The following table lists the frequency of earthquakes worldwide, according to magnitude and annual average.

Descriptor Magnitude Annual average Great 8 or higher 11 Major 7–7.9 172 Strong 6–6.9 1342 Moderate 5–5.9 1,3192 Light 4–4.9 c. 13,000 Minor 3–3.9 c. 130,000 Very minor 2–2.9 c. 1,300,000

1. Based on observations since 1900. 2. Based on observations since 1990. NOTE: The NEIC estimates that several million earthquakes occur in the world each year. Many go undetected because they hit remote areas or have very small magnitudes.

Source: National Earthquake Information Center, U.S. Geological Survey.