Kabyle DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Algeria · North Africa
Kabylia is a mountainous region of northern Algeria, east of Algiers, centred on the Djurdjura range. Its people speak Kabyle (Taqbaylit), one of the most widely spoken Berber languages, and the region has been at the heart of the Amazigh cultural movement since the Berber Spring of 1980. In our model, the Kabyle average is 46.3% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 27.7% North African hunter-gatherer (Iberomaurusian), 9.5% steppe, 6.6% Natufian and 6.5% West African. That is the highest early farmer share among the Berber and Arab populations of North Africa in our atlas. The closest modern average is the Riffian one (0.0096), several hundred kilometres to the west in Morocco, followed by northern Moroccans and Chaouis, while Algerian Arabs sit further away (0.0252). The closest ancient groups are Guanches from the Canary Islands, led by a Late Antique group (0.018), and Roman-era individuals with a North African profile from Wels in Austria.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Anatolian Neolithic farmers 46.3%, North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) 27.7%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 9.5%
- Closest modern population in our data: Riffian, distance 0.0096
- Closest ancient group in our data: Canary Islands Late Antiquity Guanche, distance 0.0180
Where does Kabyle DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Kabyle individuals sampled in Algeria, listed in the G25 sheet as "Berber_Algeria_Kabyle" 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 Kabyle average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Kabyle average, 46.3%, goes to Anatolian Neolithic farmers, ahead of North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) (27.7%) and Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (9.5%). The Anatolian Neolithic farmers component reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC. The North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) share (27.7%) reflects the Late Stone Age North Africans known from the Taforalt cave in Morocco.
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 model fits well (fit distance 0.017), so these proportions are a reasonable summary. The model draws on West Eurasian ancient genomes, with modern West African and East Asian stand-ins.
Tamazgha – North African Ancestry Report
Closest modern populations to Kabyle
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Kabyle average is Riffian, at a distance of 0.010 (very close). Next come Moroccan (North) at 0.012 and Berber (Algeria Shawiya) at 0.016. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Riffian (0.010), Moroccan (North) (0.012) and Moroccan (Arab-Berber) (0.018). Even the tenth closest, Tunisian Arab, is only 0.028 away: Kabyle belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riffian | 0.0096 | Very close |
| 2 | Moroccan (North) | 0.0124 | Very close |
| 3 | Berber (Algeria Shawiya) | 0.0157 | Very close |
| 4 | Moroccan (Arab-Berber) | 0.0175 | Very close |
| 5 | Berber (Tunisia East Zenati Matmata) | 0.0176 | Very close |
| 6 | Moroccan Arab (Oujda) | 0.0209 | Very close |
| 7 | Tunisian Berber (Tamezret) | 0.0213 | Very close |
| 8 | Tunisian Berber (Zraoua) | 0.0222 | Very close |
| 9 | Algerian Arab | 0.0252 | Close |
| 10 | Tunisian Arab | 0.0281 | 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 Kabyle
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Kabyle, Canary Islands Late Antiquity Guanche (Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD) comes first, at 0.018, with Canary Islands Late Medieval Guanche next. 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 | Canary Islands Late Antiquity Guanche | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0180 |
| 2 | Canary Islands Late Medieval Guanche | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0250 |
| 3 | Austria Roman Empire Wels (North African Profile) | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0260 |
| 4 | Canary Islands High Medieval Guanche | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0276 |
| 5 | Canary Islands Guanche | Pre-Hispanic Canary Islands, before c. 1500 AD | 0.0306 |
| 6 | Canary Islands Early Medieval Guanche | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0308 |
| 7 | Canary Islands High-Late Medieval Guanche | High to Late Medieval, c. 1000-1500 AD | 0.0309 |
| 8 | France Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Chausse Saint-Pierre (North African Profile) | Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD | 0.0311 |
| 9 | Spain Valencia Early Modern (North African Profile) | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0312 |
| 10 | Canary Islands Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Guanche | Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD | 0.0396 |
Ancient DNA from Algeria
Our ancient DNA database holds 13 individuals excavated in present-day Algeria, dated from about 11,550 BC to 152 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are E1b (2), G2a (1) and R1b (1), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are H (3), J1 (2) and H1 (1). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Kabyle population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 13 from Algeria.
Compare yourself with Kabyle
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Kabyle average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Kabyle 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 Kabyle individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Kabyle. 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 Kabyle average. Your own DNA has its own story: Tamazgha – North 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 with roots in North Africa: ancient regional core (Iberomaurusian and Taforalt, Neolithic farmers and Green Sahara herders, Numidians and Libyan natives, Carthage, Roman Africa, Vandal and Byzantine Africa, the...
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Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Kabyle?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Kabyle average is about 46.3% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 27.7% North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) and 9.5% Steppe herders (Yamnaya). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Kabyle?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Berber (Algeria Shawiya)), the closest modern populations to the Kabyle average are Riffian, Moroccan (North) and Moroccan (Arab-Berber). The closest ancient matches are Canary Islands Late Antiquity Guanche, Canary Islands Late Medieval Guanche and Austria Roman Empire Wels (North African Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Kabyle?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Kabyle 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 Kabyle ancestry?
For the Kabyle average, the regional report to choose is Tamazgha – North African Ancestry 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.