New Zealand

New Zealand – Earthquakes | QuakeMap24

Live map, statistics and recent events

Open history map Latest in this country
Quakes last month
70
Latest UTC: 2026-09-04 04:58:31
Strongest
M5.9
Gisborne District
Country rank
#17
486 quakes in 2026 · out of 17 countries
Averages
M3.45 · 69 km
Avg this month: M3.61

Overview – New Zealand

The latest recorded earthquake in New Zealand was on 2026-09-04 at 04:58 UTC in Southland with magnitude M3.5.

In the last month, 70 earthquakes were recorded in New Zealand with an average magnitude of 3.61.

Most earthquakes in 2026 occurred in Southland (107), followed by Bay of Plenty (71).

The strongest recorded earthquake in New Zealand reached magnitude M5.9 on 2026-08-02.

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

All-time events
1004
Strongest
M5.9
Latest (UTC)
2026-09-04 04:58:31 UTC

Strongest – New Zealand

Open event
M5.9 Gisborne District
UTC: 2026-08-02 08:35:26 UTC · Depth: 47 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
M3.5 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

Southland · Fiordland Community

Time (UTC) 2026-09-04 04:58:31 UTC
Coordinates -44.435, 168.239
Source emsc

SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

M3.4 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

Southland · Fiordland Community

Time (UTC) 2026-09-03 23:53:00 UTC
Coordinates -44.432, 168.291
Source emsc

SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

M3.3 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

Southland · Fiordland Community

Time (UTC) 2026-09-03 22:18:46 UTC
Coordinates -44.414, 168.239
Source emsc

SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

M3.1 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

Waikato · Taupō District

Time (UTC) 2026-09-03 22:11:47 UTC
Coordinates -39.089, 176.143
Source emsc

NORTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

M3.4 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

Southland · Fiordland Community

Time (UTC) 2026-09-03 20:17:45 UTC
Coordinates -44.401, 168.206
Source emsc

SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

M3.1 Depth: 12 km
Open event ↗

Southland · Fiordland Community

Time (UTC) 2026-09-03 18:49:28 UTC
Coordinates -45.701, 167.438
Source emsc

SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

M3.4 Depth: 3 km
Open event ↗

Southland · Fiordland Community

Time (UTC) 2026-09-03 18:42:37 UTC
Coordinates -44.437, 168.320
Source emsc

SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

M3.3 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

Southland · Fiordland Community

Time (UTC) 2026-09-03 12:13:33 UTC
Coordinates -44.424, 168.294
Source emsc

SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

M3.6 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

Southland · Fiordland Community

Time (UTC) 2026-09-03 10:02:29 UTC
Coordinates -44.431, 168.290
Source emsc

SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

M3.2 Depth: 288 km
Open event ↗

Waikato · Ōtorohanga District

Time (UTC) 2026-09-03 05:30:24 UTC
Coordinates -38.415, 175.513
Source emsc

NORTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

M3.0 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

Southland

Time (UTC) 2026-09-03 00:50:11 UTC
Coordinates -45.362, 166.704
Source emsc

OFF W. COAST OF S. ISLAND, N.Z.

M3.4 Depth: 349 km
Open event ↗

Bay of Plenty

Time (UTC) 2026-09-02 21:25:41 UTC
Coordinates -37.110, 176.269
Source emsc

NORTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

M3.0 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

Southland · Fiordland Community

Time (UTC) 2026-09-02 15:48:18 UTC
Coordinates -44.470, 168.284
Source emsc

SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

M3.1 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

Southland · Fiordland Community

Time (UTC) 2026-09-02 14:53:54 UTC
Coordinates -44.419, 168.232
Source emsc

SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

M3.1 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

Southland · Fiordland Community

Time (UTC) 2026-09-02 13:28:37 UTC
Coordinates -44.434, 168.286
Source emsc

SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

M3.1 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

Southland · Fiordland Community

Time (UTC) 2026-09-02 11:47:26 UTC
Coordinates -44.426, 168.239
Source emsc

SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

M3.1 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

Southland · Fiordland Community

Time (UTC) 2026-09-02 11:28:23 UTC
Coordinates -44.417, 168.262
Source emsc

SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

M3.1 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

Southland · Fiordland Community

Time (UTC) 2026-09-02 10:55:04 UTC
Coordinates -44.417, 168.248
Source emsc

SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

M3.7 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

Southland · Fiordland Community

Time (UTC) 2026-09-02 08:05:29 UTC
Coordinates -44.394, 168.252
Source emsc

SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

M3.2 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

Southland · Fiordland Community

Time (UTC) 2026-09-02 07:29:01 UTC
Coordinates -44.448, 168.314
Source emsc

SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

M3.0 Depth: 5 km
Open event ↗

Southland · Fiordland Community

Time (UTC) 2026-09-02 07:09:26 UTC
Coordinates -44.447, 168.313
Source emsc

SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

M5.2 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Southland · Fiordland Community

