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GALVESTON, Texas — Minnesota leads the nation as the safest state for boating, according to one recent study that looked at fatal boating accidents for every 100,000 boats registered.

The data used in the study came from the U.S. Coast Guard’s Recreational Boating Statistics, covering the five-year period from 2018-2022. The survey was conducted for the online fishing guide booking service .

Minnesota suffered just 1.8 fatalities annually for every 100,000 boats on the water, far below the national average of 5.6 deaths per 100,000 boats.

North Dakota is the second-safest state at 2.5 deaths annually for every 100,000 boats, with Iowa third at 2.6; Nebraska fourth at 2.7; Michigan fifth with 2.8; and Wisconsin sixth at 3.1.

An estimated 100 million Americans — nearly one-third of the total U.S. population — go boating each year. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, recreational boating and fishing is the largest conventional outdoor recreation activity in the U.S., adding nearly $31 billion to the nation’s gross domestic product in 2021.

The study found Minnesota had 459 reported serious boating accidents between 2018 and 2022 with 73 deaths for an average of 11.2 deaths per year.

A big increase in boating interest during the COVID-19 pandemic may have contributed to a rise in the number of boating-related accidents as tracked by the U.S. Coast Guard. From 2019-2020, the total number of reported boating accidents spiked by 26%, while boating-related injuries and deaths both increased by 25%.

Although the number of boating accidents has fallen since 2020, boating is still an activity that carries some degree of risk, and boating-related fatalities and accidents are more common in some parts of the country than in others.

Alaska was by far the most dangerous state for boating, with 33.6 fatalities annually per 100,000 boats registered. Hawaii was second-most dangerous with 23.8 deaths per 100,000 boats.