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What volcanoes have the most people living nearby?

The number of people living in proximity to volcanoes has clear volcanic hazards implications, and population datasets help assess volcanic risk. Provided by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the LandScan population dataset apportions census counts to grid cells based on likelihood coefficients incorporating proximity to roads, slope, land cover, nighttime lights, and other variables. These data do not account for non-resident visitors to national parks, forests, or other recreational areas in volcanic regions, which form an unknown, but sometimes non-trivial component of persons at risk from volcanic eruptions. The LandScan 2008 data set was applied to the Volcanoes of the World database (for publication in Volcanoes of the World, 3rd ed.) to calculate population densities surrounding Holocene volcanoes at radii of 5, 10, 30, and 100 km. The 20 volcanoes with the greatest population at each of those distance ranges are shown in the tables below.

Approximately 1/3 of volcano entries in this catalog are not classic stratovolcanoes that most people are familiar with, but are volcanic fields/clusters with large numbers of vents over broad areas, oceanic shield volcanoes with large footprints, or large silicic calderas. For volcanic fields, minimum population densities were calculated for those living within a rectangle encompassing the known footprint of the field, or a circle of 20 km (the average radius of database volcanic fields with documented dimensions). Similarly, 20 km minimum radii were used for large oceanic shield volcanoes and large silicic calderas that could erupt from vents in broad areas over their flanks. Due to these factors the highest population numbers at smaller distances are dominated by these larger volcanic systems.


Population within 5 km

Volcano Country Volcanic Region Primary
Landform
Population
within 5 km
Last
Eruption
Michoacan-Guanajuato Mexico Trans-Mexican Volcanic Arc Cluster 5,783,287 1952 CE
Tatun Volcanic Group Taiwan Ryukyu Volcanic Arc Cluster 5,084,149 648 CE
Campi Flegrei Italy Italian Peninsula Volcanic Provinces Caldera 2,234,109 1538 CE
Ilopango El Salvador Central America Volcanic Arc Caldera 2,049,583 1880 CE
Hainan Volcanic Field China Southeast Asia Volcanic Province Cluster 1,731,229 1933 CE
San Pablo Volcanic Field Philippines Luzon Volcanic Arc Cluster 1,349,742 1350 CE
Ghegham Volcanic Ridge Armenia Caucasus Volcanic Province Cluster 1,265,153 1900 BCE
Dieng Volcanic Complex Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 1,092,929 2025 CE
Auckland Volcanic Field New Zealand Western North Island Volcanic Province Cluster 1,049,110 1446 CE
Masaya Nicaragua Central America Volcanic Arc Caldera 989,888 2025 CE
Colli Albani Italy Italian Peninsula Volcanic Provinces Caldera 897,039 Unknown
Harras of Dhamar Yemen Southwest Arabia Volcanic Province Cluster 791,276 Unknown
Taal Philippines Luzon Volcanic Arc Caldera 717,090 2025 CE
Coatepeque Caldera El Salvador Central America Volcanic Arc Caldera 616,730 Unknown
Newer Volcanics Province Australia Southeastern Australia Volcanic Province Cluster 610,361 2900 BCE
Chichinautzin Mexico Trans-Mexican Volcanic Arc Cluster 584,725 399 CE
Durango Volcanic Field Mexico Basin and Range Volcanic Province Cluster 571,282 Unknown
Corbetti Ethiopia Main Ethiopian Rift Volcanic Province Caldera 565,206 396 BCE
Pululahua Ecuador Northern Andean Volcanic Arc Caldera 534,403 290 CE
Batur Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Caldera 466,899 2000 CE


