# 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 |
| 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 |
| 10,000 | Kelud | 5 | Indonesia | 1586 | |
| 6,000 | Santa María | 6 | Guatemala | 1902 | 1902 eruption of Santa María |
| 5,160 | Kelud | 4 | Indonesia | 1919 | |
| 4,011 | Mount Galunggung | 5 | Indonesia | 1822 | |
| 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 | |
| 2,942 | Mount Lamington | 4 | Papua New Guinea | 1951 | 1951 eruption of Mount Lamington |
| 2,806 | Mount Awu | 3 | Indonesia | 1856 | |
| 2,033 | Oshima Oshima | 4 | Japan | 1741 | 1741 eruption of Oshima–Ōshima and the Kampo tsunami |
| 2,000 | Tseax Cone | ? | Canada | 1700 c. 1700 | |
| 1,900 | El Chichón | 5 | Mexico | 1982 | |
| 1,700 | Soufrière | 4 | St. Vincent | 1902 | |
| 1,584 | Mount Agung | 5 | Indonesia | 1963 | |
| 1,532 | Mount Awu | 3 | Indonesia | 1892 | |
| 1,500 | Huaynaputina | 6 | Peru | 1600 | |
| 1,369 | Mount Merapi | 3 | Indonesia | 1930 | |
| 1,335 | Taal | 3 | Philippines | 1911 | |
| 1,300 | Gamalama | 3 | Indonesia | 1775 | |
| 1,200 | Mount Mayon | 4 | Philippines | 1814 | |
| 1,151 | Mount Asama | 4 | Japan | 1783 | Tenmei eruption |
| 1,000 | Nevado del Ruiz | 3 | Colombia | 1845 | |
| 847 | Mount Pinatubo | 6 | Philippines | 1991 | 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo |
| 700 | Hokkaido Komagatake | 5 | Japan | 1640 | |
| 600 | Nevado del Ruiz | 4 | Colombia | 1595 | |
| 507 | Tavurvur | 4 | Papua New Guinea | 1937 | |
| 500 | Hibok-Hibok | 3 | Philippines | 1951 | |
| 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 | |
| 353 | Mount Merapi | 4 | Indonesia | 2010 | 2010 eruptions of Mount Merapi |
| 340 | Cotopaxi | 4 | Ecuador | 1877 | |
| 326 | Makian | 4 | Indonesia | 1861 | |
| 245 | Nyiragongo | 1 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 2002 | |
| 216 | Mount Vesuvius | 4 | Italy | 1906 | |
| 190 to 2,900 | Volcán de Fuego | 3 | Guatemala | 2018 | 2018 Volcán de Fuego eruption |
| 160+ | Paluweh | 3 | Indonesia | 1928 | |
| 150 | Tori-shima | 3 | Japan | 1902 | |
| 149 | Dieng Volcanic Complex | 1 | Indonesia | 1979 | 1979 eruption of Sinila crater |
| 144 | Mount Tokachi | 3 | Japan | 1926 | |
| 117 | Dieng Volcanic Complex | 2 | Indonesia | 1944 | |
| 114 | Dieng Volcanic Complex | 1 | Indonesia | 1964 | |
| 108 to 120 | Mount Tarawera | 5 | New Zealand | 1886 | 1886 eruption of Mount Tarawera |
| 106 | Dubbi | 3 | Eritrea | 1861 | |
| 87 | Volcán Arenal | 3 | Costa Rica | 1968 | |
| 80 | Mount Marapi | 2 | Indonesia | 1979 | 1979 eruption of Mount Marapi |
| 79 | Mount Mayon | 2 | Philippines | 1993 | |
| 70 | Nyiragongo | 1 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1977 | |
| 70~ | Kolumbo | 4 | Greece | 1650 | |
| 69 | Semeru | 4 | Indonesia | 2021 | 2021 Semeru eruption |
