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 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).
Dec 27, 2025 09:02AM
Significant M5.1 Earthquake hit in the South Pacific Ocean 106km from Kokopo (Papua New Guinea) on Saturday Morning.
Dec 23, 2025 07:54PM
Significant M5.2 Earthquake struck on Tuesday Evening in the Bismarck Sea 136km from Lae (Papua New Guinea).
Papua New Guinea Earthquake Statistics
Average
A total of 7331 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 733 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 | 6272 | 85.55% |
| Mag. 5 | 967 | 13.19% |
| 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 Jan 22, 2017 15:30 local time (Pacific/Bougainville timezone). It had a magnitude of 7.9 and struck 44 kilometers (27 mi) west of Arawa, at a depth of 135 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) west 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 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit near Papua New Guinea on the morning of January 5, 2026 at 10:42 local time (Pacific/Port_Moresby). The center of this earthquake was located 136km north-northeast of Lae at a depth of 175km 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, 7331 earthquakes with a magnitude of four or higher occurred within a 300 kilometer range from Papua New Guinea. This averages to 733 earthquakes yearly, or one earthquake every 12 hours.
