Burusho DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Pakistan · South Asia
The Burusho live in the high valleys of Hunza, Nagar and Yasin in Gilgit-Baltistan, northern Pakistan, under some of the highest peaks of the Karakoram. Their language, Burushaski, is a language isolate, with no proven relative anywhere in the world. Genetically, the Burusho share the three main South Asian sources, 31.1% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy), 27.7% Iranian Neolithic farmer and 25.6% steppe, but they stand out from their Dardic-speaking neighbours with a 7.8% East Asian component, plus small Ancient North Eurasian (1.3%) and Arctic Siberian (1.3%) traces. That fits their position close to Tibet and Xinjiang, along old routes across the mountains. The closest modern averages are the Brokpa of Ladakh (0.027), the Gawri and the Kohistani. Strikingly, the closest ancient group is a Northern Zhou-period group (557 to 581 AD) from Xi'an in China whose profile resembles the Burusho (0.0271), a sign of long-distance movement in the Silk Road era.
- Largest ancient components in our model: South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) 31.1%, Iranian Neolithic farmers 27.7%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 25.6%
- Closest modern population in our data: Brokpa (Minaro), distance 0.0270
- Closest ancient group in our data: China Shaanxi HP Northern Zhou Dynasty Xi'an (Burusho Profile), distance 0.0271
Burusho 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 Burusho individuals sampled in Pakistan. Like every population average, it smooths over a lot of variation between individuals.
Ancient make-up of the Burusho average
The ancient make-up of the Burusho average is led by South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) (31.1%), followed by Iranian Neolithic farmers (27.7%) and Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (25.6%). The South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) component reflects the deep hunter-gatherer ancestry of South Asia (Ancient Ancestral South Indians). The Iranian Neolithic farmers share (27.7%) reflects the early farmers and herders of the Zagros mountains in Iran. No single source dominates, so the profile is best read as a balanced blend of several ancient ancestries.
Smaller traces of Ancient North Eurasians and Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) (under 5% each) 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 0.025), 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.
Sindhu – South Asian Report
Closest modern populations to Burusho
Genetically, the Burusho average sits nearest to Brokpa (Minaro) at 0.027, Gawri at 0.036 and Kohistani at 0.038. On our scale, a distance of 0.027 counts as close. By the tenth closest (Khas Brahmin (Nepal, Bahun)) 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 | Brokpa (Minaro) | 0.0270 | Close |
| 2 | Gawri | 0.0359 | Close |
| 3 | Kohistani | 0.0382 | Close |
| 4 | Kashmiri (Pakistan) | 0.0387 | Close |
| 5 | Torwali | 0.0400 | Close |
| 6 | Nepalese (A) | 0.0402 | Close |
| 7 | Bahun | 0.0402 | Close |
| 8 | Tanoli | 0.0403 | Close |
| 9 | Kashmiri Muslim (Srinagar) | 0.0412 | Close |
| 10 | Khas Brahmin (Nepal, Bahun) | 0.0412 | 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 Burusho
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Burusho, China Shaanxi HP Northern Zhou Dynasty Xi'an (Burusho Profile) (Northern Zhou dynasty, 557-581 AD) comes first, at 0.027, with Pakistan HP Saidu Sharif 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 | China Shaanxi HP Northern Zhou Dynasty Xi'an (Burusho Profile) | Northern Zhou dynasty, 557-581 AD | 0.0271 |
| 2 | Pakistan HP Saidu Sharif | Historical period | 0.0441 |
| 3 | Pakistan High Medieval Barikot | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0455 |
| 4 | Pakistan IA Gogdara | Iron Age | 0.0472 |
| 5 | Pakistan HP Aligrama | Historical period | 0.0478 |
| 6 | Pakistan IA Katelai | Iron Age | 0.0494 |
| 7 | Pakistan IA Loebanr | Iron Age | 0.0510 |
| 8 | Pakistan HP Barikot | Historical period | 0.0533 |
| 9 | Pakistan IA Butkara | Iron Age | 0.0538 |
| 10 | Pakistan IA Udegram | Iron Age | 0.0539 |
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 Burusho 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 Burusho
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Burusho average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Burusho 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 Burusho individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Burusho. 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 Burusho 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 Burusho?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Burusho average is about 31.1% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy), 27.7% Iranian Neolithic farmers and 25.6% Steppe herders (Yamnaya). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Burusho?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Burusho average are Brokpa (Minaro), Gawri and Kohistani. The closest ancient matches are China Shaanxi HP Northern Zhou Dynasty Xi'an (Burusho Profile), Pakistan HP Saidu Sharif and Pakistan High Medieval Barikot.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Burusho?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Burusho 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 Burusho ancestry?
For the Burusho average, the regional report to choose is Sindhu – South Asian 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.