Bolivian DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Bolivia · Americas
Bolivia is one of the most Indigenous countries of the Americas, and its 2009 constitution refounded it as a Plurinational State, recognising dozens of Indigenous languages, among them Quechua, Aymara and Guarani, alongside Spanish. This page uses an average from La Paz, at about 3,600 metres the highest seat of government in the world. In our model, the La Paz average is 100.0% Native American (Paleo-American), with a close fit (0.0246) and no European-related component above 1%, unlike every Mestizo page of our atlas, which fits the large Aymara and Quechua population of the Altiplano. The closest modern averages are the Colla of northwestern Argentina (0.0158), Mapuche from southern Chile (0.0159), Quechua from Lake Titicaca (0.0162) and Aymara from Bolivia (0.0177). The closest ancient groups mix Andean and lowland sites: Inca-era people from Sacsayhuamán near Cuzco and people from Mar Chiquita in Argentina about 1,800 years ago, both at 0.0199.
- Ancient components in our model: Native American (Paleo-American) 100.0%
- Closest modern population in our data: Colla, distance 0.0158
- Closest ancient group in our data: Peru Cuzco Sacsahuaman LH, distance 0.0199
Where does Bolivian DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Bolivian individuals sampled in Bolivia, listed in the G25 sheet as "Bolivian_LaPaz" 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 Bolivian average
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Bolivian average is explained almost entirely by Native American (Paleo-American) (100.0%). The Native American (Paleo-American) component reflects the ancestry of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. That does not make the population uniform: the model simply has no finer reference population for this part of the world, and the closest populations below show the detail it cannot.
The model fits well (fit distance 0.025), 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.
Raíces – Latin American Bloodline
Closest modern populations to Bolivian
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Bolivian average is Colla, at a distance of 0.016 (very close). Next come Mapuche (Huilliche) at 0.016 and Quechua (Peru Titicaca) at 0.016. Even the tenth closest, Cachi, is only 0.022 away: Bolivian belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colla | 0.0158 | Very close |
| 2 | Mapuche (Huilliche) | 0.0159 | Very close |
| 3 | Quechua (Peru Titicaca) | 0.0162 | Very close |
| 4 | Aymara (Bolivia) | 0.0177 | Very close |
| 5 | Amerindian (Guatemala) | 0.0196 | Very close |
| 6 | Yanesha (High Selva) | 0.0208 | Very close |
| 7 | Quechua (Peru) | 0.0210 | Very close |
| 8 | Uros (Peru Titicaca) | 0.0212 | Very close |
| 9 | Maya (Tzotzil) | 0.0214 | Very close |
| 10 | Cachi | 0.0218 | 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 Bolivian
Looking back in time, the ancient sample that most resembles the Bolivian average is Peru Cuzco Sacsahuaman LH (Late Horizon, c. 1400-1532 AD), at 0.020. Argentina Mar Chiquita 1800BP and Argentina South Salado River 800BP 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 | Peru Cuzco Sacsahuaman LH | Late Horizon, c. 1400-1532 AD | 0.0199 |
| 2 | Argentina Mar Chiquita 1800BP | c. 150 AD | 0.0199 |
| 3 | Argentina South Salado River 800BP | c. 1150 AD | 0.0200 |
| 4 | Peru Ullujaya EIP 1350BP | c. 600 AD | 0.0200 |
| 5 | Venezuela Ceramic | Ceramic Age, c. 500 BC-1500 AD | 0.0203 |
| 6 | Mexico Colonial Period (Amerindian Profile) | Colonial era, c. 1500-1850 AD | 0.0205 |
| 7 | Chile Conchali 700BP | c. 1250 AD | 0.0206 |
| 8 | Curacao Ceramic | Ceramic Age, c. 500 BC-1500 AD | 0.0207 |
| 9 | Mexico Classic Maya Chichen Itza | Classic Mesoamerica, c. 250-900 AD | 0.0207 |
| 10 | Peru Rio Uncallane 1800BP | c. 150 AD | 0.0210 |
Ancient DNA from Bolivia
Our ancient DNA database holds 44 individuals excavated in present-day Bolivia, dated from about 290 AD to 1495 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are Q1b (13) and Q (2), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are B2 (25), C1 (10) and A2 (1). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Bolivian population.
Ancient DNA studies on Bolivia
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 44 from Bolivia.
Compare yourself with Bolivian
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Bolivian average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Bolivian 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 Bolivian individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Bolivian. 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 Bolivian average. Your own DNA has its own story: Raíces – Latin American Bloodline (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 only for Latinos: pick your country and we model your DNA against its indigenous peoples plus every Old-World source of Latin American history, on an interactive map.
More populations from Americas
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Bolivian?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Bolivian average is about 100.0% Native American (Paleo-American). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Bolivian?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Bolivian average are Colla, Mapuche (Huilliche) and Quechua (Peru Titicaca). The closest ancient matches are Peru Cuzco Sacsahuaman LH, Argentina Mar Chiquita 1800BP and Argentina South Salado River 800BP.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Bolivian?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Bolivian 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 Bolivian ancestry?
Raíces – Latin American Bloodline is the report built for this heritage, and its reference panel fits the Bolivian average closely. 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.