美國地質調查所（US Geological Survey）13日發布一份報告指出，2009年地震活動至少造成全球1,783人喪生。
當年度死亡人數最多的地震9月30日發生在印尼蘇門答臘，規模達到7.5級，造成1,117人死亡。此數據經聯合國人道事務協調辦公室確認。
2009年地震相關的死亡數字遠少於2008年的88,000人，乃因2008年5月12日發生於中國四川，規模達7.9級的嚴重地震所造成大量的死亡人數。
2009年最強烈的地震規模達到8.1級，於9月29日發生於薩摩亞群島區域。此地震引發的海嘯於美屬薩摩亞、薩摩亞及東加王國造成192人死亡。
在西半球，規模6.3的地震在4月6日襲擊義大利中部的中世紀城市阿奎拉（L'Aquila），致使295人失去性命。
整體而論，地震在2009年共在4大洲15個國家奪走民眾生命，包括阿富汗、不丹、中國、哥斯大黎加、希臘、印尼、義大利、哈塞克、宏都拉斯、日本、馬拉威、薩摩亞、南非、東加，以及美屬薩摩亞。
地震另於其它11個國家造成傷者，包括美國本土。5月2日發生在洛杉磯規模4.4的地震，造成1人受傷。
2009年亦是南亞海嘯5周年，當年12月26日的蘇門答臘-安達曼地震規模達9.1，並引發海嘯，共造成227,898人死亡，為有史以來因地震死亡第4多的事件，並是因海嘯導致死亡人數最高的一次。
美國地質調查局並在此地震後，改進地震通報與應變能力。改善作為包括於加勒比海週遭增加9個即時地震測站，該地區是美國南方邊界附近，易遭受地震與海嘯的侵襲的區域。
美國地質調查估計，全球每年會發生數百萬次地震，大多數因發生在偏遠地區，或是規模非常小，而未被測得，
平均而言，每年規模7.0或以上的地震僅有18起。
在2009年，有17起地震達到規模7.0或以上，有1起規模超過8.0。2008年則僅有12起地震規模超過7.0，且無8.0以上地震。
完整的2009年地震統計資料，可於網站上查閱。
At least 1,783 deaths resulted from earthquake activity in 2009, according to a new global report issued today by the U.S. Geological Survey.
The deadliest earthquake of the year was a magnitude 7.5 event that killed 1,117 people on the Indonesian island of Sumatra on September 30, a number confirmed by the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The number of earthquake-related fatalities in 2009 was far less than the 2008 count of over 88,000. The high number of fatalities in 2008 was due to the severe magnitude 7.9 earthquake that occurred in Sichuan, China on May 12.
The strongest earthquake of 2009 was a magnitude 8.1 quake on September 29 in the Samoa Islands region. Tsunamis generated by that earthquake killed 192 people in American Samoa, Samoa and Tonga.
On the other side of the world, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit the medieval city of L'Aquila in central Italy on April 6, killing 295 people.
Overall, earthquakes took the lives of people in 15 countries on four continents during 2009, including Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, Costa Rica, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Kazakhstan, Honduras, Japan, Malawi, Samoa, South Africa and Tonga, as well as in the U.S. territory of American Samoa.
Earthquakes injured people in 11 other countries, including the mainland United States, where a magnitude 4.4 earthquake on May 2 injured one person in the Los Angeles area.
The year 2009 also marked the five-year anniversary of the magnitude 9.1 Sumatra-Andaman Island earthquake and subsequent tsunami on December 26, 2004. That quake and tsunami killed 227,898 people, which is the fourth largest casualty toll for earthquakes and the largest toll for a tsunami in recorded history.
As a consequence of that earthquake, the USGS has improved its earthquake notification and response capabilities.
Improvements include the addition of nine real-time seismic stations across the Caribbean basin, a seismic and tsunami prone region near the U.S. southern border.
The USGS estimates that several million earthquakes occur throughout the world each year, although most go undetected because they hit remote areas or have very small magnitudes.
On average, only 18 of these earthquakes occur at a magnitude of 7.0 or higher each year.
In the 2009 year, 17 earthquakes reached a magnitude of 7.0 or higher and one broke a magnitude of 8.0.
These statistics are higher than those of 2008, which experienced only 12 earthquakes over magnitude 7.0 and none over 8.0.
A complete list of 2009 earthquake statistics can be found on the Earthquake Information for 2009 website.
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