Global Fault Lines: Who’s Safe, Who’s Not?

Tracking the nations most—and least—prepared for the next big quake.

Author

Philip Saparov
April 22, 2025

Greetings, curious mind of the world,

Beneath our feet, the Earth is always moving. Earthquakes can strike without warning, and in just seconds, they can change everything—from homes and cities to entire economies. Some countries are ready for that moment. Many are not.

In this edition, we look at where the biggest earthquake risks are, who’s doing the best job preparing, and where being unprepared could come at a high cost.

Let’s take a closer look at the world’s shaky ground—and what it means for all of us.

From the jagged spine of the Andes to the trembling shores of the Pacific, some regions sit atop Earth's most restless terrain. These are the frontlines of seismic activity—where tectonic plates collide, subduct, and shear with destructive potential.

🇯🇵 Japan sits in the crosshairs of four tectonic plates. Earthquake drills are routine, and infrastructure is engineered to flex, not fail. Tokyo’s skyscrapers, for example, are built on shock absorbers that can reduce quake forces by up to 80%.

🇹🇷 Turkey, straddling the Anatolian Fault, is a high-risk zone. After the catastrophic 2023 quake that claimed over 50,000 lives, the country has redoubled efforts in building code enforcement—but informal construction remains a huge risk.

🇨🇱 Chile boasts some of the world’s most stringent seismic building codes after enduring dozens of major quakes, including the most powerful ever recorded (Valdivia, 1960, at magnitude 9.5).

📌 Little-known insight: Santiago's high-rises are designed to sway several feet during a quake—controlled movement that prevents collapse.

A fiery arc of tectonic unrest spans the Pacific, from Chile to New Zealand, shaping the planet’s most powerful earthquakes. The Ring of Fire, as it’s known, hosts 75% of Earth’s volcanoes and experiences 90% of the world’s earthquakes. Stretching 25,000 miles, this volatile loop isn’t just geological—it’s geopolitical.

🌋 Indonesia is the most seismically active country in the world, with hundreds of active volcanoes and frequent tsunamis. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (magnitude 9.1) and resulting tsunami killed over 230,000 people across 14 countries.

🇯🇵 Japan, already discussed earlier, remains at the heart of the Ring—routinely experiencing quakes, some reaching catastrophic magnitudes. Their investments in seismic engineering are world-class because they have to be.

🇹🇭 Thailand, typically on the quieter fringe, experienced a rude awakening on April 20, 2024, when a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck near Chiang Rai. Buildings swayed as far south as Bangkok. It was Thailand’s strongest in nearly a decade—and a reminder that even countries outside the main fault zones aren't immune.

🇲🇲 Then, in February 2025, a powerful magnitude 7.1 quake in Myanmar sent shockwaves across the region. Though the epicenter lay near Naypyidaw, tremors again rattled Bangkok and other Thai cities—twice in one year. While structural damage in Bangkok was limited, the psychological jolt to regional planning was profound.

📍 Geological note: Both events are linked to the complex interactions between the Indian and Eurasian Plates—a southern extension of the Ring that scientists now believe is more active than previously thought.

📊 Surprising takeaway: Bangkok, home to over 10 million people and not traditionally considered high-risk, has experienced two regional earthquakes within 12 months—triggering urgent reviews of building codes and urban emergency plans.

It’s not always the earthquake that causes the most damage—it’s how unprepared we are for it. In many places, weak buildings and loose rules turn a strong shake into a full-blown disaster.

🇳🇵 Nepal suffered over 9,000 deaths in its 2015 earthquake, largely due to non-reinforced masonry and limited emergency response capabilities. Despite global aid, retrofitting remains slow in rural areas.

🇮🇷 Iran, with frequent seismic activity, continues to lose thousands in major quakes. Many homes are made of unreinforced mud brick—a traditional style that offers little resistance when the ground moves.

🇭🇹 Haiti’s devastating 2010 quake highlighted extreme vulnerability: 230,000 deaths in a matter of minutes, largely due to dense, poorly built urban housing.

📊 Sobering fact: Over 80% of earthquake deaths in the past 30 years have occurred in developing countries—underscoring the deadly cost of inadequate infrastructure.

4. Seismic Super-Prepared: Countries That Lead in Resilience

While no structure is quake-proof, some countries are remarkably quake-resistant. The secret? Layered preparation—from engineering and education to legislation.

🇳🇿 New Zealand mandates regular structural assessments and upgrades. Its “building warrant of fitness” ensures earthquake readiness across public buildings, updated every 12 months.