Time (UTC) 2026-09-02 06:57:12 UTC
Coordinates -44.428, 168.250
Source usgs

70 km NNW of Arthurs Point, New Zealand

M5.3 Depth: 10 km
Open event ↗

Southland · Fiordland Community

Time (UTC) 2026-09-02 06:13:34 UTC
Coordinates -44.443, 168.303
Source usgs

66 km NNW of Arthurs Point, New Zealand

M3.2 Depth: 13 km
Open event ↗

Manawatū-Whanganui

Time (UTC) 2026-09-01 06:00:52 UTC
Coordinates -40.117, 174.972
Source emsc

COOK STRAIT, NEW ZEALAND

M3.1 Depth: 127 km
Open event ↗

Manawatū-Whanganui · Stratford District

Time (UTC) 2026-08-31 09:15:49 UTC
Coordinates -39.370, 174.504
Source emsc

NORTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

M3.0 Depth: 198 km
Open event ↗

Bay of Plenty · Western Bay of Plenty District

Time (UTC) 2026-08-31 09:04:37 UTC
Coordinates -37.922, 175.975
Source emsc

NORTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

M3.4 Depth: 28 km
Open event ↗

Bay of Plenty

Time (UTC) 2026-08-31 06:42:54 UTC
Coordinates -37.818, 177.540
Source emsc

OFF E. COAST OF N. ISLAND, N.Z.

M3.5 Depth: 149 km
Open event ↗

Taranaki · Huinga

Time (UTC) 2026-08-31 00:29:43 UTC
Coordinates -39.367, 174.423
Source emsc

NORTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

M3.5 Depth: 23 km
Open event ↗

Gisborne

Time (UTC) 2026-08-28 21:36:41 UTC
Coordinates -38.864, 178.078
Source emsc

OFF E. COAST OF N. ISLAND, N.Z.

M3.6 Depth: 27 km
Open event ↗

Hawke's Bay · Wairoa District

Time (UTC) 2026-08-28 21:11:31 UTC
Coordinates -39.099, 176.990
Source emsc

NORTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND

Charts – New Zealand

Distributions and trends based on the QuakeMap24 database.

Monthly activity (last 12 months)

2025-10
67
2025-11
57
2025-12
58
2026-01
74
2026-02
63
2026-03
17
2026-04
25
2026-05
47
2026-06
60
2026-07
106
2026-08
70
2026-09
24

Counts are per calendar month (UTC).

Magnitude distribution

0-1
0
1-2
1
2-3
3
3-4
645
4-5
67
5-6
13
< 2 2–4 4–5 ≥ 5

Based on the last 365 days (UTC).

Depth distribution

0-70
464
70-300
253
300-700
11

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: 186
  2. Bay of Plenty
    Events: 145
  3. Manawatū-Whanganui
    Events: 129
  4. Waikato
    Events: 91
  5. Marlborough
    Events: 79

FAQ – New Zealand

What is the latest recorded earthquake in New Zealand?
The newest entry in our database for New Zealand is dated 2026-09-04 04:58:31 UTC.
What was the strongest recorded earthquake in New Zealand?
The strongest recorded event in our database for New Zealand reached magnitude M5.9.
How many earthquakes are recorded for New Zealand?
QuakeMap24 currently contains 1004 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 M3.45 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.

Regions · New Zealand

Significant historical earthquakes – New Zealand

with casualties or damage

  1. 1931 Hawke Bay M7.7 261 deaths 25 M USD tsunami
  2. 2011 Christchurch, Lyttelton M6.1 185 deaths 15'000 M USD tsunami
  3. 1929 South Island M7.5 17 deaths tsunami
  4. 1968 South Island: Nw Coast M7.1 3 deaths 3 M USD
  5. 1848 Awatere River, Marlborough M6.0 3 deaths tsunami
  6. 2016 Amberley M7.8 2 deaths 3'900 M USD tsunami
  7. 2011 South Island: Canterbury M6.0 1 deaths 3'000 M USD
  8. 1987 North Island, Whakatani, Edgecumbe M6.6 1 deaths 210 M USD

Country history – New Zealand

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

Open history map