| 64 | Mount Merapi | 2 | Indonesia | 1994 | |
| 63 | Mount Ontake | 3 | Japan | 2014 | 2014 Mount Ontake eruption |
| 58 | Sakurajima | 4 | Japan | 1914 | |
| 57 | Mount St. Helens | 5 | United States | 1980 | 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens |
| 56 | Mount Etna | 2 | Italy | 1843 | |
| 56 | La Soufrière | 4 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 1812 | |
| 50 | Mount Usu | 4 | Japan | 1822 | |
| 43 | Mount Unzen | 1 | Japan | 1991 | |
| 40 | Dieng Volcanic Complex | 2 | Indonesia | 1928 | |
| 39 | Taal | 4 | Philippines | 2020 | 2020–2022 Taal Volcano eruptions |
| 38 | Dieng Volcanic Complex | 2 | Indonesia | 1786 | |
| 32 | Mount Nyiragongo | 1 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 2021 | 2021 Mount Nyiragongo eruption |
| 32 | Kelud | 4 | Indonesia | 1990 | |
| 31 | Bayonnaise Rocks | 2 | Japan | 1952 | |
| 31 | Nabro Volcano | 4 | Eritrea | 2011 | 2011 Nabro eruption |
| 30 | Rinjani | 3 | Indonesia | 1994 | |
| 27 | Mount Vesuvius | 3 | Italy | 1944 | |
| 25 | Villarrica | 2 | Chile | 1964 | |
| 24 | Monte Nuovo (Phlegraean Fields) | 3 | Italy | 1538 | |
| 23 | Villarrica | 3 | Chile | 1948 | |
| 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 | |
| 18 | Galunggung | 4 | Indonesia | 1982 | |
| 16 | Sinabung | 4 | Indonesia | 2014 | |
| 15 to 30 | Villarrica | 2 | Chile | 1971 | |
| 15 | Raikoke | 4 | Russia | 1778 | |
| 10 | Dieng Volcanic Complex | 1 | Indonesia | 1939 | |
| 10 | Lewotobi | 3 | Indonesia | 2024 | |
| 10 | Whakaari/White Island | ? | New Zealand | 1914 | |
| 9 | Galeras | 2 | Colombia | 1993 | Galeras tragedy |
| 9 | Mount Etna | 3 | Italy | 1979 | |
| 8 | Dieng Volcanic Complex | 1 | Indonesia | 2017 | |
| 8 | Kuchinoerabu-jima | 4 | Japan | 1933 | |
| 7 | Kelud | 4 | Indonesia | 2014 | |
| 7 | Jabal al-Tair | 3 | Yemen | 2007 | |
| 6 | Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai | 5 | Tonga | 2022 | 2021–22 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai eruption and tsunami |
| 6 | Karangetang | 2 | Indonesia | 1992 | |
| 5 | Mount Tavurvur | 4 | Papua New Guinea | 1994 | |
| 5 | Mount Hudson | 3 | Chile | 1971 | |
| 4 | Gamalama | 2 | Indonesia | 2011 | |
| 4 | Yakedake | 1 | Japan | 1995 | |
| 4 | Stromboli | 2 | Italy | 1930 | |
| 3 | Pacaya | 3 | Guatemala | 2010 | |
| 3 | Kanlaon | 2 | Philippines | 1996 | |
| 3 | Didicas | 2 | Philippines | 1969 | |
| 2 | Santa Ana | 3 | El Salvador | 2005 | |
| 2 | Mount Bromo | 2 | Indonesia | 2004 | |
| 1 | Popocatépetl | 2 | Mexico | 2022 | |
| 1 | Cumbre Vieja | 3 | Spain | 2021 | 2021 Cumbre Vieja volcanic eruption |
| 1 | Stromboli | 2 | Italy | 2019 | |
| 1 | Chaitén | 4 | Chile | 2008 | |
| 1 | Raoul Island | 1 | New Zealand | 2006 | |
| 1 | Eldfell | 3 | Iceland | 1973 | |