Sports and recreation
Skydiving
Estimated population-level acute risk associated with a single recreational skydive in the United States.
Base risk estimate
6.00 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
6/11/2026
How does this compare?
Activities with a similar per-unit risk level. Units vary — these are approximate comparisons.
Related activities
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.