Albanian DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Albania · Southern Europe
Albania lies on the western side of the Balkans, facing Italy across the Adriatic. In our model, the Albanian average is 61.4% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 37.2% steppe and 1.4% Western hunter-gatherer, close to the classic mix of early farmers and Bronze Age steppe-related newcomers found across southeastern Europe. Ancient DNA from the Balkans shows that this Bronze Age base was later reshaped, to different degrees in different places, by movements during the Roman period and by the arrival of Slavic-speaking groups in the early medieval period. The closest modern averages are Kosovar Albanians, Gheg Albanians from North Macedonia, Tosk Albanians and the Torbesi, all at very close distances, followed by Greeks from Central Macedonia. The closest ancient matches are early medieval individuals with a Central Mediterranean profile buried in Avar-period cemeteries in Austria and Hungary, and Early Modern people from Bardhoc in Albania.
- Ancient components in our model: Anatolian Neolithic farmers 61.4%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 37.2%, Western hunter-gatherers 1.4%
- Closest modern population in our data: Kosovar Albanian, distance 0.0072
- Closest ancient group in our data: Austria Early Medieval Avar Period (Central Med Profile), distance 0.0129
Where does Albanian DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Albanian individuals sampled in Albania and compare them with deep ancestral reference populations, with other modern groups and with ancient genomes. It is one of 335 populations in our atlas.
Ancient make-up of the Albanian average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Albanian average, 61.4%, goes to Anatolian Neolithic farmers, ahead of Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (37.2%) and Western hunter-gatherers (1.4%). The Anatolian Neolithic farmers component reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC. The Steppe herders (Yamnaya) share (37.2%) reflects the Bronze Age herders of the Pontic-Caspian steppe (Yamnaya and related groups), whose ancestry spread across Europe and into Asia from about 3000 BC. With well over half of the total, this single source dominates the profile.
Smaller traces of Western hunter-gatherers (under 5%) also appear. At that level they can reflect real minor ancestry, but also simple model noise, so they should not be over-read. The model fits well (fit distance 0.023), so these proportions are a reasonable summary. The model draws on West Eurasian ancient genomes, with modern West African and East Asian stand-ins.
Balkan Frontier – Serbian, Croatian & Balkan Slavic Report
Closest modern populations to Albanian
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Albanian average is Kosovar Albanian, at a distance of 0.007 (very close). Next come Albanian Gheg (North Macedonia) at 0.007 and Albanian Tosk at 0.008. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Kosovar Albanian (0.007), Torbesi (North Macedonia) (0.012) and Greek (Central Macedonia) (0.012). Even the tenth closest, Macedonian (North Macedonia), is only 0.019 away: Albanian belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kosovar Albanian | 0.0072 | Very close |
| 2 | Albanian Gheg (North Macedonia) | 0.0074 | Very close |
| 3 | Albanian Tosk | 0.0082 | Very close |
| 4 | Torbesi (North Macedonia) | 0.0121 | Very close |
| 5 | Greek (Central Macedonia) | 0.0124 | Very close |
| 6 | Torbesi (Polog) | 0.0132 | Very close |
| 7 | Vlach Aromanian (Greece) | 0.0146 | Very close |
| 8 | Greek (Eastern Macedonia and Thrace) | 0.0160 | Very close |
| 9 | Greek (Epirus) | 0.0163 | Very close |
| 10 | Macedonian (North Macedonia) | 0.0185 | Very close |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Albanian
Looking back in time, the ancient sample that most resembles the Albanian average is Austria Early Medieval Avar Period (Central Med Profile) (Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD), at 0.013. Hungary Early Medieval Avar Period Late (Central Med Profile) and Hungary Early Medieval Avar Period Early/Middle (Central Med Profile) come next. That is a very close match, which suggests strong genetic continuity between those ancient people (or close relatives of theirs) and the modern population. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austria Early Medieval Avar Period (Central Med Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0129 |
| 2 | Hungary Early Medieval Avar Period Late (Central Med Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0137 |
| 3 | Hungary Early Medieval Avar Period Early/Middle (Central Med Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0191 |
| 4 | Albania Early Modern Bardhoc | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0202 |
| 5 | Hungary Early Medieval Avar Period (Central Med Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0208 |
| 6 | Hungary Early Medieval Avar Period Middle (Central Med Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0208 |
| 7 | Croatia Early Medieval Avar Period Late Nustar (Central Med Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0213 |
| 8 | Hungary Early Medieval Lombard Period (Central Med Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0216 |
| 9 | Hungary Late Antiquity Roman (Central Med Profile) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0221 |
| 10 | Hungary Late Antiquity Sarmatian (Central Med Profile) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0222 |
Ancient DNA from Albania
Our ancient DNA database holds 42 individuals excavated in present-day Albania, dated from about 6,146 BC to 1704 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are R1b (19), J2b (5) and G2a (2), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are J1 (4), H (3) and H1 (3). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Albanian population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on Albania
- Ancient DNA evidence for the history of the Albanians (2026)
- Ancient DNA reveals the origins of the Albanians (2023)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 42 from Albania.
Compare yourself with Albanian
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Albanian average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Albanian and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
No G25 coordinates yet? Get a free simulated G25 from your raw DNA file, or order G25 coordinates.
About these numbers
A word of caution: these figures describe the average of the Albanian individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Albanian. Individuals vary around that average, and identity is about history, language and family, not about a genetic score. Read this page as a map of deep ancestry, not as a definition.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Albanian average. Your own DNA has its own story: Balkan Frontier – Serbian, Croatian & Balkan Slavic Report (15€) models your genome against the ancient sources and modern communities of the region, era by era, in a personal PDF report.
A report built for people of Balkan ancestry: ancient regional core (Illyrian, Thracian, Dacian, Paeonian, Scordisci Celtic, Proto-Slavic, Roman-provincial Dalmatia/Moesia/Macedonia, Sarmatian) versus non-regional outside admixture, across...
More populations from Southern Europe
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Albanian?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Albanian average is about 61.4% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 37.2% Steppe herders (Yamnaya) and 1.4% Western hunter-gatherers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Albanian?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Albanian Gheg (North Macedonia)), the closest modern populations to the Albanian average are Kosovar Albanian, Torbesi (North Macedonia) and Greek (Central Macedonia). The closest ancient matches are Austria Early Medieval Avar Period (Central Med Profile), Hungary Early Medieval Avar Period Late (Central Med Profile) and Hungary Early Medieval Avar Period Early/Middle (Central Med Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Albanian?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Albanian average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Albanian ancestry?
For the Albanian average, the regional report to choose is Balkan Frontier – Serbian, Croatian & Balkan Slavic Report, which our fit test rates as an excellent match. Your own DNA may differ from the average, so the free Report Finder checks every report against your file before you buy.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.