| Rank | Death toll | Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 830,000 | 1556 Shaanxi earthquake | China | January 23, 1556 |
| 2. | 242,419–779,000 | 1976 Tangshan earthquake | China | July 28, 1976 |
| 3. | 250,000 | 526 Antioch earthquake | Antioch, Byzantine Empire (now Turkey) | May 526 |
| 4. | 235,502 | 1920 Haiyuan earthquake | China | December 16, 1920 |
| 5. | 230,210 | 2004 Indonesian earthquake | Indonesia | December 26, 2004 |
| 6. | 230,000 | 1138 Aleppo earthquake | Syria | October 11, 1138 |
| 7. | 222,570 | 2010 Haiti earthquake | Port au Prince, Haiti | January 12, 2010 |
| 8. | 200,000 | 856 Damghan earthquake | Iran | December 22, 856 |
| 9. | 150,000 | 893 Ardabil earthquake | Iran | March 23, 893 |
| 10. | 142,000 | 1923 Great Kanto earthquake | Japan | September 1, 1923 |
| 11. | 123,000 | 1908 Messina earthquake | Italy | December 28, 1908 |
| 12. | 110,000 | 1948 Ashgabat earthquake | Turkmen SSR, Soviet Union (nowTurkmenistan) | October 5, 1948 |
| 13. | 100,000 | 1290 Chihli earthquake | China | September 27, 1290 |
| 14. | 100,000 | 1755 Lisbon earthquake | Portugal | November 1, 1755 |
| 15. | 100,000 | 1667 Shamakhi earthquake | Azerbaijan | November 1667 |
| 16. | 79,000 | 2005 Kashmir earthquake | Pakistan (disputed region) | October 8, 2005 |
| 17. | 77,000 | 1727 Tabriz earthquake | Iran | November 18, 1727 |
| 18. | 70,000 | 1970 Ancash earthquake | Peru | May 31, 1970 |
| 19. | 70,000 | 1932 Changma earthquake | Gansu, China | December 25, 1932 |
| 20. | 68,712 (18,392 missing) | 2008 Sichuan earthquake | China | May 12, 2008 |
| 21. | 60,000 | 1268 Cilicia earthquake | Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia (now Turkey) | 1268 |
| 22. | 60,000 | 1693 Sicily earthquake | Italy | January 11, 1693 |
| 23. | 60,000 | 1935 Balochistan earthquake | British India (now part of Pakistan) | May 31, 1935 |
| 24. | 50,000 | 1783 Calabrian earthquakes | Italy | 1783 |
| 25. | 50,000 | 1990 Manjil-Rudbar earthquake | Iran | June 21, 1990 |
| 26. | 45,000 | 1999 İzmit earthquake | Turkey | August 17, 1999 |
| 27. | 40,000 | 1498 Meiō Nankaidō earthquake | Japan | September 20, 1498 |
| 28. | 40,000 | 1797 Riobamba earthquake | Ecuador | 1797 |
| 29. | 40,000 | 1927 Gulang earthquake | Gansu, China | 1927 |
| 30. | 32,962 | 1939 Erzincan earthquake | Turkey | December 26, 1939 |
| 31. | 30,000 | 1202 Syria earthquake | Syria | May 20, 1202 |
| 32. | 30,000 | 1939 Chillán earthquake | Chile | January 24, 1939 |
| 33. | 28,000 | 1949 Khait earthquake | Tajikistan | July 10, 1949 |
| 34. | 26,271 | 2003 Bam earthquake | Iran | December 26, 2003 |
| 35. | 25,000 | 1988 Spitak earthquake | Armenia | December 7, 1988 |
| 36. | 23,700 | 1293 Kamakura earthquake | Japan | May 27, 1293 |
| 37. | 23,000 | 1976 Guatemala earthquake | Guatemala | February 4, 1976 |
| 38. | 22,066 | 1896 Meiji-Sanriku earthquake | Japan | June 15, 1896 |
| 39. | 20,000 | 1812 Caracas earthquake | Venezuela | March 26, 1812 |
| 40. | 20,000 | 1905 Kangra earthquake | British India | April 4, 1905 |
| 41. | 19,727 | 2001 Gujarat earthquake | India | January 26, 2001 |
| 42. | 15,621 | 1970 Tonghai earthquake | China | January 4, 1970 |
| 43. | 15,000 | 1960 Agadir earthquake | Morocco | February 26, 1960 |
| 44. | 15,000 | 1978 Tabas earthquake | Iran | September 16, 1978 |
| 45. | 14,616 | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Japan | March 11, 2011 |
| 46. | 12,225 | 1962 Bou’in-Zahra earthquake | Iran | September 1, 1962 |
| 47. | 12,000–15000 | 1907 Qaratog earthquake | Tajikistan | October 21, 1907 |
| 48. | 12,000 | 1968 Dasht-e Bayaz and Ferdows earthquake | Iran | August 31, 1968 |
| 49. | 10,500 | 1934 Bihar earthquake | British India | January 15, 1934 |
| 50. | 10,153 | 1985 Mexico City earthquake | Mexico | September 19, 1985 |
| 51. | 10,000 | 1509 Istanbul earthquake | Istanbul, Ottoman Empire (now Turkey) | September 10, 1509 |
| 52. | 10,000 | 1703 Apennine earthquakes | Italy | 1703 |
| 53. | 10,000 | 1703 Genroku earthquake | Japan | December 31, 1703 |
| 54. | 10,000 | 1854 Ansei-Nankai earthquake | Japan | December 24, 1854 |
| 55. | 10,000 | 1944 San Juan earthquake | Argentina | January 15, 1944 |