Population within 10 km

Volcano Country Volcanic Region Primary
Landform
Population
within 10 km
Last
Eruption
Michoacan-Guanajuato Mexico Trans-Mexican Volcanic Arc Cluster 5,783,287 1952 CE
Tatun Volcanic Group Taiwan Ryukyu Volcanic Arc Cluster 5,084,149 648 CE
Campi Flegrei Italy Italian Peninsula Volcanic Provinces Caldera 2,234,109 1538 CE
Ilopango El Salvador Central America Volcanic Arc Caldera 2,049,583 1880 CE
Hainan Volcanic Field China Southeast Asia Volcanic Province Cluster 1,731,229 1933 CE
San Pablo Volcanic Field Philippines Luzon Volcanic Arc Cluster 1,349,742 1350 CE
Ghegham Volcanic Ridge Armenia Caucasus Volcanic Province Cluster 1,265,153 1900 BCE
Dieng Volcanic Complex Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 1,092,929 2025 CE
Auckland Volcanic Field New Zealand Western North Island Volcanic Province Cluster 1,049,110 1446 CE
Harrat Rahat Saudi Arabia Western Arabia Volcanic Province Cluster 1,010,115 1256 CE
Masaya Nicaragua Central America Volcanic Arc Caldera 989,888 2025 CE
Colli Albani Italy Italian Peninsula Volcanic Provinces Caldera 897,039 Unknown
Nejapa-Miraflores Nicaragua Central America Volcanic Arc Cluster 870,837 1060 CE
San Salvador El Salvador Central America Volcanic Arc Composite 800,780 1917 CE
Harras of Dhamar Yemen Southwest Arabia Volcanic Province Cluster 791,276 Unknown
Taal Philippines Luzon Volcanic Arc Caldera 717,090 2025 CE
Vesuvius Italy Italian Peninsula Volcanic Provinces Composite 675,705 1944 CE
Coatepeque Caldera El Salvador Central America Volcanic Arc Caldera 616,730 Unknown
Newer Volcanics Province Australia Southeastern Australia Volcanic Province Cluster 610,361 2900 BCE
Chichinautzin Mexico Trans-Mexican Volcanic Arc Cluster 584,725 399 CE


Population within 30 km

Volcano Country Volcanic Region Primary
Landform
Population
within 30 km
Last
Eruption
Tatun Volcanic Group Taiwan Ryukyu Volcanic Arc Cluster 6,735,396 648 CE
Michoacan-Guanajuato Mexico Trans-Mexican Volcanic Arc Cluster 5,783,287 1952 CE
Tangkuban Parahu Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 5,729,309 2019 CE
Penanggungan Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 4,605,710 Unknown
Merapi Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 4,348,473 2025 CE
Arjuno-Welirang Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 4,143,137 1952 CE
Chichinautzin Mexico Trans-Mexican Volcanic Arc Cluster 4,061,942 399 CE
Vesuvius Italy Italian Peninsula Volcanic Provinces Composite 3,907,941 1944 CE
Guntur Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 3,412,038 1847 CE
Ciremai Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 3,058,015 1951 CE
San Pablo Volcanic Field Philippines Luzon Volcanic Arc Cluster 3,039,334 1350 CE
Merbabu Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 3,019,783 1797 CE
Campi Flegrei Italy Italian Peninsula Volcanic Provinces Caldera 3,006,865 1538 CE
Colli Albani Italy Italian Peninsula Volcanic Provinces Caldera 2,962,194 Unknown
Ilopango El Salvador Central America Volcanic Arc Caldera 2,948,989 1880 CE
Kawi-Butak Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 2,927,446 Unknown
Slamet Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 2,904,026 2014 CE
San Salvador El Salvador Central America Volcanic Arc Composite 2,857,563 1917 CE
Salak Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 2,675,904 1938 CE
Kendang Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 2,601,697 Unknown


Population within 100 km

Volcano Country Volcanic Region Primary
Landform
Population
within 100 km
Last
Eruption
Gede-Pangrango Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 40,640,105 1957 CE
Salak Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 38,154,252 1938 CE
Perbakti-Gagak Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 36,630,568 1939 CE
Tangkuban Parahu Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 32,855,731 2019 CE
Hakoneyama Japan Izu Volcanic Arc Composite 30,282,197 2015 CE
Chichinautzin Mexico Trans-Mexican Volcanic Arc Cluster 28,030,794 399 CE
Iztaccihuatl Mexico Trans-Mexican Volcanic Arc Composite 27,276,280 Unknown
Popocatepetl Mexico Trans-Mexican Volcanic Arc Composite 26,509,510 2025 CE
Penanggungan Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 25,773,159 Unknown
Ciremai Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 25,718,820 1951 CE
Sumbing Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 25,707,858 1730 CE
Arjuno-Welirang Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 25,385,433 1952 CE
Nevado de Toluca Mexico Trans-Mexican Volcanic Arc Composite 25,247,342 1350 BCE
Merbabu Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 25,096,234 1797 CE
Fujisan Japan Izu Volcanic Arc Composite 25,022,187 1708 CE
Kelud Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 24,999,627 2014 CE
Sundoro Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 24,996,512 1971 CE
Jocotitlan Mexico Trans-Mexican Volcanic Arc Composite 24,986,674 1270 CE
Lawu Indonesia Sunda Volcanic Arc Composite 24,931,156 1885 CE
Taal Philippines Luzon Volcanic Arc Caldera 24,814,047 2025 CE