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Latest earthquakes near Papua New Guinea today
Complete overview of the latest earthquakes near the country Papua New Guinea, updated every minute. Did you feel an earthquake today in Papua New Guinea? If an earthquake is happening right now near Papua New Guinea (also known as Papua Niugini), it will show up within minutes.
Recent Papua New Guinea Earthquake News
These are the latest articles published related to earthquakes occurring near Papua New Guinea. Check our Earthquake News section for a complete overview of articles written on earthquakes near Papua New Guinea and elsewhere.
Jan 20, 2026 05:21PM
Significant M5.9 Earthquake struck on Tuesday Afternoon in the Bismarck Sea near Madang (Papua New Guinea).
Jan 15, 2026 01:29AM
Significant M5.1 Earthquake struck on Thursday Night in the Bismarck Sea 120km from Lae (Papua New Guinea).
Jan 5, 2026 10:42AM
Significant M5.2 Earthquake hit in the Bismarck Sea 136km from Lae (Papua New Guinea) on Monday Morning.
Jan 4, 2026 11:23AM
Significant M5.1 Earthquake struck on Sunday Morning in the Solomon Sea 127km from Kokopo (Papua New Guinea).
Dec 30, 2025 10:22PM
On Tuesday Evening a Shallow M5.1 Earthquake struck in the Solomon Sea near Arawa (Papua New Guinea).
Dec 29, 2025 09:40PM
Shallow M5.1 Earthquake struck on Monday Evening in the Solomon Sea 116km from Kokopo (Papua New Guinea).
Papua New Guinea Earthquake Statistics
Average
A total of 7320 earthquakes with a magnitude of four or above have struck within 300 km (186 mi) of Papua New Guinea in the past 10 years. This comes down to a yearly average of 732 earthquakes per year, or 61 per month. On average an earthquake will hit near Papua New Guinea roughly every 11 hours.
A relatively large number of earthquakes occurred near Papua New Guinea in 2018. A total of 1024 earthquakes (mag 4+) were detected within 300 km of Papua New Guinea that year. The strongest had a 7.5 magnitude.
Magnitude Distribution
The table below visualizes the distribution of all earthquakes that occurred within 300km of Papua New Guinea in the past 10 years. No earthquakes with a magnitude of 8 or above have occurred near Papua New Guinea during this time. Usually, higher magnitudes are less common than lower magnitudes. Small earthquakes with a magnitude below 4 on the Richter scale have been omitted from this overview.
| Magnitude | Earthquakes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Mag. 4 | 6260 | 85.52% |
| Mag. 5 | 968 | 13.22% |
| Mag. 6 | 83 | 1.13% |
| Mag. 7 | 9 | 0.12% |
| Mag. 8 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Mag. 9 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Mag. 10 | 0 | 0.0% |
Strongest earthquakes near Papua New Guinea
The strongest recent earthquake of the past 10 years near Papua New Guinea occurred on Dec 17, 2016 20:51 local time (Pacific/Port_Moresby timezone). It had a magnitude of 7.9 and struck 140 kilometers (87 mi) east of Kokopo, at a depth of 95 km. Discover more strong earthquakes near Papua New Guinea in the list below.
A longer time ago, a MAG-8.2 earthquake struck on May 7, 1919 05:41, 184 kilometers (114 mi) east of Kokopo. It is the strongest earthquake near Papua New Guinea in the past 126 years (Our data goes back to January 1st, 1900).
In the table below you will find the strongest earthquakes that occurred near Papua New Guinea in the past 10 years. You can use the tabs to find the heaviest historic earthquakes since the year 1900 or within a specific year or distance from Papua New Guinea.
Earthquakes by region of Papua New Guinea
Click the links below for earthquake reports for regions in Papua New Guinea.
- Bougainville
- East New Britain
- East Sepik
- Eastern Highlands
- Madang
- Morobe
- National Capital
- Northern Province
- Southern Highlands
- West New Britain
- Western Highlands
- Western Province
Frequently Asked Questions
These questions are commonly asked in relation to earthquakes occurring near Papua New Guinea.
When was the last earthquake in Papua New Guinea?
A 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit near Papua New Guinea on the afternoon of January 20, 2026 at 17:21 local time (Pacific/Port_Moresby). The center of this earthquake was located 24km east-southeast of Madang at a depth of 90km under water in the Bismarck Sea. Check the list on our website for any earthquakes occurring near Papua New Guinea in the past hours.
What was the strongest earthquake near Papua New Guinea?
A 8.2 magnitude earthquake hit near Papua New Guinea on the night of May 7, 1919 at 05:41 local time (Pacific/Port_Moresby). The center of this earthquake was located 184km east-southeast of Kokopo at a depth of 35km under water in the South Pacific Ocean. This is the strongest earthquake that occurred near Papua New Guinea since the year 1900.
How often do earthquakes occur near Papua New Guinea?
In the past 10 years, 7320 earthquakes with a magnitude of four or higher occurred within a 300 kilometer range from Papua New Guinea. This averages to 732 earthquakes yearly, or one earthquake every 12 hours.
