+New Zealand earthquakes 1960 to 2020MagnitudeAnnual average4.0–4.9355.95.0–5.929.286.0–6.91.667.0–7.90.268.0 and over0.01

This is a list of large earthquakes that have occurred in New Zealand. Only earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.0 or greater are listed, except for a few that had a moderate impact. Aftershocks are not included, unless they were of great significance or contributed to a death toll, such as the M6.3 2011 Christchurch earthquake and the M7.3 aftershock to the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake.

Earthquakes occur frequently in New Zealand as the country is situated in the collision zone between the Indo-Australian and Pacific plates, part of the Pacific Basin Ring of Fire, where many earthquakes and volcanoes occur. Most events occur along the main ranges running from Fiordland in the southwest to East Cape in the northeast. This axis follows the boundary between the Indo-Australian and Pacific plates. Large earthquakes are less common, where the plates are not subducting and the forces are accommodated in different ways.

The largest city within the highest-risk zone is the nation's capital, Wellington, followed by Napier then Hastings. All these cities have experienced severe earthquakes since European settlement. About 14,000 earthquakes occur in and around the country each year, of which between 150 and 200 are big enough to be felt. As a result, New Zealand has very stringent building regulations. The 1929 Murchison earthquake and 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake led to the development of stricter building codes in New Zealand from 1935.

Quite early on, European settlers were faced with the reality of earthquakes in their new home. On 26 May 1840, the new settlement at Port Nicholson was struck by the first of a number of earthquakes and tremors. Early settlers learned fairly quickly the importance of using appropriate building methods in an earthquake-prone country. The 1848 earthquake, centred in Marlborough, caused great damage to the brick and masonry buildings in Wellington, and the city was rebuilt mainly in wood; consequently it suffered comparatively little damage in the 8.2 magnitude earthquake of 1855, which lifted the land 2–3m. Many buildings in Hastings and Napier were damaged in the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake. New building regulations meant that any new buildings constructed afterwards attempted to take earthquake shaking into account in building design.

Pre-19th century + Date Location Region Magnitude Depth Latitude Longitude Further information (ML) (MW) 1100 Alpine Fault South Island 7.6–8.3 1450 Alpine Fault South Island 7.6–8.3 1460 Wellington Region Wellington 8.0 8.0 25 km 41.39°S 174.80°E Haowhenua earthquake 1620 Alpine Fault South Island 7.6–8.3 1717 Alpine Fault South Island 8.1

19th century Information for earthquakes before 1840 are later estimates. + Date Location Region Magnitude Depth Latitude Longitude Fatalities Further information (ML) (MW) 1815 New Plymouth Taranaki 6.5 25 km 38.99°S 174.00°E 1817 Fiordland South Island 6.5 25 km 45.99°S 167.00°E 1826 Fiordland South Island 7.5 25 km 44.99°S 167.00°E 1835 South Auckland Auckland 6.5 25 km 36.99°S 175.00°E 1835 Auckland earthquake – Apparently a large shallow earthquake followed by aftershocks. Evidence rests on a single report that has so far not been verified 1838 Waitotara Forest Manawatu 6.5 25 km 39.39°S 176.10°E 26 May 1840 Paraparaumu Wellington 6.0 25 km 41.00°S 175.00°E 8 July 1843 Near Taihape Manawatu 7.6 7.6 12 km 39.59°S 176.20°E 2 1843 Wanganui earthquake 13 July 1846 Snares Islands Southland 6.3 25 km 47.00°S 166.00°E 19 November 1846 Karamea West Coast 6.5 25 km 41.00°S 172.00°E 4 December 1846 Wellington Wellington 6.0 25 km 41.00°S 174.50°E 16 October 1848 Blenheim Marlborough 7.4 7.8 12 km 41.89°S 173.60°E 3 1848 Marlborough earthquake 27 July 1851 Motueka Tasman 6.0 25 km 41.00°S 173.00°E 23 January 1855 Lake Wairarapa Wairarapa 8.2 8.2 33 km 41.198°S 175.20°E 9 1855 Wairarapa earthquake 23 February 1863 Waipukurau Hawke's Bay 7.5 25 km 40.00°S176.50°E 1863 Hawke's Bay earthquake 19 October 1868 Cape Farewell Tasman 7.2 12 km 40.20°S173.00°E Felt throughout Central New Zealand 5 June 1869 Christchurch Canterbury 4.7–5.7 5 km 43.55°S 172.60°E 1869 Christchurch earthquake26 February 1876OamaruOtago5.812 km45.20°S170.90°EDoublet earthquake: damaging in Oamaru & neighbouring settlements 18 July 1876 Palmerston North Manawatu 6.8 50 km 40.19°S 175.80°E Felt strongly in Palmerston North 25 June 1881 Palmerston North Manawatu 6.7 33 km 40.39°S 175.60°E Felt strongly in Palmerston North 5 December 1881 Castle Hill Canterbury 6.0 12 km 43.13°S 171.77°E 1881 Castle Hill earthquake damaged buildings in Christchurch 1 September 1888 Lewis Pass Canterbury 7.0 7.1 12 km 42.59°S 172.55°E 1 1888 North Canterbury earthquake 23 June 1891 W of Port Waikato Waikato 6.2 12 km 37.43°S 174.43°E 1891 Port Waikato earthquake – Felt quite strongly in the Waikato and Auckland regions. 12 February 1893 Nelson Tasman Bay 6.7 70 km 40.99°S173.80°E Felt throughout Central New Zealand 18 August 1895 Taupō Bay of Plenty 6.0 12 km 38.80°S176.80°E Felt throughout Central New Zealand 8 December 1897 Wanganui Manawatu 6.5 40 km 39.99°S, 175.00°E Felt throughout North Island, Strong in Wanganui

