Cape Verdean DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Cape Verde · Sub-Saharan Africa
Cape Verde is an archipelago off the coast of Senegal that was uninhabited until Portuguese settlers arrived in the 1460s. The islands became a hub of Atlantic trade, and the population formed from Portuguese and other European settlers and West Africans, mostly from the Upper Guinea coast; most Cape Verdeans speak Kriolu, a Portuguese-based creole. In our model, the Cape Verdean average is 38.7% West African, while 28.4% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 14.1% steppe and 5.2% Western hunter-gatherer describe the European side, with small forager, Iberomaurusian and Nilotic shares. Because the population is a recent blend of two distant sources, no modern average in our data comes close: the nearest, led by Moroccan and Algerian samples that also combine North and West African ancestry, are at 0.0896 and beyond. The closest ancient group fits the history best: Early Modern people from Andalusia with a mixed sub-Saharan profile (0.0729), from the same Iberian Atlantic world of the 16th to 18th centuries.
- Largest ancient components in our model: West African 38.7%, Anatolian Neolithic farmers 28.4%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 14.1%
- Closest modern population in our data: Hartani/Gnawa Berber (Morocco Fez-Meknes, Central Atlas Tamazight), distance 0.0896
- Closest ancient group in our data: Spain Andalusia Early Modern (SSA-Mixed Profile), distance 0.0729
Cape Verdean 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 Cape Verdean individuals sampled in Cape Verde, listed in the G25 sheet as "Cape_Verdean". Like every population average, it smooths over a lot of variation between individuals.
Ancient make-up of the Cape Verdean average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Cape Verdean average, 38.7%, goes to West African, ahead of Anatolian Neolithic farmers (28.4%) and Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (14.1%). The West African component reflects ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The Anatolian Neolithic farmers share (28.4%) reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC.
Smaller traces of Western rainforest foragers (BiAka), North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian), Nilotic East African and Central African rainforest foragers (Mbuti) (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 0.018), 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.
Sankofa – African Ancestry Report
Closest modern populations to Cape Verdean
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Hartani/Gnawa Berber (Morocco Fez-Meknes, Central Atlas Tamazight) first for Cape Verdean, at 0.090, then Berber (Algeria) and Tunisian Arab (Douz, Intermediate Shwashin Profile). No modern population in the data is very close (the nearest is 0.090 away), which points to a distinctive genetic profile, often the mark of long isolation or of a mix that is rare elsewhere.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hartani/Gnawa Berber (Morocco Fez-Meknes, Central Atlas Tamazight) | 0.0896 | Distant |
| 2 | Berber (Algeria) | 0.0905 | Distant |
| 3 | Tunisian Arab (Douz, Intermediate Shwashin Profile) | 0.0912 | Distant |
| 4 | Hartani/Gnawa Berber (Morocco Ouarzazate, Shilha) | 0.0957 | Distant |
| 5 | Hartani/Gnawa Berber (Morocco Tiznit, Shilha) | 0.0988 | Distant |
| 6 | Swahili (Kenya Pate) | 0.0994 | Distant |
| 7 | Hartani Berber (Algeria, Mozabite) | 0.1024 | Distant |
| 8 | Swahili (Kenya Tchundwa) | 0.1038 | Distant |
| 9 | Swahili (Zanzibar) | 0.1062 | Distant |
| 10 | Hartani Berber (Algeria Timimoun, Gourara) | 0.1068 | Distant |
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 Cape Verdean
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Cape Verdean average is Spain Andalusia Early Modern (SSA-Mixed Profile) (Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD), at 0.073, followed by Kenya Early Modern Mtwapa Swahili and Sudan Nubia Early Medieval Christian Era Kulubnarti R. 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 | Spain Andalusia Early Modern (SSA-Mixed Profile) | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0729 |
| 2 | Kenya Early Modern Mtwapa Swahili | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0974 |
| 3 | Sudan Nubia Early Medieval Christian Era Kulubnarti R | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.1682 |
| 4 | Sudan Nubia Early Medieval Christian Era Kulubnarti S | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.1716 |
| 5 | Kenya Late Medieval-Early Modern Manda Swahili | Late Medieval to Early Modern, c. 1300-1800 AD | 0.1900 |
| 6 | Tanzania Late Medieval-Early Modern Kilwa Swahili (Swahili-Mixed Profile) | Late Medieval to Early Modern, c. 1300-1800 AD | 0.1906 |
| 7 | Tanzania Luxmanda 3000BP | c. 1050 BC | 0.1930 |
| 8 | Kenya Early Pastoral N | Neolithic | 0.2041 |
| 9 | Kenya Pastoral N Elmenteitan | Neolithic | 0.2042 |
| 10 | Kenya Pastoral N Hyrax Hill 2300BP | c. 350 BC | 0.2046 |
Compare yourself with Cape Verdean
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Cape Verdean average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Cape Verdean 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 Cape Verdean. 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 Cape Verdean average. Your own DNA has its own story: Sankofa – African Ancestry 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 predominantly Sub-Saharan African (SSA) ancestry: modelling against 230+ regional African populations (West, Central, East & Southern Africa, the Horn of Africa, Madagascar) plus the European, Amerindian and...
More populations from Sub-Saharan Africa
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Cape Verdean?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Cape Verdean average is about 38.7% West African, 28.4% Anatolian Neolithic farmers and 14.1% 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 Cape Verdean?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Cape Verdean average are Hartani/Gnawa Berber (Morocco Fez-Meknes, Central Atlas Tamazight), Berber (Algeria) and Tunisian Arab (Douz, Intermediate Shwashin Profile). The closest ancient matches are Spain Andalusia Early Modern (SSA-Mixed Profile), Kenya Early Modern Mtwapa Swahili and Sudan Nubia Early Medieval Christian Era Kulubnarti R.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Cape Verdean?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Cape Verdean 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 Cape Verdean ancestry?
Sankofa – African Ancestry Report is the report built for this heritage, and its reference panel fits the Cape Verdean 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.