Greenlandic Inuit DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Greenland · Americas
The Inuit of Greenland belong to the Thule tradition, Arctic hunters who spread from Alaska across northern Canada to Greenland around 800 years ago, where they met the last Norse settlers. Kalaallisut, West Greenlandic, is Greenland's official language, and Danish-Norwegian colonisation began in 1721. This page uses the West Greenlandic average. In our model, it is 26.8% Native American (Paleo-American), 21.9% Arctic Siberian and 11.2% Ancient Northeast Asian, the Arctic side, plus 22.1% steppe, 11.7% Anatolian Neolithic farmer and 6.2% Eastern hunter-gatherer. Part of that last group reflects European ancestry from the colonial period, and part the Ancient North Eurasian-related ancestry that steppe and Eastern hunter-gatherer sources share with Arctic peoples, so the true European share is probably lower. The fit is rough (0.0581), since our model has no Inuit or Paleo-Eskimo reference. Genetically, Greenlanders stand apart: East Greenlanders sit at 0.0721, the Tlingit of Alaska at 0.076, and no ancient genome in our data comes closer than 0.1564.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Native American (Paleo-American) 26.8%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 22.1%, Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) 21.9%
- Closest modern population in our data: Greenlander East, distance 0.0721
- Closest modern population outside Greenland: Tlingit, distance 0.0760
Greenlandic Inuit 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 Greenlandic Inuit individuals sampled in Greenland, listed in the G25 sheet as "Greenlander_West". Like every population average, it smooths over a lot of variation between individuals.
Ancient make-up of the Greenlandic Inuit average
The ancient make-up of the Greenlandic Inuit average is led by Native American (Paleo-American) (26.8%), followed by Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (22.1%) and Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) (21.9%). The Native American (Paleo-American) component reflects the ancestry of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. The Steppe herders (Yamnaya) share (22.1%) reflects the Bronze Age herders of the Pontic-Caspian steppe (Yamnaya and related groups), whose ancestry spread across Europe and into Asia from about 3000 BC. No single source dominates, so the profile is best read as a balanced blend of several ancient ancestries.
The fit is loose (fit distance 0.058), 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.
Closest modern populations to Greenlandic Inuit
Genetically, the Greenlandic Inuit average sits nearest to Greenlander East at 0.072, Tlingit at 0.076 and Cree at 0.137. On our scale, a distance of 0.072 counts as moderate. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Tlingit (0.076), Cree (0.137) and Tatar (Siberian Iskero-Tobolsk) (0.149). No modern population in the data is very close (the nearest is 0.072 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 | Greenlander East | 0.0721 | Moderate |
| 2 | Tlingit | 0.0760 | Moderate |
| 3 | Cree | 0.1370 | Distant |
| 4 | Tatar (Siberian Iskero-Tobolsk) | 0.1487 | Distant |
| 5 | Tatar (Siberian Ishtyak Toguz) | 0.1527 | Distant |
| 6 | Yukagir (Forest) | 0.1529 | Distant |
| 7 | Siberian Tatar | 0.1543 | Distant |
| 8 | Tatar (Siberian Buhar) | 0.1552 | Distant |
| 9 | Tubalar | 0.1596 | Distant |
| 10 | Kazakh (Uzbekistan) | 0.1617 | 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 Greenlandic Inuit
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Greenlandic Inuit, USA Alaska Trail Creek 9000BP (c. 7050 BC) comes first, at 0.156, with USA Alaska Ancient Beringian next. Even the best ancient match is distant, so the modern population is better described as a blend of several ancestral sources than as the continuation of one. 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 | USA Alaska Trail Creek 9000BP | c. 7050 BC | 0.1564 |
| 2 | USA Alaska Ancient Beringian | Ancient Beringian, c. 9500 BC | 0.1766 |
| 3 | USA Alaska Neo-Aleut | Neo-Aleut period, after c. 1000 AD | 0.2116 |
| 4 | USA Alaska Paleo-Aleut | Paleo-Aleut period, before c. 1000 AD | 0.2184 |
| 5 | USA Alaska Athabaskan Late Modern | Late Modern, c. 1800-1950 AD | 0.2236 |
| 6 | Greenland Paleo-Eskimo Saqqaq | Paleo-Eskimo (Saqqaq), c. 2500-800 BC | 0.2358 |
| 7 | USA Alaska Athabaskan 1100BP | c. 850 AD | 0.2362 |
| 8 | Canada Lucy Island 6000BP | c. 4050 BC | 0.2550 |
| 9 | Canada BigBar 5700BP | c. 3750 BC | 0.2567 |
| 10 | Canada 400BP | c. 1550 AD | 0.2778 |
Ancient DNA from Greenland
Our ancient DNA database holds 25 individuals excavated in present-day Greenland, dated from about 1,935 BC to 1350 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are I1a (4), Q1a (2) and R1a (2), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are J1 (5), T2 (3) and H1 (2). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Greenlandic Inuit population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on Greenland
- Genetic architecture in Greenland is shaped by demography, structure and selection (2025)
- Greenland Norse walrus exploitation deep into the Arctic (2024)
- The genetic history of Greenlandic-European contact (2023)
- Ancient DNA provides insights into 4,000 years of resource economy across Greenland (2022)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 25 from Greenland.
Compare yourself with Greenlandic Inuit
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Greenlandic Inuit average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Greenlandic Inuit 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 Greenlandic Inuit individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Greenlandic Inuit. 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 Greenlandic Inuit average. For your own DNA, Advanced Ancestry Report (16€) gives a full ancestry breakdown with no regional focus, in a personal PDF report.
Comprehensive DNA analysis comparing your genetics to over 2,000 modern reference populations.
More populations from Americas
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Greenlandic Inuit?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Greenlandic Inuit average is about 26.8% Native American (Paleo-American), 22.1% Steppe herders (Yamnaya) and 21.9% Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Greenlandic Inuit?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Greenlander East), the closest modern populations to the Greenlandic Inuit average are Tlingit, Cree and Tatar (Siberian Iskero-Tobolsk). The closest ancient matches are USA Alaska Trail Creek 9000BP, USA Alaska Ancient Beringian and USA Alaska Neo-Aleut.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Greenlandic Inuit?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Greenlandic Inuit 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 Greenlandic Inuit ancestry?
None of our regional reports is built for Greenlandic Inuit ancestry, so the full Advanced Ancestry Report (no regional focus) is the better choice. The DNA Mega-Analysis adds Neanderthal %, traits and closest ancient populations. The free Report Finder checks every report against your own DNA first.
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.