Han Chinese DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · China · East Asia
Han Chinese are the largest ethnic group in the world, and their genetic structure follows a gradual north to south gradient. This page uses the Henan average, from the Central Plain along the Yellow River, one of the cradles of Chinese farming. In our model, the profile is 100.0% East Asian. That is expected, since the model's East Asian reference is itself a northern Han average from Beijing, so the result mainly shows that Henan sits close to northern Han. The deeper story comes from ancient DNA: Neolithic millet farmers of the Yellow River basin are major ancestors of northern Han Chinese. In our data, the closest ancient groups include Ming and Qing dynasty people from Shandong and Henan, Late Bronze to Iron Age people of the Yellow River and Neolithic Longshan-culture people from Shandong. The closest modern averages are Manchu groups and northern Han from Beijing and Shandong.
- Closest modern population in our data: Manchu (Aisin-Gioro), distance 0.0107
- Closest ancient group in our data: China Shandong IA Warring States-HP Ming Dynasty Linzi, distance 0.0133
- Closest Bronze to Iron Age group in our data: China Yellow River LBIA, distance 0.0144
Han Chinese 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 Han Chinese individuals sampled in China, listed in the G25 sheet as "Han_Henan". Like every population average, it smooths over a lot of variation between individuals.
Ancient make-up of the Han Chinese average
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Han Chinese average is explained almost entirely by East Asian (100.0%). The East Asian component reflects ancestry most common today in East Asia. 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 0.010), 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.
Fenghuang – Sinosphere Report
Closest modern populations to Han Chinese
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Manchu (Aisin-Gioro) first for Han Chinese, at 0.011, then Han (Beijing, Northern China Profile) and Manchu (Liaoning). Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Manchu (Aisin-Gioro) (0.011), Manchu (Liaoning) (0.011) and Manchu (0.012). By the tenth closest (Korean (Antu)) the distance grows to 0.030, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchu (Aisin-Gioro) | 0.0107 | Very close |
| 2 | Han (Beijing, Northern China Profile) | 0.0108 | Very close |
| 3 | Manchu (Liaoning) | 0.0114 | Very close |
| 4 | Manchu | 0.0116 | Very close |
| 5 | Han (Shandong Jinan) | 0.0122 | Very close |
| 6 | Manchu (Jinzhou) | 0.0140 | Very close |
| 7 | Baima | 0.0265 | Close |
| 8 | Hui (Anhui) | 0.0267 | Close |
| 9 | Korean (Seoul) | 0.0290 | Close |
| 10 | Korean (Antu) | 0.0301 | 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 Han Chinese
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Han Chinese average is China Shandong IA Warring States-HP Ming Dynasty Linzi (Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 AD), at 0.013, followed by China Henan Early-Late Modern Qing Dynasty Sanzhiyuan and Xinjiang HP Tang Dynasty-Uygur Period Lafuqueke (North China Profile). 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 | China Shandong IA Warring States-HP Ming Dynasty Linzi | Ming dynasty, 1368-1644 AD | 0.0133 |
| 2 | China Henan Early-Late Modern Qing Dynasty Sanzhiyuan | Modern era, c. 1500-1950 AD | 0.0133 |
| 3 | Xinjiang HP Tang Dynasty-Uygur Period Lafuqueke (North China Profile) | Tang dynasty, 618-907 AD | 0.0142 |
| 4 | China Yellow River LBIA | Late Bronze to Iron Age | 0.0144 |
| 5 | China Shandong HP Tang Dynasty Fudamen | Tang dynasty, 618-907 AD | 0.0149 |
| 6 | China Shandong N Longshan Yinjiacheng | Neolithic | 0.0170 |
| 7 | China Inner Mongolia HP Tang Dynasty Naobaowan (North China Profile) | Tang dynasty, 618-907 AD | 0.0170 |
| 8 | China Henan LBIA Eastern Zhou Dynasty Songzhuang | Eastern Zhou dynasty, 770-256 BC | 0.0170 |
| 9 | China Henan LBA Spring and Autumn Period Lusixi | Late Bronze Age | 0.0170 |
| 10 | China Shandong LBA Zhou Dynasty-IA Eastern Han Dynasty Liujiazhuang | Han dynasty, 202 BC-220 AD | 0.0170 |
Ancient DNA from China
Our ancient DNA database holds 2,865 individuals excavated in present-day China, dated from about 100,550 BC to 1823 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are O2a (168), C2b (74) and N1b (59), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are D4 (208), C4 (121) and B4 (72). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Han Chinese population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Most frequent mtDNA haplogroups
| Haplogroup | Individuals | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| D4 | 208 | NE34 NE-5 NE5_AmurRiver |
| C4 | 121 | WQM4 NE9 NE-9 |
| B4 | 72 | Tianyuan BS Dushan4-1 |
| F1 | 68 | NE19 WGM35 18R21265 |
| D5 | 50 | BLSM14 BLSM27S BLSM45 |
| U5 | 49 | NLKG218_M5-1 G218M5-3N C3340 |
| G2 | 45 | NE56 JZ24089582-C24-22 S96 |
| A | 35 | M89_Houtaomuga JZ24089566-C8-28 ZJG7 |
Ancient DNA studies on China
- Ancient DNA unveils distinctive ancestries in the Bronze and Iron Ages of East Tianshan (2026)
- Ancient DNA unveils distinctive ancestries in the Bronze and Iron Ages of East Tianshan (2026)
- Genomic characterization of historical Jinlingnan individuals: insights into genetic continuity and trans-Eurasian signals in eastern China (2026)
- Go north: Isotope and aDNA analysis reconstructing the life history of a first-generation immigrant in the early Western Zhou Yan state (2026)
- A prehistoric East-Asian Yersinia pestis genome and a ~5.3 ka trans-Eurasian expansion of plague (2026)
- Genomic signatures of female exogamy and cultural interaction in a Tang Dynasty patrilineal clan (2026)
- Genetic continuity and dietary change during the emergence of millet farming in northern China (2026)
- Genetic continuity and dietary change during the emergence of millet farming in northern China (2026)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 2,865 from China.
Compare yourself with Han Chinese
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Han Chinese average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Han Chinese 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 Han Chinese. 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 Han Chinese average. Your own DNA has its own story: Fenghuang – Sinosphere 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 Sinosphere / East Asian ancestry: ancient regional core (Yellow & Yangtze River Neolithic, Erlitou/Shang/Zhou dynasties, Han Dynasty, Yayoi migration, Tang Dynasty, Manchu/Qing era) versus non-regional outside...
More populations from East Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Han Chinese?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Han Chinese average is about 100.0% East Asian. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Han Chinese?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Han (Beijing, Northern China Profile)), the closest modern populations to the Han Chinese average are Manchu (Aisin-Gioro), Manchu (Liaoning) and Manchu. The closest ancient matches are China Shandong IA Warring States-HP Ming Dynasty Linzi, China Henan Early-Late Modern Qing Dynasty Sanzhiyuan and Xinjiang HP Tang Dynasty-Uygur Period Lafuqueke (North China Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Han Chinese?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Han Chinese 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 Han Chinese ancestry?
For the Han Chinese average, the regional report to choose is Fenghuang – Sinosphere 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.