New Zealand

New Zealand – Earthquakes | QuakeMap24

Live map, statistics and recent events

Open history map Latest in this country
Quakes this month
47
Latest UTC: 2026-05-31 04:41:54
Strongest
M5.1
Off East Coast of North Island, New Zealand
Country rank
#18
226 quakes in 2026 · out of 18 countries
Averages
M3.39 · 69 km
Avg this month: M3.47

Overview – New Zealand

The latest recorded earthquake in New Zealand was on 2026-05-31 at 04:41 UTC in Canterbury with magnitude M3.2.

In the current month, 47 earthquakes were recorded in New Zealand with an average magnitude of 3.47.

Most earthquakes in 2026 occurred in Bay of Plenty (30), followed by Manawatū-Whanganui (30).

The strongest recorded earthquake in New Zealand reached magnitude M5.1 on 2025-09-06.

In 2026, 99% of events were M≥3 and 2% were M≥5.

All-time events
744
Strongest
M5.1
Latest (UTC)
2026-05-31 04:41:54 UTC

Strongest – New Zealand

Open event
M5.1 Off East Coast of North Island, New Zealand
UTC: 2025-09-06 19:55:02 UTC · Depth: 10 km

Map – New Zealand

Markers show the latest 30 earthquakes in New Zealand.

Recent earthquakes – New Zealand

Showing the latest 30 events from the QuakeMap24 database (UTC).

Open full list
M3.2 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

Canterbury · Kaikōura District

Time (UTC) 2026-05-31 04:41:54 UTC
Coordinates -42.219, 173.571
Source emsc
M3.1 Depth: 38 km
Open event ↗

Gisborne · Gisborne District

Time (UTC) 2026-05-31 04:13:46 UTC
Coordinates -38.355, 177.616
Source emsc
M3.2 Depth: 102 km
Open event ↗

Southland · Fiordland Community

Time (UTC) 2026-05-30 21:52:57 UTC
Coordinates -45.342, 167.244
Source emsc
M3.5 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

West Coast · Westland District

Time (UTC) 2026-05-29 03:31:14 UTC
Coordinates -43.132, 170.955
Source emsc
M3.9 Depth: 483 km
Open event ↗

Waikato

Time (UTC) 2026-05-28 14:45:52 UTC
Coordinates -38.291, 174.674
Source emsc
M3.2 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

Otago · Queenstown-Lakes District

Time (UTC) 2026-05-28 06:29:50 UTC
Coordinates -44.486, 168.624
Source emsc
M3.2 Depth: 212 km
Open event ↗

Bay of Plenty · Ōhiwa

Time (UTC) 2026-05-27 08:53:00 UTC
Coordinates -38.002, 177.134
Source emsc
M3.1 Depth: 90 km
Open event ↗

Waikato · Taupō District

Time (UTC) 2026-05-26 19:57:48 UTC
Coordinates -38.960, 175.560
Source emsc
M3.3 Depth: 26 km
Open event ↗

Gisborne

Time (UTC) 2026-05-25 22:17:14 UTC
Coordinates -38.795, 178.242
Source emsc
M3.6 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

West Coast · Westland District

Time (UTC) 2026-05-24 21:43:57 UTC
Coordinates -43.614, 169.828
Source emsc
M3.3 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

West Coast · Westland District

Time (UTC) 2026-05-24 17:42:06 UTC
Coordinates -43.062, 171.067
Source emsc
M3.1 Depth: 216 km
Open event ↗

Waikato · South Waikato District

Time (UTC) 2026-05-23 20:32:04 UTC
Coordinates -38.116, 176.000
Source emsc
M3.1 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

Manawatū-Whanganui · Whanganui District

Time (UTC) 2026-05-23 19:36:26 UTC
Coordinates -39.325, 174.922
Source emsc
M3.5 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

Southland

Time (UTC) 2026-05-22 20:52:28 UTC
Coordinates -45.125, 166.897
Source emsc
M3.3 Depth: 24 km
Open event ↗

Wellington · Greytown Community

Time (UTC) 2026-05-22 19:15:52 UTC
Coordinates -41.006, 175.363
Source emsc
M3.0 Depth: 129 km
Open event ↗

Bay of Plenty · Rotorua Lakes District

Time (UTC) 2026-05-22 15:32:25 UTC
Coordinates -38.204, 176.295
Source emsc
M3.3 Depth: 196 km
Open event ↗

West Coast · Buller District

Time (UTC) 2026-05-22 05:00:44 UTC
Coordinates -41.216, 172.494
Source emsc
M3.2 Depth: 240 km
Open event ↗

