List of volcanic eruptions by death toll

Volcanic eruptions can be highly explosive. Some volcanoes have undergone catastrophic eruptions, killing large numbers of humans or other life forms. This list documents volcanic eruptions by human death toll.

Volcanic eruptions

Human death toll	Volcano	VEI	Location	Year	Eruption	Source(s)
71,000 to 250,100+	Mount Tambora	7	Indonesia	1815	1815 eruption of Mount Tambora, Year Without a Summer
36,000+	Krakatoa	6	Indonesia	1883	1883 eruption of Krakatoa
30,000	Mount Pelée	4	Martinique	1902	1902 eruption of Mount Pelée
23,000	Nevado del Ruiz	3	Colombia	1985	Armero tragedy
20,000~ (estimated)	Santorini	6	Greece	c. 1600 BC	Minoan eruption
15,000 to 20,000	Mount Samalas	7	Indonesia	1257	1257 Samalas eruption
15,000	Mount Unzen	2	Japan	1792	1792 Unzen earthquake and tsunami
13,000+ (estimated)	Mount Vesuvius	5	Italy	79	Eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD
10,000+	Laki and Grímsvötn	4	Iceland	1783	Laki 1783 eruption	[1]
10,000	Kelud	5	Indonesia	1586		[2]
6,000	Santa María	6	Guatemala	1902	1902 eruption of Santa María	[3]
5,160	Kelud	4	Indonesia	1919		[2]
4,011	Mount Galunggung	5	Indonesia	1822		[4]
3,360	Mount Vesuvius	5	Italy	1631	1631 eruption of Mount Vesuvius
3,000	Ritter Island	2	Papua New Guinea	1888	1888 Ritter Island eruption and tsunami
2,957	Mount Papandayan	3	Indonesia	1772		[5]
2,942	Mount Lamington	4	Papua New Guinea	1951	1951 eruption of Mount Lamington
2,806	Mount Awu	3	Indonesia	1856		[6]
2,033	Oshima Oshima	4	Japan	1741	1741 eruption of Oshima–Ōshima and the Kampo tsunami
2,000	Tseax Cone	?	Canada	1700 c. 1700		[7][8]
1,900	El Chichón	5	Mexico	1982		[9]
1,700	Soufrière	4	St. Vincent	1902		[10]
1,584	Mount Agung	5	Indonesia	1963
1,532	Mount Awu	3	Indonesia	1892		[6]
1,500	Huaynaputina	6	Peru	1600		[11][12]
1,369	Mount Merapi	3	Indonesia	1930		[13]
1,335	Taal	3	Philippines	1911		[14]
1,300	Gamalama	3	Indonesia	1775		[15]
1,200	Mount Mayon	4	Philippines	1814		[16]
1,151	Mount Asama	4	Japan	1783	Tenmei eruption
1,000	Nevado del Ruiz	3	Colombia	1845		[17]
847	Mount Pinatubo	6	Philippines	1991	1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo
700	Hokkaido Komagatake	5	Japan	1640		[18]
600	Nevado del Ruiz	4	Colombia	1595		[17]
507	Tavurvur	4	Papua New Guinea	1937		[19]
500	Hibok-Hibok	3	Philippines	1951		[20][21]
477	Mount Bandai	4	Japan	1888	1888 eruption of Mount Bandai
426	Anak Krakatoa	3	Indonesia	2018	2018 Sunda Strait tsunami
416	Ruang	2	Indonesia	1871	1871 Ruang eruption and tsunami
400+	Kilauea	4	Hawaii, United States	1790	Keanakakoi eruption
350 to 400	Mount Mayon	4	Philippines	1897		[22]
353	Mount Merapi	4	Indonesia	2010	2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi
340	Cotopaxi	4	Ecuador	1877		[23]
326	Makian	4	Indonesia	1861		[6]
245	Nyiragongo	1	Democratic Republic of the Congo	2002
216	Mount Vesuvius	4	Italy	1906		[24]
190 to 2,900	Volcán de Fuego	3	Guatemala	2018	2018 Volcán de Fuego eruption	[25]
160+	Paluweh	3	Indonesia	1928		[26]
150	Tori-shima	3	Japan	1902		[27]
149	Dieng Volcanic Complex	1	Indonesia	1979	1979 eruption of Sinila crater	[28]
144	Mount Tokachi	3	Japan	1926		[29][better source needed]
