Earthquakes in Switzerland
Switzerland has the highest earthquake hazard of the German-speaking countries, a legacy of the Alpine collision that continues to squeeze the crust. The canton of Valais is the most active region, followed by the Basel area, Graubünden and the Rhine valley around St. Gallen.
The reference event is the 1356 Basel earthquake, estimated at around magnitude 6.6 — the most damaging known earthquake in central Europe, which destroyed the city. A repeat is considered possible, and modern Switzerland maintains dense monitoring and strict building codes as a result.
The figures below are drawn live from the EarthquakeIndex archive for the area shown. No one can predict when the next earthquake will strike — but you can follow every event the moment EMSC records it.
Switzerland seismic activity at a glance
- 17,551 Earthquakes on record
- 1,791 In the last 12 months
- M5.5 Strongest ever 2004
- M1.3 Most recent 16 Oct 2026
Recent earthquakes in Switzerland
The last 30 days, newest first.
| Date | Magnitude | Depth | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| M1.3ml | 4 km | Switzerland | |
| M0.5ml | 8 km | France | |
| M1.5ml | 8 km | Northern Italy | |
| M1.4ml | 5 km | Switzerland | |
| M0.8ml | 5 km | Switzerland | |
| M1.5ml | 2 km | Switzerland | |
| M1.8ml | 2 km | France | |
| M1.2ml | 2 km | Germany | |
| M1.5ml | 8 km | Switzerland | |
| M1.6ml | 3 km | Austria | |
| M0.7ml | 8 km | Switzerland | |
| M2.6ml | 8 km | Switzerland | |
| M2.2ml | 6 km | Northern Italy | |
| M1.1ml | 1 km | France | |
| M1.0ml | -1 km | Switzerland | |
| M1.0ml | 7 km | France | |
| M0.6ml | 5 km | Switzerland | |
| M1.8ml | 7 km | Northern Italy | |
| M0.7ml | 5 km | Switzerland | |
| M1.1ml | 5 km | Switzerland |
Live data from the EarthquakeIndex archive · source EMSC.
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