Balinese DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Indonesia · Southeast Asia
Bali is the only part of Indonesia where Hinduism remains the majority religion, a heritage of the Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms of Java; when Majapahit declined in the 15th and 16th centuries, many of its courtiers, priests and artists are said to have moved to Bali. The island's subak system of water temples and rice terraces is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and Balinese is an Austronesian language of its own. In our model, the Balinese average is 84.3% Southeast Asian Neolithic farmer and 14.3% Southern Chinese Neolithic farmer, with a 1.4% South Asian hunter-gatherer related trace, small enough to be model noise. Interestingly, the closest modern average is not the Javanese of neighbouring East Java (0.0188) but the Sundanese of West Java (0.014), followed by an Indonesian sample from Jakarta (0.0172). The closest ancient groups are Neolithic Man Bac in Vietnam (0.0393) and Bronze Age Tam Hang in Laos, early farmers of the mainland.
- Ancient components in our model: Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers 84.3%, Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers 14.3%, South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) 1.4%
- Closest modern population in our data: Sundanese, distance 0.0140
- Closest ancient group in our data: Vietnam N Man Bac, distance 0.0393
Where does Balinese DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Balinese individuals sampled in Indonesia 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 Balinese average
Modelled as a mix of deep ancestral reference populations, the Balinese average comes out as 84.3% Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers, 14.3% Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers and 1.4% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy). The Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers component reflects the Neolithic farmers of mainland Southeast Asia. With well over half of the total, this single source dominates the profile.
Smaller traces of South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) (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 fit is acceptable (fit distance 0.037): treat the proportions as a good approximation rather than exact values. This population was modelled with a global set of reference populations (ancient genomes, plus modern stand-ins where no suitable ancient genome exists), because West Eurasian sources alone cannot describe it.
Lapita – Austronesian & Pacific Report
Closest modern populations to Balinese
Genetically, the Balinese average sits nearest to Sundanese at 0.014, Indonesian (Jakarta, Java/Bali Profile) at 0.017 and Javanese at 0.019. On our scale, a distance of 0.014 counts as very close. By the tenth closest (Mah (Meri)) the distance grows to 0.040, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sundanese | 0.0140 | Very close |
| 2 | Indonesian (Jakarta, Java/Bali Profile) | 0.0172 | Very close |
| 3 | Javanese | 0.0188 | Very close |
| 4 | Malay (Singapore) | 0.0302 | Close |
| 5 | Khmer (Thailand) | 0.0356 | Close |
| 6 | Iban | 0.0356 | Close |
| 7 | Kuy (Suay) | 0.0356 | Close |
| 8 | Temuan | 0.0362 | Close |
| 9 | Malay | 0.0366 | Close |
| 10 | Mah (Meri) | 0.0404 | 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 Balinese
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Balinese, Vietnam N Man Bac (Neolithic) comes first, at 0.039, with Laos BA Tam Hang next. That is a close match: much of the modern profile was already present then, while later movements of people added further layers. 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 | Vietnam N Man Bac | Neolithic | 0.0393 |
| 2 | Laos BA Tam Hang | Bronze Age | 0.0446 |
| 3 | India Uttarakhand Late Modern Roopkund (Southeast Asian Profile) | Late Modern, c. 1800-1950 AD | 0.0475 |
| 4 | Vietnam LN Mai Da Dieu | Late Neolithic | 0.0484 |
| 5 | Laos LNBA Tam Pa Ping | Late Neolithic to Bronze Age | 0.0497 |
| 6 | Malaysia LN Gua Cha | Late Neolithic | 0.0499 |
| 7 | Vietnam LN Ha Long Hhon Hai Co Tien | Late Neolithic | 0.0562 |
| 8 | China Dushan 8700BP | c. 6750 BC | 0.0635 |
| 9 | Indonesia Flores N-Proto-Metallic Liang Bua | Neolithic | 0.0696 |
| 10 | Vietnam LN Nam Tun | Late Neolithic | 0.0740 |
Ancient DNA from Indonesia
Our ancient DNA database holds 30 individuals excavated in present-day Indonesia, dated from about 5,300 BC to 1751 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are O2a (3), C1b (1) and M1a (1), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are B4 (4), Q1 (3) and E1 (2). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Balinese population.
Ancient sample data compiled by Nomad on the GenArchivist forum.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups in ancient samples from Indonesia
| Haplogroup | Ancient individuals | Example samples |
|---|---|---|
| O2a | 3 | TanjungPinang6 TanjungPinang2 TOP002 |
| C1b | 1 | AMA001 |
| M1a | 1 | TOP004 |
| O1a | 1 | Uattamdi1 |
| O1b | 1 | In662 |
| S1a | 1 | TanjungPinang4 |
| S1d | 1 | TanjungPinang1 |
Most frequent mtDNA haplogroups in ancient samples from Indonesia
| Haplogroup | Ancient individuals | Example samples |
|---|---|---|
| B4 | 4 | AMA005 AMA001 TanjungPinang6 |
| Q1 | 3 | AMA003008 TanjungPinang2 AMA009 |
| E1 | 2 | Uattamdi1 LIT001 |
| E2 | 2 | TOP004 TOP002 |
| M1 | 2 | GUP001 |
| Q | 2 | TanjungPinang4 TanjungPinang1 |
| F1 | 1 | In661 |
| M17 | 1 | LIA001002 |
Ancient DNA studies on Indonesia
- Reconstructing the west-east genetic division in Indonesia using ancient genomes (2026)
- Onset of summer aridification and the decline of Homo floresiensis at Liang Bua 61,000 years ago (2025)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 30 from Indonesia.
Compare yourself with Balinese
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Balinese average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Balinese 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
Keep in mind that a population average is a statistical summary of a limited number of sampled individuals. Real people inside any group vary, some carry more of one ancestry and some less, and no genetic profile decides who is or is not Balinese. Use these numbers as a map of deep ancestry, not as a label.
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.
Thanks: to Nomad (GenArchivist) for the population and ancient sample collection this atlas is built on, and to Davidski (Eurogenes) for Global25.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Balinese average. Your own DNA has its own story: Lapita – Austronesian & Pacific 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 Austronesian / Indo-Pacific ancestry: ancient regional core (the Taiwan Neolithic homeland, the Lapita culture, Guam Unai and Latte periods, the Medieval voyage to Madagascar) versus non-regional outside...
More populations from Southeast Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Balinese?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Balinese average is about 84.3% Southeast Asian Neolithic farmers, 14.3% Southern Chinese Neolithic farmers and 1.4% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Balinese?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Balinese average are Sundanese, Indonesian (Jakarta, Java/Bali Profile) and Javanese. The closest ancient matches are Vietnam N Man Bac, Laos BA Tam Hang and India Uttarakhand Late Modern Roopkund (Southeast Asian Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Balinese?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Balinese 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 Balinese ancestry?
For the Balinese average, the regional report to choose is Lapita – Austronesian & Pacific 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.