Iranian Azerbaijani DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Iran · West Asia
Iranian Azerbaijanis live mainly in northwestern Iran, around Tabriz, Ardabil and Urmia, and form the country's largest minority. They speak Azerbaijani, an Oghuz Turkic language that spread in the region from the Seljuk period onwards and gradually replaced earlier Iranian languages. In our model, the average is 30.8% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 25.9% Iranian Neolithic farmer, 14.5% Caucasus hunter-gatherer, 13.8% steppe, 7.0% Natufian, 5.8% East Asian and 2.2% Levantine Neolithic. The East Asian share is what sets them apart from Persian-speaking neighbours: it is twice the 2.9% of the Fars average on our Persian page, but still small, so most of the ancestry stays rooted in the older peoples of the Iranian plateau and the Caucasus. The closest modern averages are other Azerbaijani samples from both sides of the border, then Karapapakh from Kars and Kurmanji Kurds from Azerbaijan. Ancient matches are more distant (about 0.04), led by a medieval group from Ganj Dareh and by Iron Age Hasanlu.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Anatolian Neolithic farmers 30.8%, Iranian Neolithic farmers 25.9%, Caucasus hunter-gatherers 14.5%
- Closest non-Azerbaijani population in our data: Karapapakh (Turkey Kars), distance 0.0137
- Closest ancient group in our data: Iran Medieval Ganj Dareh, distance 0.0384
This page sums up what the DNA of the Iranian Azerbaijani sample tells us about deep origins. It is built from the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of individuals sampled in Iran, listed in the G25 sheet as "Azeri_Iran", and it is one of 335 populations in our atlas. An average describes the group as a whole, not any single person in it.
Ancient make-up of the Iranian Azerbaijani average
The ancient make-up of the Iranian Azerbaijani average is led by Anatolian Neolithic farmers (30.8%), followed by Iranian Neolithic farmers (25.9%) and Caucasus hunter-gatherers (14.5%). The Anatolian Neolithic farmers component reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC. The Iranian Neolithic farmers share (25.9%) reflects the early farmers and herders of the Zagros mountains in Iran. No single source dominates, so the profile is best read as a balanced blend of several ancient ancestries.
Smaller traces of Levantine Neolithic farmers (under 5%) 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 acceptable (fit distance 0.029): treat the proportions as a good approximation rather than exact values. The model draws on West Eurasian ancient genomes, with modern West African and East Asian stand-ins.
Simorgh – Iranian Plateau Report
Closest modern populations to Iranian Azerbaijani
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Iranian Azerbaijani average is Azerbaijani (Iran EastAz), at a distance of 0.008 (very close). Next come Azerbaijani (other sample set) at 0.009 and Azeri (Iran Ardabil) at 0.009. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Azerbaijani (Iran EastAz) (0.008), Azerbaijani (other sample set) (0.009) and Azerbaijani (0.012). Even the tenth closest, Azerbaijani (Republic Gabala), is only 0.018 away: Iranian Azerbaijani belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Azerbaijani (Iran EastAz) | 0.0080 | Very close |
| 2 | Azerbaijani (other sample set) | 0.0087 | Very close |
| 3 | Azeri (Iran Ardabil) | 0.0093 | Very close |
| 4 | Azeri (Azerbaijan Aghjabadi) | 0.0106 | Very close |
| 5 | Azerbaijani | 0.0124 | Very close |
| 6 | Karapapakh (Turkey Kars) | 0.0137 | Very close |
| 7 | Kurdish Kurmanji (Azerbaijan) | 0.0153 | Very close |
| 8 | Khamseh (Turkic) | 0.0153 | Very close |
| 9 | Karapapakh (Turkey Igdir) | 0.0159 | Very close |
| 10 | Azerbaijani (Republic Gabala) | 0.0176 | 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 Iranian Azerbaijani
Looking back in time, the ancient sample that most resembles the Iranian Azerbaijani average is Iran Medieval Ganj Dareh (Medieval, c. 500-1500 AD), at 0.038. Iran IA Hasanlu (Iranian Plateau Profile) and Iran IA Hajji Firuz (Iranian Plateau Profile) come 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 | Iran Medieval Ganj Dareh | Medieval, c. 500-1500 AD | 0.0384 |
| 2 | Iran IA Hasanlu (Iranian Plateau Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0406 |
| 3 | Iran IA Hajji Firuz (Iranian Plateau Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0426 |
| 4 | Turkey Anatolia Late Medieval Capalibag (Turkish Profile) | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0432 |
| 5 | Iran IA Dinkha Tepe (Iranian Plateau Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0435 |
| 6 | Iraq Achaemenid Bakr Awa (Zagrosian Profile) | Achaemenid era, c. 550-330 BC | 0.0448 |
| 7 | Iran MBA-IA Dinkha Tepe (Iranian Plateau Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0459 |
| 8 | Iran IA Hasanlu (Irano-Mesopotamian Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0463 |
| 9 | Armenia Hellenistic Aghitu (Orontid) | Hellenistic era, c. 330-30 BC | 0.0468 |
| 10 | Armenia Achaemenid-Hellenistic Karmir Blur (Orontid) | Hellenistic era, c. 330-30 BC | 0.0477 |
Ancient DNA from Iran
Our ancient DNA database holds 184 individuals excavated in present-day Iran, dated from about 10,000 BC to 1561 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are J2a (17), R1b (12) and J2b (8), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are J1 (15), K1 (10) and U1 (10). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Iranian Azerbaijani population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on Iran
- Ancient DNA indicates 3,000 years of genetic continuity in the Northern Iranian Plateau, from the Copper Age to the Sassanid Empire (2025)
- Large-Scale Assessment of the Iranian population structure of Mitochondrial and Y-chromosome Haplogroups (2024)
- The Genetic Legacy of Zoroastrianism in Iran and India: Insights into Population Structure, Gene Flow, and Selection (2017)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 184 from Iran.
Compare yourself with Iranian Azerbaijani
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Iranian Azerbaijani average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Iranian Azerbaijani 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 Iranian Azerbaijani. 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 Iranian Azerbaijani average. Your own DNA has its own story: Simorgh – Iranian Plateau 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 Iranian-plateau ancestry: ancient regional core (Bronze/Iron Age Iranian Plateau, Achaemenid, Parthian, Sassanid Persia) versus non-regional outside admixture, across 10 communities (Persian, Lur/Bakhtiari...
More populations from West Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Iranian Azerbaijani?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Iranian Azerbaijani average is about 30.8% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 25.9% Iranian Neolithic farmers and 14.5% Caucasus hunter-gatherers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Iranian Azerbaijani?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Azeri (Iran Ardabil)), the closest modern populations to the Iranian Azerbaijani average are Azerbaijani (Iran EastAz), Azerbaijani (other sample set) and Azerbaijani. The closest ancient matches are Iran Medieval Ganj Dareh, Iran IA Hasanlu (Iranian Plateau Profile) and Iran IA Hajji Firuz (Iranian Plateau Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Iranian Azerbaijani?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Iranian Azerbaijani 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 Iranian Azerbaijani ancestry?
For the Iranian Azerbaijani average, the regional report to choose is Simorgh – Iranian Plateau 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.