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Sports and recreation

Skydiving

Estimated population-level acute risk associated with a single recreational skydive in the United States.

Base risk estimate

6 micromorts per jumps

Population-level estimate. Not a personal prediction.

Assumptions

Assumes USPA-member skydiving operations in the United States, including both tandem and solo jumps. Multi-year average smooths significant annual variation.

Limitations

Annual rates vary considerably (range approximately 2.7–7.4 micromorts/jump, 2015–2022). Risk profile differs between tandem student jumps and experienced solo jumps. Does not cover non-USPA operations.

Source notes

Based on USPA-reported annual fatality statistics. Multi-year average 2015–2022: approximately 155 total fatalities over approximately 25 million USPA-member jumps, giving approximately 6 fatalities per million jumps.

Last reviewed

5/31/2024

RiskLens is an educational tool. It uses population-level estimates to help explain relative risk. It is not a prediction of your personal risk and should not be used as medical, legal, financial, or safety advice.