🇺🇸 California enforces some of the world’s toughest building codes. In San Francisco, mandatory seismic retrofitting for soft-story buildings has protected thousands of homes.

🇮🇹 Italy, especially central regions like L’Aquila, has pioneered seismic isolation systems post-2009 earthquake. These allow buildings to “float” slightly during tremors.

🔎 Unexpected innovation: New Zealand schools often run earthquake simulations using virtual reality, helping children learn quake response with remarkable realism.

Mitigation is expensive. But the cost of inaction is far greater. Governments must weigh budgets against the lives and infrastructure at stake.

💰 Japan spends over $15 billion annually on seismic defense systems, including ocean-floor sensors and automatic train-stopping technologies.

💸 Indonesia, recovering from multiple tsunamis and quakes, is investing heavily in early-warning systems—but critics argue it’s not enough to match the risks.

🛠️ Mexico City has launched a massive retrofitting program at schools and hospitals—a political shift following the 2017 quake that killed 370 people.

📉 Key fact: The World Bank estimates that every $1 spent on earthquake resilience yields $4 in avoided disaster costs—making preparedness not just humane, but economic.

We can’t stop tectonic plates—but today’s technologies are buying us time, boosting structural resilience, and transforming how we understand earthquakes.

⏱️ Early-warning systems are one of the most powerful advancements. Take ShakeAlert, operating across the U.S. West Coast: the system detects initial seismic waves (P-waves) and sends alerts before more damaging waves (S-waves) arrive. That may sound like seconds—but for hospital surgeries, train operators, and schoolchildren diving under desks, 10 seconds can mean everything.

🛰️ Satellite interferometry (InSAR) is revolutionizing how we track tectonic stress. By measuring millimeter-scale ground movements from orbit, scientists can detect subtle shifts that precede large quakes. This was used to map fault ruptures from the 2023 Turkey-Syria quake within hours, guiding emergency response teams to the most affected zones.

🤖 AI and machine learning are training on decades of seismic data to uncover hidden patterns. In Japan, experimental models have begun predicting the probability of a fault rupture months in advance—offering not exact predictions, but probabilistic risk maps with growing accuracy.

📱 Meanwhile, mobile-based tools are democratizing disaster response. In Turkey, a crowdsourced app launched in 2023 lets users report damage, locate safe shelters, and even signal for rescue from collapsed buildings using vibrations—especially useful if cell networks are jammed.

🏢 And then there’s smart infrastructure. Some new skyscrapers in Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Wellington are embedded with accelerometers, sensors, and adaptive damping systems. These buildings “feel” a quake in real time and respond by shifting stiffness or locking base isolators to reduce sway.

🔍 Fascinating frontier: Scientists are now experimenting with “earthquake cloaking”—materials that can redirect seismic waves around a structure like water flowing around a stone. It’s early-stage research, but the concept could someday shield entire buildings from the full force of a quake.

After a quake, recovery isn’t just about rescue—it’s about resources. And in many countries, earthquake insurance makes the difference between rebuilding and starting from nothing.

Some nations offer strong coverage. Others leave people to fend for themselves.

🇯🇵 Japan leads the way. About half of all households are covered under a national earthquake reinsurance program, launched after the 1995 Kobe disaster. It’s affordable, widely trusted, and built into the system.

🇺🇸 In the U.S., coverage is much lower. Just 13% of Californians have earthquake insurance, even in high-risk areas. Many skip it due to high costs or confusing terms—even though most standard homeowners’ policies don’t cover quake damage at all.

🇹🇷 Turkey created its own compulsory earthquake insurance system after the deadly 1999 quake. But not all homes are covered—especially older or informal buildings outside major cities.

🔍 Eye-opening stat: In Nepal’s 2015 quake, less than 1% of damaged homes were insured—leaving most families to rely on aid or rebuild from scratch.

Well, here we are... We can’t stop the ground from shaking—but we can choose how we build, plan, and respond. From high-tech sensors to strong building codes, human choices save lives.

For anyone thinking about where to live, invest, or retire, understanding earthquake risk isn’t just nice to know—it’s key. It’s about peace of mind, safety, and smart long-term decisions.

What It Means for You:

  • If you’re thinking about relocating, consider seismic risk along with cost of living and healthcare access.

  • Cities that invest in safety often hold their property value better over time.

  • Earthquake-prone areas are also driving innovation in infrastructure and tech—worth watching if you're investing or building.

Stay informed, stay curious, and stay grounded—even when the Earth isn’t.

Warm regards,
Shane Fulmer
Founder, WorldPopulationReview.com