Igbo DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Nigeria · Sub-Saharan Africa
The Igbo live in southeastern Nigeria, east of the lower Niger, and form one of the country's three largest peoples alongside the Yoruba and the Hausa. Their language belongs to the Volta-Niger branch of the Niger-Congo family, and the bronzes of Igbo-Ukwu, cast more than a thousand years ago, are among the oldest known in West Africa. In our model, the Igbo average is 96.1% West African, with 2.7% assigned to Western rainforest foragers (BiAka) and 1.2% to Southern African foragers (San), and the fit (0.0119) is close. Because the West African reference is the Yoruba, these small extra shares show where the Igbo differ from them, with a slight pull toward forager-related ancestry. In the neighbour list, the closest modern average is the Akan of Ghana (0.0132), ahead of the Esan and of the Yoruba themselves (0.0203). The closest ancient group is the 19th-century population of Rupert's Valley on Saint Helena, with a West/Central African profile (0.0397).
- Ancient components in our model: West African 96.1%, Western rainforest foragers (BiAka) 2.7%, Southern African foragers (San) 1.2%
- Closest modern population in our data: Akan, distance 0.0132
- Closest ancient group in our data: Saint Helena Late Modern Rupert's Valley (West/Central African Profile), distance 0.0397
Where does Igbo DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Igbo individuals sampled in Nigeria 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 Igbo average
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Igbo average is explained almost entirely by West African (96.1%). The West African component reflects ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. 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.
Smaller traces of Western rainforest foragers (BiAka) and Southern African foragers (San) (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 0.012), 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 Igbo
Genetically, the Igbo average sits nearest to Akan at 0.013, Esan at 0.017 and Esan (Nigeria) at 0.019. On our scale, a distance of 0.013 counts as very close. Even the tenth closest, Bambara, is only 0.025 away: Igbo belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akan | 0.0132 | Very close |
| 2 | Esan | 0.0170 | Very close |
| 3 | Esan (Nigeria) | 0.0192 | Very close |
| 4 | Yoruba | 0.0203 | Very close |
| 5 | Jola (Gambia) | 0.0219 | Very close |
| 6 | Mende | 0.0222 | Very close |
| 7 | Frafra (Nankam) | 0.0235 | Very close |
| 8 | Kassena (Ghana) | 0.0236 | Very close |
| 9 | Mossi | 0.0251 | Close |
| 10 | Bambara | 0.0254 | 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 Igbo
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Igbo average is Saint Helena Late Modern Rupert's Valley (West/Central African Profile) (Late Modern, c. 1800-1950 AD), at 0.040, followed by Saint Helena Late Modern Rupert's Valley (Central/Southern African Bantu Profile) and Democratic Republic of the Congo Kindoki 230BP. 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 | Saint Helena Late Modern Rupert's Valley (West/Central African Profile) | Late Modern, c. 1800-1950 AD | 0.0397 |
| 2 | Saint Helena Late Modern Rupert's Valley (Central/Southern African Bantu Profile) | Late Modern, c. 1800-1950 AD | 0.0486 |
| 3 | Democratic Republic of the Congo Kindoki 230BP | c. 1700 AD | 0.0531 |
| 4 | COG Kindoki 230BP | c. 1700 AD | 0.0532 |
| 5 | Democratic Republic of the Congo Ngongo Mbata 220BP | c. 1750 AD | 0.0592 |
| 6 | COG NgongoMbata 220BP | c. 1750 AD | 0.0626 |
| 7 | Tanzania Pemba 600BP | c. 1350 AD | 0.0742 |
| 8 | Tanzania Early Modern Lindi Swahili (Bantu Zone P Profile) | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0780 |
| 9 | South Africa Newcastle 400BP | c. 1550 AD | 0.0823 |
| 10 | South Africa Eland Cave 400BP | c. 1550 AD | 0.0863 |
Compare yourself with Igbo
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Igbo average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Igbo 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 Igbo. 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.
Thanks: to Nomad (GenArchivist) for the population and ancient sample collection this atlas is built on, and to Davidski (Eurogenes) for Global25.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Igbo 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 Igbo?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Igbo average is about 96.1% West African, 2.7% Western rainforest foragers (BiAka) and 1.2% Southern African foragers (San). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Igbo?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Igbo average are Akan, Esan and Esan (Nigeria). The closest ancient matches are Saint Helena Late Modern Rupert's Valley (West/Central African Profile), Saint Helena Late Modern Rupert's Valley (Central/Southern African Bantu Profile) and Democratic Republic of the Congo Kindoki 230BP.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Igbo?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Igbo 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 Igbo ancestry?
Sankofa – African Ancestry Report is the report built for this heritage, and its reference panel fits the Igbo 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.