Ranking

The Country With the Most Volcanoes Isn't Indonesia or Japan. It's the USA

Published October 13, 2026 · Live Atlas

The country with the most volcanoes is the United States, with 119 volcanoes active in the last 10,000 years according to the Smithsonian. Japan has 107, Russia 104 and Indonesia 101. Most American volcanoes are in Alaska, far from the places most people picture.

The Countries With the Most Volcanoes

Volcanoes with an eruption in the last 10,000 years (the Holocene), from the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program. Territories such as the Northern Mariana Islands are counted separately.

Why the United States Comes First

Alaska alone has 71 of the 119 American volcanoes. Most line the Aleutian arc, a 2,500 km chain of islands where the Pacific Plate dives under North America. Add the Cascades of Washington, Oregon and California, and the 5 volcanoes of Hawaii's Big Island and Maui, and the total passes Japan.

The count depends on the definition. The USGS lists 161 potentially active volcanoes in the United States and its territories, using its own criteria. Whichever list you take, the country stays at or near the top.

Most Volcanoes Isn't the Same as Most Eruptions

Indonesia has fewer volcanoes than the United States, but they erupt far more often. Since 1900, Indonesia's volcanoes erupted 825 times, more than any other country.

Indonesia also has millions of people living close to active volcanoes, which is why its eruptions are among the deadliest on record, from Tambora in 1815 to Krakatau in 1883.