The answer to this common question depends upon use of the word "active." At least 20 volcanoes will probably be erupting as you read these words. The number is also dependent on what time scale is included, and if only confirmed eruptions are counted, or uncertain eruptions and the opinions of volcanologists are considered. Here are a few statistics (at last database update on 30 Dec 2025): Volcanoes with continuing eruptions: 46; Volcanoes thought to have Holocene eruptions: 1,222. Perhaps the most honest answer to the number question is that we do not really have an accurate count of the world's volcanoes, but that there are at least a thousand identified magma systems—on land alone—likely to erupt in the future.

The Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report for the week ending 8 July 2026 includes the 24 volcanoes shown below marked "Yes" in the WVAR. Overall, 40 volcanoes were in continuing eruption status as of 31 March 2026. There are typically 40-50 continuing eruptions, and out of those generally around 20 will be actively erupting on any particular day.

In its general overview, USGS reiterates: "There are about **1,350 potentially active volcanoes worldwide**, not counting the volcanoes under the oceans." It adds that "About **500 of these have erupted in the past 100 years**," giving context for the fraction of active volcanoes that have recent eruptions.

The Global Volcanism Program documents, disseminates, and archives eruption information to better understand worldwide volcanic activity. Frequently asked questions on the site state: "How many volcanoes are erupting? 40-50 continuing eruptions at any given time. How many Holocene volcanoes are there? About 1,215 active in the past 12,000 years."

The Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program (GVP) "is unique in its documentation of current and past activity for all volcanoes on the planet active during the last 10,000 years." It describes its scope as "all volcanoes on the planet active during the last 10,000 years" and notes that it maintains "a database of volcanoes and eruptions that documents the last 10,000 years of Earth's volcanism."

There are more than 1,500 active volcanoes on Earth. Around 50–70 volcanoes erupt every year.

A United Nations UN-SPIDER description of the Global Volcanism Program database states: "The Global Volcanism Program database currently contains 1432 volcanoes with eruptions during the Holocene period (approximately the last 10,000 years)." It notes that users can search for volcano names and create lists, indicating the database’s role as a catalog of volcanoes that have erupted in this time frame.

The American Geosciences Institute, summarizing USGS data, notes: "There are about **1,350 potentially active volcanoes worldwide**." It clarifies that this figure excludes "the continuous belts of volcanoes on the ocean floor at spreading centers like the mid-Atlantic Ridge."

USGS explains typical eruptive activity: "Typically, in a given year, **40–50 volcanoes erupt**, or **less than 10% of the world's active volcanoes**." This implies that the total number of active volcanoes worldwide is in the hundreds to low thousands, far exceeding 20.

Did you know that there are between 40 and 50 volcanoes that are erupting as you read this sentence? We know this thanks to a quarter century of systematic reporting of the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report (WVAR), a collaboration between the Smithsonian’s Global Volcanism Program and the United States Geological Survey’s Volcano Hazards Program. Over the last 25 years, the number of active volcanoes per year has ranged from 67 to 83, with an average of 73.

USGS’s Volcano Hazards Program states: "There are about **170 potentially active volcanoes in the U.S.**" It emphasizes that the program’s mission is to monitor these volcanoes and reduce risk from volcanic unrest and eruption, again underscoring that dozens to hundreds of volcanoes can be considered active or potentially active even within a single country.

Did you know that there are between 40 and 50 volcanoes that are erupting as you read this sentence? Thanks to a quarter century of systematic reporting of the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report (WVAR), a collaboration between the Smithsonian’s Global Volcanism Program and the United States Geological Survey’s Volcano Hazards Program, more than 20,000 of these eruptions have been documented. The number of active volcanoes per year has ranged from 67 to 83, with an average of 73 active volcanoes per year.

The Global Volcanism Program database currently contains 1,215 volcanoes with eruptions during the Holocene period (approximately the last 12,000 years). This catalog is intended to be comprehensive for volcanoes with documented eruptions during the Holocene. GVP is unique in its documentation of current and past activity for all volcanoes on the planet active during the last 10,000 years.

The Wikipedia entry for the Global Volcanism Program states that the GVP "documents Earth's volcanoes and their eruptive history during the Quaternary Period of Earth's geologic history, with particular emphasis on volcanic activity during the Holocene Epoch (the last 11,700 years)." It notes that the GVP database "includes all known volcanoes that have erupted within the past 10,000 years" and serves as a repository on "active volcanoes, their eruptions and their eruption histories."

Reporting. GVP is unique in its documentation of current and past activity for all volcanoes on the planet active during the last 10,000 years. The Smithsonian’s Global Volcanism Program (GVP) documents volcanoes and their eruptive history over the past 10,000 years, with an emphasis on the last 500 years.

The mission of GVP is to document, understand, and disseminate information about global volcanic activity. We do this through four core functions: maintaining a comprehensive database of volcanoes and eruptions, producing the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, reporting on current eruptions, and developing educational resources on volcanism. GVP documents volcanoes that have been active during the last 10,000 years (the Holocene).

Which countries have the most volcanoes? 1. United States, 165 volcanoes, 63 with eruptions in the Holocene; 2. Japan, 117 volcanoes, 62 with Holocene eruptions; 3. Russia, 107 volcanoes, 47 with Holocene eruptions; 4. Indonesia, 101 volcanoes, 71 with Holocene eruptions; 5. Chile, 90 volcanoes, 35 with Holocene eruptions. These counts are based on volcanoes with eruptions during the Holocene (approximately the last 12,000 years).

Scientists think there are about 1,350 potentially active volcanoes in the world. That's not counting some of the ones on the ocean floor. We haven’t mapped out or explored all the ocean floor, which is 70% of our planet’s surface.

A meteorologist citing USGS data writes: "According to the USGS, there are **1,350 potentially active volcanoes in the world**, aside from the continuous belts of volcanoes on the ocean floor at spreading centers like the mid-Atlantic Ridge." This restates the USGS global figure for potentially active volcanoes.

There are 1,650 potentially active volcanoes around the world, 500 of which have erupted in historical time. The incomplete Catalogue of the Active Volcanoes of the World uses this definition, by which there are more than 500 active volcanoes.

Background volcanology knowledge: Modern compilations by organizations such as the Global Volcanism Program and USGS generally define an "active" volcano as one that has erupted in the Holocene (the last ~10,000 years). Using this definition, volcanologists recognize **over 1,300 active or potentially active volcanoes on land worldwide**, with several hundred having documented eruptions in historic time. This standard definition and count underpin the USGS figures above.

The Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report for 2–8 July 2026 lists eruptive activity at more than a dozen volcanoes worldwide in a single week, including Sabancaya (Peru), Santa Maria (Guatemala), and others. The recurring weekly reports typically highlight activity at multiple volcanoes, illustrating that tens of volcanoes can be erupting or showing unrest at any given time.

According to the Global Volcanism Program, there are currently 46 volcanoes in continuing eruption status as of October 11, 2023. An eruption marked as "continuing" does not always mean persistent daily activity.

Interactive map of active volcanoes and recent earthquakes world-wide - click to show/hide volcanoes options on map.