Taranaki · New Plymouth District

Time (UTC) 2026-05-21 22:40:02 UTC
Coordinates -39.035, 174.679
Source emsc
M3.9 Depth: 234 km
Open event ↗

Taranaki · Toko

Time (UTC) 2026-05-21 16:01:37 UTC
Coordinates -39.324, 174.394
Source emsc
M3.2 Depth: 133 km
Open event ↗

Waikato · Taupō District

Time (UTC) 2026-05-21 00:38:19 UTC
Coordinates -38.609, 175.772
Source emsc
M3.2 Depth: 255 km
Open event ↗

Bay of Plenty

Time (UTC) 2026-05-19 15:24:47 UTC
Coordinates -37.542, 176.631
Source emsc
M3.4 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

Canterbury · Waitaki District

Time (UTC) 2026-05-19 03:11:58 UTC
Coordinates -44.292, 169.968
Source emsc
M3.2 Depth: 145 km
Open event ↗

Bay of Plenty

Time (UTC) 2026-05-19 01:18:11 UTC
Coordinates -37.596, 176.975
Source emsc
M3.6 Depth: 173 km
Open event ↗

Waikato · Tokoroa

Time (UTC) 2026-05-18 21:26:18 UTC
Coordinates -38.241, 175.850
Source emsc
M3.3 Depth: 176 km
Open event ↗

Bay of Plenty · Western Bay of Plenty District

Time (UTC) 2026-05-18 04:19:08 UTC
Coordinates -37.859, 176.216
Source emsc
M3.1 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

Otago · Queenstown-Lakes District

Time (UTC) 2026-05-18 02:17:42 UTC
Coordinates -44.527, 168.257
Source emsc
M3.3 Depth: 91 km
Open event ↗

Taranaki

Time (UTC) 2026-05-17 15:04:03 UTC
Coordinates -39.925, 174.619
Source emsc
M3.9 Depth: 425 km
Open event ↗

Taranaki · South Taranaki District

Time (UTC) 2026-05-15 21:19:02 UTC
Coordinates -39.508, 173.991
Source emsc
M3.3 Depth: 147 km
Open event ↗

Taranaki · South Taranaki District

Time (UTC) 2026-05-14 18:23:11 UTC
Coordinates -39.437, 174.420
Source emsc
M3.4 Depth: 28 km
Open event ↗

Hawke's Bay · Wairoa District

Time (UTC) 2026-05-14 09:50:08 UTC
Coordinates -39.022, 177.125
Source emsc

Charts – New Zealand

Distributions and trends based on the QuakeMap24 database.

Monthly activity (last 12 months)

2025-06
57
2025-07
90
2025-08
67
2025-09
61
2025-10
67
2025-11
57
2025-12
58
2026-01
74
2026-02
63
2026-03
17
2026-04
25
2026-05
47

Counts are per calendar month (UTC).

Magnitude distribution

0-1
0
1-2
1
2-3
2
3-4
608
4-5
67
5-6
7
6-7
0
7-8
0
8-9
0
9+
0

Based on the last 365 days (UTC).

Depth distribution

0-70
443
70-300
237
300-700
5
700+
0

Depth buckets are derived from the last 365 days (UTC).

Top regions – New Zealand

Regions are derived from the most specific available location fields (e.g. state, then city).

  1. Southland
    Events: 105
  2. Bay of Plenty
    Events: 104
  3. Manawatū-Whanganui
    Events: 96
  4. Waikato
    Events: 71
  5. Marlborough
    Events: 66

FAQ – New Zealand

What is the latest recorded earthquake in New Zealand?
The newest entry in our database for New Zealand is dated 2026-05-31 04:41:54 UTC.
What was the strongest recorded earthquake in New Zealand?
The strongest recorded event in our database for New Zealand reached magnitude M5.1.
How many earthquakes are recorded for New Zealand?
QuakeMap24 currently contains 744 recorded earthquakes for New Zealand (all-time, based on our database).
What are typical average magnitude and depth in New Zealand?
Across all recorded events in New Zealand, the average magnitude is M3.39 and the average depth is 69 km.
Why do some events show city/state/village and others only a place name?
Locality labels depend on the available source data. Some providers deliver precise administrative levels; others provide a broader place description.
How can I explore more than the last 30 events?
Use the country history page for New Zealand to explore earthquake activity with filters.
How often is this page updated?
The content is generated from the QuakeMap24 database and refreshes as new events are ingested. Timestamps are shown in UTC for consistency.

Country history – New Zealand

Explore earthquake history with filters (magnitude, depth, date range).

Open history map