1900–1949

+ Date Location Region Magnitude Depth Latitude Longitude Fatalities Further information (ML) (MW) 16 November 1901 Cheviot North Canterbury 6.8 12 km 42.74°S173.35°E 1 1901 Cheviot earthquake 9 August 1904 Cape Turnagain Hawke's Bay 7.0 7.2 16 km 40.40°S 176.40°E 1 1904 Cape Turnagain earthquake12 April 1913MastertonWairarapa5.612 km41.00°S175.7°E1Chimney damage in & around Masterton 7 October 1914 East Cape Gisborne 6.66.6 12 km 37.80°S 178.20°E 1 1914 East Cape earthquakes22 November 1914Mayor IslandBay of Plenty7.3300 km37.50°S176.50°EFelt through North Island, chimney throughout Tairawhiti 1 May 1917 Raoul Island Kermadec Islands 8.0 50 km 29.00°S 177.00°W Felt throughout New Zealand 6 August 1917 Tinui Wairarapa 6.86.8 12 km 40.80°S 176.00°E Felt throughout North Island 3 November 1918 Puysegur Trench South of New Zealand 6.8 50 km47.00°S 165.40°E Felt throughout Southland 29 June 1921 Kaweka Forest Hawke's Bay 7.0 6.6 80 km39.30°S 176.40°E Felt throughout North Island 25 December 1922 Motunau North Canterbury 6.4 6.4 < 25km 43°S 173.00°E 1922 Motunau earthquake17 October 1926Ahimanawa RangeHawke's Bay6.080 km39.00°S176.40°EFelt through Eastern North Island 9 March 1929 Arthur's Pass Canterbury 7.0 7.0 11 km 42.83°S 171.83°E 1929 Arthur's Pass earthquake 17 June 1929 Murchison West Coast 7.3 7.7 9 km 41.69°S 172.20°E 17 1929 Murchison earthquake 23 June 1929 Murchison West Coast 6.5 6.2 14 km 41.78°S 172.32°E Felt throughout central New Zealand 12 February 1930 Porangahau Hawke's Bay 6.2 6.2 33 km 40.39°S 176.55°E Felt throughout lower half of the North Island 3 February 1931 North of Napier Hawke's Bay 7.4 7.8 20 km 39.29°S177.00°E 256 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake 13 February 1931 East of Napier Hawke's Bay 7.3 7.2 16 km 39.55°S177.31°E Aftershock to Mw 7.8 event7 May 1931GisborneGisborne6.06.112 km38.76°S177.66°EChimney damage in Gisborne region22 September 1931Raukumara RangeBay of Plenty6.06.280 km37.81°S177.93°EFelt throughout North Island and upper South Island5 March 1932White IslandBay of Plenty6.06.030 km36.50°S178.00°EFelt throughout upper North Island 16 September 1932 Wairoa Hawke's Bay 6.9 6.8 8 km 38.95°S 177.59°E Caused further damage to the already devastated Hawke's Bay 5 March 1934 Pahiatua Manawatu 7.2 7.412 km 40.54°S176.29°E 2 1934 Pahiatua earthquake 15 March 1934 Wairoa Hawke's Bay 6.3 6.425 km 39.31°S177.23°E Felt strongly in Hawke's Bay and Gisborne 24 May 1936 Whakatāne Bay of Plenty 6.5 150 km 37.99°S 177.00°E Felt in North Island 17 December 1938 Charles Sound Southland 7.0 7.1 47 km 44.99°S 167.00°E Felt throughout South Island 11 February 1939 Fiordland Southland 7.0 25 km 45.00°S 167.50°E Felt throughout South Island 26 February 1940 Hastings Hawke's Bay 6.0 25 km 39.50°S 176.50°E Felt throughout North Island 24 June 1942 Masterton Wairarapa 6.9 7.1 12 km 40.96°S175.69°E 1M 7.2, Wairarapa I, 24 June 1942 Geonet Retrieved 18 November 2016 1942 Wairarapa earthquakes 1 August 1942 Masterton Wairarapa 6.8 7.040 km 41.01°S175.52°E 1942 Wairarapa earthquakes 2 December 1942MasteronWairarapa6.06.020 km41.08°S175.58°EFelt throughout lower North Island 17 February 1943 Te Anau Southland 6.2 6.4 36 km 45.29°S168.00°E Felt throughout South Island8 May 1943WānakaOtago5.950 km44.23°S169.37°EFelt throughout lower & central South Island 2 August 1943 Te Anau Southland 6.1 6.6 33 km 45.77°S166.79°E Felt throughout South Island 2 September 1945 Puysegur Bank Southland 6.5 7.0 12 km 47.47°S,166.12°E Felt throughout Southland and Otago 27 June 1946 Lake Coleridge Canterbury 6.5 6.39 km 43.18°S 171.68°E Felt throughout South Island 26 March 1947 Offshore Poverty Bay Gisborne 5.9 7.1 15 km38.85°S 178.80°E 1947 Gisborne earthquakes and tsunami 17 May 1947 Offshore Tolaga Bay Gisborne 5.6 7.1 15 km38.42°S 178.87°E 1947 Gisborne earthquakes and tsunami28 August 1947Offshore Mahia PeninsulaGisborne6.36.87 km39.35°S179.60°E1947 Gisborne earthquakes and tsunami13 October 1947Jackson BayWest Coast6.26.218 km44.42°S168.48°EFelt throughout southern & central South Island 23 May 1948 Waiau North Canterbury 6.4 6.4 4 km 42.49°S173.00°E Felt throughout upper South Island; part of sequence 9 February 1949 Hāwera Taranaki 6.4 199 km 39.67°S174.35°E Felt throughout North Island

1950–1999