Earthquakes with the highest magnitude in Greece 1950-2023

As of December 2023, the most severe earthquake that has occurred in Greece since 1950 was the Amorgos earthquake in the region of Dodecanese on July 9, 1956. This earthquake had a magnitude of 7.7 on the Richter scale and triggered a tsunami. In total, 53 people died from the earthquake, and three more died from the tsunami. The Amorgos earthquake was the third-deadliest in Greece from 1950. 

Are earthquakes common in Greece?

Greece is one of the European countries most often hit by earthquakes due to its location on the Aegean Sea where the Eurasian and the African tectonic plates collide. In total between 1950 and 2023, the country counted 80 earthquakes that either economic damage of one million U.S. dollars or more, 10 or more fatalities, a magnitude of 7.5 or higher, the Mercalli Intensity X or greater, or generated a tsunami. An average year in Greece between 1980 and 2020 saw 23 earthquakes, which were the second most occurring type of natural hazard nationwide. 

Earthquakes in Greece in the 2020s

In the 2020s, the strongest earthquake in Greece was registered in Crete on May 2, 2020, with a magnitude of 6.6. Furthermore, the Larissa earthquake on March 3, 2021, caused the highest economic damage, estimated at 14 million U.S. dollars. Overall, more than 900 people were reported to be affected by earthquakes in the country in 2020, meaning that they were injured, left homeless, or otherwise affected by this type of natural disaster.