20 Countries with the Most Volcanoes in the World: US Number 1, Where Does Indonesia Rank?
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau, which has been ongoing since Friday (6/9/2026), has once again reminded Indonesia of the significant threat and risk it faces as one of the countries with the most volcanoes in the world.
According to data from Oregon State University and the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Indonesia accounts for three of the seven deadliest volcanic eruptions in recorded history. One of these is the eruption of Mount Krakatau in 1883.
The great eruption of Krakatau in 1883 triggered a tsunami that struck the coasts of Java and Sumatra, killing approximately 36,000 people. In 2018, the collapse of part of Anak Krakatau’s body once again triggered a tsunami in the same area.
Anak Krakatau itself experienced a further continuous eruptive episode on 4–6 September 2026 lasting around 25 hours.
Indonesia, One of the Countries with the Most Volcanoes in the World
Indonesia lies in one of the most volcanically active regions on Earth. Indonesia is also prone to volcanic eruptions because, geologically, it sits within the Pacific Ring of Fire, where several active tectonic plates meet. This condition gives Indonesia a large number of active volcanoes and high volcanic activity.
Data from the Global Volcanism Program (GVP) records 101 Holocene volcanoes in Indonesia, placing it fourth in the world after the United States, Japan, and Russia.
A Holocene volcano refers to a volcano recorded as having erupted during the Holocene period, roughly the last 11,700 years up to the present.
Indonesia Lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire
The high number of volcanoes in Indonesia is inseparable from its geological position. Indonesia sits within the Pacific Ring of Fire, a zone where several tectonic plates meet and volcanic activity and earthquakes are relatively frequent.
Of the 101 Holocene volcanoes recorded in Indonesia, 71 have been active since 1800 and 55 since 1960. The number of volcanoes active since 1800 is in fact the highest on the list, surpassing the United States, which records 63.
Anak Krakatau is not the only volcano currently at Level III (Alert) in Indonesia. According to data from magma.vsi.esdm.go.id, four other volcanoes are at Level III status: Mount Merapi on the border of Central Java and Yogyakarta, Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra, Mount Semeru in East Java, and Lewotobi Laki-Laki in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).