Bengali (Bangladesh) DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Bangladesh · South Asia
Bengal is the great delta of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, one of the most densely populated regions on earth, and Bengali, an Indo-Aryan language, is spoken by more than 200 million people in Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. This page uses the Bangladesh average. The Bengali average reads 72.6% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy), with 11.6% steppe, 9.4% Iranian Neolithic farmer and 6.3% East Asian. That East Asian share is what sets eastern South Asia apart from the west: it is absent from our Gujarati and Marathi averages, and it fits Bengal's long contact with Tibeto-Burman and Austroasiatic-speaking neighbours to the north and east. The model fits closely (0.0204). Beyond other Bengali samples, the nearest modern averages reach outside Bengal, led by Kumaoni samples from Uttarakhand (0.0238) and Bundeli speakers from Madhya Pradesh, with Khandayat samples from Odisha at 0.0362. Roopkund, around 800 AD, remains the nearest ancient group, at a moderate 0.0621.
- Largest ancient components in our model: South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) 72.6%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 11.6%, Iranian Neolithic farmers 9.4%
- Closest modern population in our data: Bengali, distance 0.0116
- Closest ancient group in our data: India Uttarakhand Early Medieval Roopkund c.800CE (South Asian Profile), distance 0.0621
Bengali (Bangladesh) 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 Bengali (Bangladesh) individuals sampled in Bangladesh, listed in the G25 sheet as "Bengali_Bangladesh". Like every population average, it smooths over a lot of variation between individuals.
Ancient make-up of the Bengali (Bangladesh) average
Modelled as a mix of deep ancestral reference populations, the Bengali (Bangladesh) average comes out as 72.6% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy), 11.6% Steppe herders (Yamnaya) and 9.4% Iranian Neolithic farmers. The South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) component reflects the deep hunter-gatherer ancestry of South Asia (Ancient Ancestral South Indians). With well over half of the total, this single source dominates the profile.
The model fits well (fit distance 0.020), so these proportions are a reasonable summary. 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.
Sindhu – South Asian Report
Closest modern populations to Bengali (Bangladesh)
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Bengali first for Bengali (Bangladesh), at 0.012, then Bengali (Bangladesh Southeast) and Kumaoni (Scheduled Caste). Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Kumaoni (Scheduled Caste) (0.024), Kumaoni (Shilpkar Tamta) (0.027) and Bundeli (Manjhi Madhya Pradesh) (0.031). By the tenth closest (Bagheli (Ghasiya Uttar Pradesh)) the distance grows to 0.041, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bengali | 0.0116 | Very close |
| 2 | Bengali (Bangladesh Southeast) | 0.0187 | Very close |
| 3 | Kumaoni (Scheduled Caste) | 0.0238 | Very close |
| 4 | Kumaoni (Shilpkar Tamta) | 0.0269 | Close |
| 5 | Bundeli (Manjhi Madhya Pradesh) | 0.0305 | Close |
| 6 | Chenchu | 0.0354 | Close |
| 7 | Khandayat (Odisha) | 0.0362 | Close |
| 8 | Telugu (Kapu Andhra Pradesh) | 0.0362 | Close |
| 9 | Relli (Andhra Pradesh) | 0.0405 | Close |
| 10 | Bagheli (Ghasiya Uttar Pradesh) | 0.0409 | 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 Bengali (Bangladesh)
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Bengali (Bangladesh), India Uttarakhand Early Medieval Roopkund c.800CE (South Asian Profile) (c. 800 AD) comes first, at 0.062, with Pakistan IA Aligrama next. That is only a moderate match: part of the modern profile was already present then, but later movements of people added substantial 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 | India Uttarakhand Early Medieval Roopkund c.800CE (South Asian Profile) | c. 800 AD | 0.0621 |
| 2 | Pakistan IA Aligrama | Iron Age | 0.1163 |
| 3 | Iran EBA Shahr-i-Sokhta (IVC Profile) | Early Bronze Age | 0.1175 |
| 4 | China Shaanxi HP Northern Zhou Dynasty Xi'an (Burusho Profile) | Northern Zhou dynasty, 557-581 AD | 0.1245 |
| 5 | Pakistan HP Butkara | Historical period | 0.1258 |
| 6 | Pakistan HP Aligrama | Historical period | 0.1308 |
| 7 | Pakistan HP Saidu Sharif | Historical period | 0.1380 |
| 8 | Pakistan IA Katelai | Iron Age | 0.1519 |
| 9 | Pakistan HP Barikot | Historical period | 0.1523 |
| 10 | Pakistan IA Gogdara | Iron Age | 0.1526 |
Compare yourself with Bengali (Bangladesh)
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Bengali (Bangladesh) average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Bengali (Bangladesh) 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 Bengali (Bangladesh) individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Bengali (Bangladesh). 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 Bengali (Bangladesh) average. Your own DNA has its own story: Sindhu – South Asian 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 South Asian ancestry: ancient regional core (Indus Valley Civilization, BMAC, Steppe migration, Himalayan Iron Age & Classical layers) versus non-regional outside admixture, across 13 communities (Punjabi...
More populations from South Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Bengali (Bangladesh)?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Bengali (Bangladesh) average is about 72.6% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy), 11.6% Steppe herders (Yamnaya) and 9.4% Iranian Neolithic farmers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Bengali (Bangladesh)?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Bengali), the closest modern populations to the Bengali (Bangladesh) average are Kumaoni (Scheduled Caste), Kumaoni (Shilpkar Tamta) and Bundeli (Manjhi Madhya Pradesh). The closest ancient matches are India Uttarakhand Early Medieval Roopkund c.800CE (South Asian Profile), Pakistan IA Aligrama and Iran EBA Shahr-i-Sokhta (IVC Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Bengali (Bangladesh)?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Bengali (Bangladesh) 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 Bengali (Bangladesh) ancestry?
Sindhu – South Asian Report is our regional report for this part of the world. On the Bengali (Bangladesh) average its fit test reads partial, so check your own DNA first: the free Report Finder runs that test on your file.
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.