Eritrean (Tigrinya) DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Eritrea · Sub-Saharan Africa
Eritrea stretches along the Red Sea coast, with highlands around Asmara where most Tigrinya speakers live. The ancient port of Adulis, on this coast, was the sea gate of the Aksumite kingdom, and the region later came under Ottoman, Egyptian, Italian, British and Ethiopian rule before independence in 1993. Our model gives the Eritrean Tigrinya average 53.7% Natufian, 40.5% Nilotic East African, 4.7% Iranian Neolithic and 1.2% Caucasus hunter-gatherer. Both the Natufian and the Iranian-related shares are the highest of our Horn of Africa pages, slightly above the Tigrayans of Ethiopia (53.3% and 3.7%), in line with Eritrea's position facing Arabia. Tigrayans are also the closest modern average (0.0089), followed by Amhara, the Afar and the Cushitic-speaking Saho of Eritrea (0.0145). The closest ancient groups are Christian-era Nubians from Kulubnarti in Sudan (0.0357 and 0.0391), followed by the Kenyan Early Pastoral Neolithic (0.0407).
- Largest ancient components in our model: Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) 53.7%, Nilotic East African 40.5%, Iranian Neolithic farmers 4.7%
- Closest modern population in our data: Tigray (Ethiopia), distance 0.0089
- Closest ancient group in our data: Sudan Nubia Early Medieval Christian Era Kulubnarti R, distance 0.0357
Where does Eritrean (Tigrinya) DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Eritrean (Tigrinya) individuals sampled in Eritrea, listed in the G25 sheet as "Tigrinya_Eritrea" 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 Eritrean (Tigrinya) average
The ancient make-up of the Eritrean (Tigrinya) average is led by Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) (53.7%), followed by Nilotic East African (40.5%) and Iranian Neolithic farmers (4.7%). The Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) component reflects the early farmers of the Levant and the Natufian foragers who came before them. The Nilotic East African share (40.5%) reflects ancestry found in East African populations.
Smaller traces of Iranian Neolithic farmers and Caucasus hunter-gatherers (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 fit is loose (fit distance 0.044), which usually means that none of the available reference populations is a close stand-in for part of this ancestry, so read the percentages as rough. 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 Eritrean (Tigrinya)
Genetically, the Eritrean (Tigrinya) average sits nearest to Tigray (Ethiopia) at 0.009, Amhara (other sample set) at 0.011 and Afar at 0.014. On our scale, a distance of 0.009 counts as very close. Even the tenth closest, Beja (Hadendowa), is only 0.024 away: Eritrean (Tigrinya) belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tigray (Ethiopia) | 0.0089 | Very close |
| 2 | Amhara (other sample set) | 0.0110 | Very close |
| 3 | Afar | 0.0139 | Very close |
| 4 | Saho (Eritrean) | 0.0145 | Very close |
| 5 | Amhara | 0.0147 | Very close |
| 6 | Eritrean | 0.0156 | Very close |
| 7 | Agaw | 0.0169 | Very close |
| 8 | Afar (Ethiopia) | 0.0193 | Very close |
| 9 | Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jewish) | 0.0231 | Very close |
| 10 | Beja (Hadendowa) | 0.0243 | 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 Eritrean (Tigrinya)
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Eritrean (Tigrinya), Sudan Nubia Early Medieval Christian Era Kulubnarti R (Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD) comes first, at 0.036, with Sudan Nubia Early Medieval Christian Era Kulubnarti S 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 | Sudan Nubia Early Medieval Christian Era Kulubnarti R | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0357 |
| 2 | Sudan Nubia Early Medieval Christian Era Kulubnarti S | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0391 |
| 3 | Kenya Early Pastoral N | Neolithic | 0.0407 |
| 4 | Kenya Pastoral N Elmenteitan | Neolithic | 0.0865 |
| 5 | Kenya Pastoral N Hyrax Hill 2300BP | c. 350 BC | 0.0892 |
| 6 | Tanzania Pastoral N | Neolithic | 0.0892 |
| 7 | Kenya Pastoral N | Neolithic | 0.0985 |
| 8 | Tanzania Luxmanda 3000BP | c. 1050 BC | 0.1037 |
| 9 | Kenya Pastoral N Lukenya Hill 3500BP | c. 1550 BC | 0.1105 |
| 10 | Kenya Pastoral N Molo Cave 1500BP | c. 450 AD | 0.1352 |
Compare yourself with Eritrean (Tigrinya)
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Eritrean (Tigrinya) average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Eritrean (Tigrinya) 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.
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About these numbers
A word of caution: these figures describe the average of the Eritrean (Tigrinya) individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Eritrean (Tigrinya). 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 Eritrean (Tigrinya) 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...
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Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Eritrean (Tigrinya)?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Eritrean (Tigrinya) average is about 53.7% Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant), 40.5% Nilotic East African and 4.7% 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 Eritrean (Tigrinya)?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Eritrean (Tigrinya) average are Tigray (Ethiopia), Amhara (other sample set) and Afar. The closest ancient matches are Sudan Nubia Early Medieval Christian Era Kulubnarti R, Sudan Nubia Early Medieval Christian Era Kulubnarti S and Kenya Early Pastoral N.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Eritrean (Tigrinya)?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Eritrean (Tigrinya) 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 Eritrean (Tigrinya) ancestry?
Sankofa – African Ancestry Report is the report built for this heritage, and its reference panel fits the Eritrean (Tigrinya) 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.