Baloch DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Pakistan · South Asia
The Baloch live across Balochistan, a region divided between Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan, and they speak Balochi, an Iranian language. This page uses the Pakistani Baloch average. In our model, more than half of the ancestry, 53.3%, comes from Iranian Neolithic farmers, one of the highest shares in South Asia, with 15.8% South Asian hunter-gatherer related ancestry (Irula proxy), 14.6% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 11.1% steppe and 5.2% Eastern hunter-gatherer. The hunter-gatherer related share is far lower than in the Indus plains (39.9% in our Sindhi average), which places the Baloch at the western end of the South Asian gradient, next to the Iranian plateau. The closest modern average is the Brahui, at a very close 0.0067, followed by other Baloch samples from Pakistan and Iran and the Makrani. The ancient matches are led by a historical-period group with a South Asian profile from Xinjiang (0.0449), then Bronze Age sites of Central Asia such as Bustan and Gonur Tepe.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Iranian Neolithic farmers 53.3%, South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) 15.8%, Anatolian Neolithic farmers 14.6%
- Closest modern population in our data: Brahui, distance 0.0067
- Closest ancient group in our data: Xinjiang HP Junmachanyilian (South Asian Profile), distance 0.0449
Baloch is one of the 335 modern populations in our population genetics atlas. The numbers on this page describe the average Global25 (G25) genome of the Baloch individuals sampled in Pakistan, listed in the G25 sheet as "Balochi_Pakistan". Like every population average, it smooths over a lot of variation between individuals.
Ancient make-up of the Baloch average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Baloch average, 53.3%, goes to Iranian Neolithic farmers, ahead of South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) (15.8%) and Anatolian Neolithic farmers (14.6%). The Iranian Neolithic farmers component reflects the early farmers and herders of the Zagros mountains in Iran. The South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) share (15.8%) reflects the deep hunter-gatherer ancestry of South Asia (Ancient Ancestral South Indians).
The fit is acceptable (fit distance 0.025): 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.
Simorgh – Iranian Plateau Report
Closest modern populations to Baloch
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Brahui first for Baloch, at 0.007, then Balochi (A) and Balochi (Iran). Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Brahui (0.007), Jamot (Laasi Baloch) (0.023) and Makrani (0.028). By the tenth closest (Pashtun (Jafar)) the distance grows to 0.045, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brahui | 0.0067 | Very close |
| 2 | Balochi (A) | 0.0117 | Very close |
| 3 | Balochi (Iran) | 0.0133 | Very close |
| 4 | Jamot (Laasi Baloch) | 0.0226 | Very close |
| 5 | Makrani | 0.0280 | Close |
| 6 | Khetran | 0.0318 | Close |
| 7 | Pashtun (Mashwani) | 0.0342 | Close |
| 8 | Kutchi (Jat Muslim) | 0.0394 | Close |
| 9 | Pashtun (Tareen) | 0.0404 | Close |
| 10 | Pashtun (Jafar) | 0.0447 | 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 Baloch
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Baloch average is Xinjiang HP Junmachanyilian (South Asian Profile) (Historical period), at 0.045, followed by Pakistan High Medieval Ghaznavid Udegram and Pakistan IA Barikot. 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 | Xinjiang HP Junmachanyilian (South Asian Profile) | Historical period | 0.0449 |
| 2 | Pakistan High Medieval Ghaznavid Udegram | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0572 |
| 3 | Pakistan IA Barikot | Iron Age | 0.0594 |
| 4 | Uzbekistan BA Bustan | Bronze Age | 0.0641 |
| 5 | Uzbekistan BA Dzharkutan | Bronze Age | 0.0653 |
| 6 | Turkmenistan BA Gonur Tepe | Bronze Age | 0.0679 |
| 7 | Iran EBA Shahr-i-Sokhta | Early Bronze Age | 0.0687 |
| 8 | Pakistan High Medieval Barikot | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0696 |
| 9 | Pakistan IA Butkara | Iron Age | 0.0700 |
| 10 | Iran LBA Hasanlu (Iranian Plateau Profile) | Late Bronze Age | 0.0702 |
Ancient DNA from Pakistan
Our ancient DNA database holds 136 individuals excavated in present-day Pakistan, dated from about 1,266 BC to 1568 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are L1a (14), E1b (11) and R2a (10), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are U2 (14), M30 (9) and M65 (8). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Baloch population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on Pakistan
- Contrasting maternal and paternal genetic histories among five ethnic groups from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan (2025)
- Phylogenetic analysis of the enigmatic Kalash population in Pakistan (2025)
- Ethnogenetic analysis reveals the Bronze Age genetic affiliation of Yashkuns with West Eurasians (2024)
- Multiple-Wave Admixture and Adaptive Evolution of the Pamirian Wakhi People (2024)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 136 from Pakistan.
Compare yourself with Baloch
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Baloch average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Baloch 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 Baloch. 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.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Baloch average. Your own DNA has its own story: Simorgh – Iranian Plateau 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 Iranian-plateau ancestry: ancient regional core (Bronze/Iron Age Iranian Plateau, Achaemenid, Parthian, Sassanid Persia) versus non-regional outside admixture, across 10 communities (Persian, Lur/Bakhtiari...
More populations from South Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Baloch?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Baloch average is about 53.3% Iranian Neolithic farmers, 15.8% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) and 14.6% Anatolian Neolithic farmers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Baloch?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Balochi (A)), the closest modern populations to the Baloch average are Brahui, Jamot (Laasi Baloch) and Makrani. The closest ancient matches are Xinjiang HP Junmachanyilian (South Asian Profile), Pakistan High Medieval Ghaznavid Udegram and Pakistan IA Barikot.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Baloch?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Baloch 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 Baloch ancestry?
For the Baloch average, the regional report to choose is Simorgh – Iranian Plateau 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.