World Map › North America › Mexico
Country
Map of Mexico
North America · Mexico City
Mexico spans the North American and Pacific plates. It has 29 volcanoes active over the last 10,000 years, 6 of which have erupted since 1900. Since 1900, 123 major earthquakes have been recorded, causing at least 14,648 deaths. Its exposure to natural hazards is 6.5 out of 10 (INFORM index), a very high level. Its overall risk index, which accounts for its ability to cope, is 4.9 out of 10.
- Capital
- Mexico City
- Population
- 132,274,416
- Area
- 1,964,375 km²
- Continent
- North America
Tectonic Plates
Natural Hazards
Exposure to natural hazards according to the European Commission's INFORM index, from 0 (very low) to 10 (very high), overall and for each type of hazard.
Overall Risk Index
This overall score combines hazard exposure with the vulnerability of the population (4.1 out of 10) and the lack of coping capacity (3.5 out of 10). A highly exposed but well-prepared country therefore gets a low overall score.
People Exposed Each Year
- 191,135to strong shaking (intensity VI and above)
- 35,660to destructive shaking (intensity VIII and above)
- 93to tsunamis
- 989,012to hurricane-force winds (category 1 and above)
- 857,832to river floods
- 47,502to coastal floods
Overall Risk Index Over Time
Hazard Levels
Hazard level assessed by ThinkHazard! (World Bank, GFDRR), meaning the likelihood of a damaging event, from very low to high.
- River FloodHigh
- Urban FloodHigh
- Coastal FloodHigh
- EarthquakeHigh
- LandslideHigh
- TsunamiHigh
- VolcanoHigh
- CycloneHigh
- Water ScarcityHigh
- Extreme HeatHigh
- WildfireHigh
Volcanoes (29)
Volcanoes active over the last 10,000 years; year of the last known eruption.
- Popocatépetl 2026
- Colima 2019
- Socorro 1994
- El Chichón 1982
- Volcán Bárcena 1953
- Michoacan-Guanajuato 1952
- Ceboruco 1875
- Pico de Orizaba 1846
- San Martin 1796
- Jocotitlán 1270
- Naolinco Volcanic Field 1145
- Chichinautzin 399
- Northern EPR at 17°N 50 BCE
- Northern EPR at 16°N 50 BCE
- Isla San Luis 1,141 BCE
- La Malinche 1,170 BCE
- Nevado de Toluca 1,350 BCE
- Zitácuaro-Valle de Bravo 3,050 BCE
- Serdan-Oriental Volcanic Field 3,920 BCE
- Los Humeros 4,470 BCE
- Pinacate ?
- Jaraguay Volcanic Field ?
- San Borja Volcanic Field ?
- Isla Tortuga ?
- Comondu-La Purisima ?
- Durango volcanic field ?
- Sangangüey ?
- Mascota Volcanic Field ?
- Iztaccihuatl ?
Major Earthquakes Since 1900
Earthquakes that caused deaths or significant damage, or of magnitude 7.5 and above (NOAA).
Deadliest
- 1985Michoacan: Mexico City · M 8.19,500 deaths
- 1982Chiapas · M 3.51,879 deaths
- 1920Veracruz: Cozautlan, Puebla: Patlanala · M 7.8648 deaths
- 1973Veracruz, Mexico City · M 6.2527 deaths
- 1932Near Coast Of Jalisco · M 8.1400 deaths
- 2017Mexico City, Morelos, Puebla · M 7.1369 deaths
Regions
Regions with volcanoes, major earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones or famous faults.
Tsunamis
55 major tsunamis have reached Mexico since 1900, killing 80 people in the country. The deadliest and highest are listed below.
- 1932Tsunami (Mexico) · 10.0 m75 deaths
- 1932Tsunami (Mexico) · 10.0 m4 deaths
- 1995Tsunami (Mexico) · 10.9 m1 deaths
- 1985Tsunami (Mexico) · 3.0 m
- 2017Tsunami (Mexico) · 2.7 m
- 1907Tsunami (Mexico) · 2.0 m
- 2011Tsunami (Japan) · 1.7 m
- 2020Tsunami (Mexico) · 1.6 m
Tropical Cyclones
207 major tropical cyclones have made landfall in Mexico since 1950. The deadliest and most powerful are listed below.
- 1998Hurricane Mitch · 65 km/h19,325 deaths
- 2005Hurricane Stan · 107 km/h1,668 deaths
- 2023Hurricane Otis · 215 km/h350 deaths
- 2010Tropical Storm Matthew · 52 km/h126 deaths
- 2017Hurricane Harvey · 46 km/h107 deaths
- 2005Hurricane Wilma · 204 km/h87 deaths
- 2016Hurricane Earl · 93 km/h65 deaths
- 1995Hurricane Opal · 70 km/h63 deaths
- 2000Hurricane Gordon · 52 km/h26 deaths
- 2005Hurricane Emily · 170 km/h17 deaths
Sources : Natural Earth · Wikidata · INFORM Risk Index (1 September 2026 v 0.7.3), Commission européenne, CC BY 4.0 · NOAA NCEI · ThinkHazard!, GFDRR, CC BY · Bird (2003), PB2002 · Global Volcanism Program, Smithsonian Institution