Only earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above are included, unless they result in damage and/or casualties, or are notable for other reasons.

This year was not very active with only ten major quakes, and the death toll was the lowest since 2000.

However, Albania experienced its strongest tremor in decades, and various deadly events struck Indonesia, Pakistan and the Philippines.

The only 8+ quake occurred in Peru in May, but it did not cause much damage because of its great depth.

Population increase, habitation spread, and advances in earthquake detection technology all contribute to higher earthquake numbers being recorded over time.