117	Dieng Volcanic Complex	2	Indonesia	1944		[30]
114	Dieng Volcanic Complex	1	Indonesia	1964		[30]
108 to 120	Mount Tarawera	5	New Zealand	1886	1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera
106	Dubbi	3	Eritrea	1861		[6]
87	Volcán Arenal	3	Costa Rica	1968		[31]
80	Mount Marapi	2	Indonesia	1979	1979 eruption of Mount Marapi	[32]
79	Mount Mayon	2	Philippines	1993		[16]
70	Nyiragongo	1	Democratic Republic of the Congo	1977		[33]
70~	Kolumbo	4	Greece	1650		[34]
69	Semeru	4	Indonesia	2021	2021 Semeru eruption
64	Mount Merapi	2	Indonesia	1994		[35]
63	Mount Ontake	3	Japan	2014	2014 Mount Ontake eruption
58	Sakurajima	4	Japan	1914		[36]
57	Mount St. Helens	5	United States	1980	1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens
56	Mount Etna	2	Italy	1843		[6]
56	La Soufrière	4	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	1812		[37]
50	Mount Usu	4	Japan	1822		[38]
43	Mount Unzen	1	Japan	1991		[39]
40	Dieng Volcanic Complex	2	Indonesia	1928		[30]
39	Taal	4	Philippines	2020	2020–2022 Taal Volcano eruptions
38	Dieng Volcanic Complex	2	Indonesia	1786		[30]
32	Mount Nyiragongo	1	Democratic Republic of the Congo	2021	2021 Mount Nyiragongo eruption
32	Kelud	4	Indonesia	1990		[40]
31	Bayonnaise Rocks	2	Japan	1952		[41]
31	Nabro Volcano	4	Eritrea	2011	2011 Nabro eruption
30	Rinjani	3	Indonesia	1994		[42]
27	Mount Vesuvius	3	Italy	1944		[6]
25	Villarrica	2	Chile	1964		[43]
24	Monte Nuovo (Phlegraean Fields)	3	Italy	1538		[44]
23	Villarrica	3	Chile	1948		[45]
23	Mount Marapi	2	Indonesia	2023	2023 eruption of Mount Marapi
22	Whakaari/White Island	2	New Zealand	2019	2019 Whakaari / White Island eruption
19	Soufrière Hills	3	Montserrat	1997		[46]
18	Galunggung	4	Indonesia	1982
16	Sinabung	4	Indonesia	2014		[47]
15 to 30	Villarrica	2	Chile	1971		[48]
15	Raikoke	4	Russia	1778		[49]
10	Dieng Volcanic Complex	1	Indonesia	1939		[30]
10	Lewotobi	3	Indonesia	2024		[50]
10	Whakaari/White Island	?	New Zealand	1914
9	Galeras	2	Colombia	1993	Galeras tragedy
9	Mount Etna	3	Italy	1979		[51]
8	Dieng Volcanic Complex	1	Indonesia	2017		[52]
8	Kuchinoerabu-jima	4	Japan	1933		[53]
7	Kelud	4	Indonesia	2014		[54]
7	Jabal al-Tair	3	Yemen	2007		[55]
6	Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai	5	Tonga	2022	2021–22 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai eruption and tsunami
6	Karangetang	2	Indonesia	1992		[56]
5	Mount Tavurvur	4	Papua New Guinea	1994		[57]
5	Mount Hudson	3	Chile	1971		[58]
4	Gamalama	2	Indonesia	2011		[59]
4	Yakedake	1	Japan	1995		[60]
4	Stromboli	2	Italy	1930		[61]
3	Pacaya	3	Guatemala	2010		[62]
3	Kanlaon	2	Philippines	1996		[63]
3	Didicas	2	Philippines	1969		[64]
2	Santa Ana	3	El Salvador	2005		[65]
2	Mount Bromo	2	Indonesia	2004		[66]
1	Popocatépetl	2	Mexico	2022		[67]
1	Cumbre Vieja	3	Spain	2021	2021 Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption
1	Stromboli	2	Italy	2019		[68]
1	Chaitén	4	Chile	2008		[69]
1	Raoul Island	1	New Zealand	2006		[70]
1	Eldfell	3	Iceland	1973		[71][72][73]

See also

• Lists of disasters
• List of volcanic eruption deaths
• List of natural disasters by death toll
• List of volcanic eruptions in the 21st century