tenggara (Flores Island: Sikka, Nagekeo, Ende, Manggarai) | 51+ | 113+ injured 3,300+ displaced | Projected <1% of GDP (USGS PAGER Yellow) |
| 21 Nov 2022 13:21 WIB (06:21 UTC) | 5.6 10 km (Shallow) | >400 recorded over 7 days along Cugenang Fault | West Java (Cianjur Regency, Sukabumi, Bogor) | 334–602 (BNPB / Local Govt verified) | 7,729 injured 114,683 displaced | ~$510 Million USD (BNPB / World Bank) |
| 28 Sep 2018 18:02 WITA (10:02 UTC) | 7.5 20 km (Strike-Slip) | >700 aftershocks; massive soil liquefaction | Central Sulawesi (Palu City, Donggala, Sigi, Parigi Moutong) | 4,340 (BNPB / UN OCHA) | 10,679 injured 206,000+ displaced | ~$1.3–1.5 Billion USD (UNDRR / World Bank) |
| 05 Aug 2018 19:46 WITA (11:46 UTC) | 6.9 31 km (Thrust) | >1,000 sequence events (Preceded by Mw 6.4 foreshock) | West Nusa Tenggara (North Lombok, East Lombok, Mataram) | 563 (BNPB) | 7,000+ injured 417,000+ displaced | ~$500–600 Million USD (BNPB impact data) |
| 30 Sep 2009 17:16 WIB (10:16 UTC) | 7.6 81 km (Intermediate) | Multiple Mw>5.5 over 48h; extensive landslides | West Sumatra (Padang, Pariaman, Agam Regency) | 1,115 (USGS / BNPB) | 2,900+ injured 400,000+ displaced | ~$2.3 Billion USD (Bappenas / World Bank) |
| 27 May 2006 05:54 WIB (22:54 UTC – 26 May) | 6.3 12 km (Shallow) | >750 aftershocks along Opak Fault zone | Special Region of Yogyakarta & Central Java (Bantul, Klaten) | 5,782 (BNPB / UN) | 38,568 injured 1.5+ Million displaced | ~$3.1 Billion USD (World Bank / Bappenas) |
| 28 Mar 2005 23:09 WIB (16:09 UTC) | 8.6 30 km (Megathrust) | Hundreds across Sunda Trench; ~300 km rupture | North Sumatra (Nias Island, Simeulue, Singkil) | 1,313 (USGS / UN) | 6,000+ injured 100,000+ displaced | ~$392 Million USD (BRR / World Bank) |
| 26 Dec 2004 07:58 WIB (00:58 UTC) | 9.1–9.3 30 km (Megathrust) | Continuous major activity across 1,300 km rupture length | Northern Sumatra (Aceh, North Sumatra) & Indian Ocean Basin | 167,540 (Indonesia alone; >227,000 basin-wide) | 100,000+ injured 500,000+ displaced (Aceh) | ~$4.5 Billion USD (Aceh reconstruction total) |
| 12 Dec 1992 13:29 WITA (05:29 UTC) | 7.8 28 km (Back-Arc Thrust) | Severe sequence; 25m localized tsunami run-up | East Nusa Tenggara (Flores Island, Maumere, Babi Island) | 2,500 (USGS / UNESCO) | 500+ injured 40,000+ displaced | ~$100 Million USD (1992 unadjusted) |
| 19 Aug 1977 14:08 WITA (06:08 UTC) | 8.3 33 km (Normal Faulting) | High-magnitude outer-rise sequence; major tsunami | Sumba Island, Sumbawa, Bali, Lombok | 316 (USGS / NOAA) | 1,000+ injured Thousands displaced | ~$20 Million USD (1977 valuation) |
| 25 Jun 1976 03:00 WITA (19:00 UTC – 24 Jun) | 7.1 33 km (Shallow) | Triggered mass mountain slope collapses | Papua (Jayawijaya Mountains / Highlands) | 422–1,000+(USGS / Govt) | Thousands injured / Missing | ~$10 Million USD (1976 valuation) |
| 01 Feb 1938 04:04 WITA (20:04 UTC – 31 Jan) | 8.5 60 km (Intermediate) | Extensive Banda Sea oceanic plate rupture | Banda Sea, Maluku, Kai Islands | Low (Remote offshore epicenter) | Minor injuries | Minimal infrastructure damage |
| 21 Jan 1917 06:50 WITA (22:50 UTC – 20 Jan) | 6.6 15 km (Shallow) | Triggered devastating landslides on Mount Batur | Bali (Geok, Kintamani, Tabanan) | 1,500 (NOAA / Dutch Colonial Records) | Thousands injured 64,000 homes destroyed | Massive agrarian loss |
| 16 Feb 1861 Time unrecorded | ~8.5 Shallow Megathrust | Triggered major tsunami along 500 km of coastline | Western Sumatra (Batu Islands, Nias, Padang) | Thousands(Historical Dutch colonial data) | Widespread displacement | Heavy colonial settlement loss |
| 24 Nov 1833 20:00 Local | 8.8–9.2 (Est.) Shallow Megathrust | ~550 km rupture length along Mentawai segment | West Sumatra, Bengkulu, Mentawai Islands | Thousands(Colonial reports) | Substantial coastal devastation | Extreme regional property loss |
| 10 Apr 1815 19:00 Local | 7.0+(Volcanic-Tectonic) Shallow | Associated with catastrophic Tambora caldera collapse | Sumbawa, Lombok, Bali, East Java | 10,000+ direct(>71,000 famine/pyroclastic) | Regional agricultural displacement | Complete destruction of local kingdoms |
| 05 Jan 1699 01:30 Local | 7.4–8.0 (Est.) Deep crustal / Intraslab | Massive mudflows from Mount Salak down Cisadane | West Java (Batavia / Old Jakarta, Bogor) | 128+ documented(High unrecorded toll) | Severe settlement damage | Severe damage to Dutch VOC forts |
| 17 Feb 1674 19:30 Local | ~6.8–7.5(Est.) Shallow coastal | 100-meter local tsunami run-up on Hitu Peninsula | Maluku Islands (Ambon, Seram) | 2,322 (Georg Rumphius / VOC records) | Widespread port destruction | Complete loss of VOC trading assets |