Moldovan DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Moldova · Eastern Europe
Moldova lies between the Prut and Dniester rivers, on the edge of the Eurasian steppe, and its main language is Romanian. For centuries the region was a corridor for steppe peoples, from the Cumans to the Tatars of the Golden Horde, before the medieval Principality of Moldavia took shape in the 14th century. In our model, the Moldovan average is 46.0% steppe-related, 45.6% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 7.3% Western hunter-gatherer and 1.2% East Asian, with more steppe and less early farmer ancestry than Romanians (43.1% and 51.2%); the small East Asian share is absent from the Romanian average. Interestingly, the nearest modern averages are not Ukrainians but western Balkan peoples: Bosniaks (distance 0.0145), Serbs from Belgrade, the Serbian average and Bosnians, with Romanians from Alba at 0.0186. The closest ancient groups are early medieval Old Croats from Velim with a South Slavic profile (0.0114) and Avar-period people with a Carpathian Basin profile from Austria.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 46.0%, Anatolian Neolithic farmers 45.6%, Western hunter-gatherers 7.3%
- Closest modern population in our data: Bosniak, distance 0.0145
- Closest ancient group in our data: Croatia Early Medieval Old Croat Velim (South Slavic Profile), distance 0.0114
Where does Moldovan DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Moldovan individuals sampled in Moldova 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 Moldovan average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Moldovan average, 46.0%, goes to Steppe herders (Yamnaya), ahead of Anatolian Neolithic farmers (45.6%) and Western hunter-gatherers (7.3%). The Steppe herders (Yamnaya) component 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. The Anatolian Neolithic farmers share (45.6%) reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC.
Smaller traces of East Asian (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 0.038): 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.
Balkan Frontier – Serbian, Croatian & Balkan Slavic Report
Closest modern populations to Moldovan
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Moldovan average is Bosniak, at a distance of 0.015 (very close). Next come Serb (Serbia Belgrade) at 0.015 and Serbian at 0.015. Even the tenth closest, Croat (Bosnia), is only 0.020 away: Moldovan belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bosniak | 0.0145 | Very close |
| 2 | Serb (Serbia Belgrade) | 0.0148 | Very close |
| 3 | Serbian | 0.0152 | Very close |
| 4 | Serb (Croatia) | 0.0153 | Very close |
| 5 | Bosnian | 0.0156 | Very close |
| 6 | Serb (Serbia Backa) | 0.0157 | Very close |
| 7 | Montenegrin | 0.0177 | Very close |
| 8 | Romanian (Alba) | 0.0186 | Very close |
| 9 | Bulgarian (Montana) | 0.0195 | Very close |
| 10 | Croat (Bosnia) | 0.0198 | 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 Moldovan
Looking back in time, the ancient sample that most resembles the Moldovan average is Croatia Early Medieval Old Croat Velim (South Slavic Profile) (Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD), at 0.011. Austria Early Medieval Avar Period (Carpathian Basin Profile) and Croatia Early Modern Gornji Kosinj (South Slavic Profile) come 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 | Croatia Early Medieval Old Croat Velim (South Slavic Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0114 |
| 2 | Austria Early Medieval Avar Period (Carpathian Basin Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0146 |
| 3 | Croatia Early Modern Gornji Kosinj (South Slavic Profile) | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0158 |
| 4 | Austria Early Medieval Avar Period (South Slavic Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0159 |
| 5 | Hungary Early Medieval Conqueror Period (South Slavic Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0173 |
| 6 | Poland Early Medieval Niemcza (South Slavic Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0192 |
| 7 | Serbia Early Medieval Ravna Kuline (South Slavic Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0199 |
| 8 | Hungary Early Medieval Carolingian Period (South Slavic Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0203 |
| 9 | Romania Early Modern Pericei | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0213 |
| 10 | Hungary Late Antiquity Roman (South Slavic Profile) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0214 |
Ancient DNA from Moldova
Our ancient DNA database holds 93 individuals excavated in present-day Moldova, dated from about 4,403 BC to 334 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are R1b (16), R1a (10) and I2a (3), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are U5 (17), T2 (7) and U4 (7). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Moldovan population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 93 from Moldova.
Compare yourself with Moldovan
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Moldovan average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Moldovan 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 Moldovan individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Moldovan. 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 Moldovan average. Your own DNA has its own story: Balkan Frontier – Serbian, Croatian & Balkan Slavic 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 Balkan ancestry: ancient regional core (Illyrian, Thracian, Dacian, Paeonian, Scordisci Celtic, Proto-Slavic, Roman-provincial Dalmatia/Moesia/Macedonia, Sarmatian) versus non-regional outside admixture, across...
More populations from Eastern Europe
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Moldovan?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Moldovan average is about 46.0% Steppe herders (Yamnaya), 45.6% Anatolian Neolithic farmers and 7.3% Western hunter-gatherers. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Moldovan?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Moldovan average are Bosniak, Serb (Serbia Belgrade) and Serbian. The closest ancient matches are Croatia Early Medieval Old Croat Velim (South Slavic Profile), Austria Early Medieval Avar Period (Carpathian Basin Profile) and Croatia Early Modern Gornji Kosinj (South Slavic Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Moldovan?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Moldovan 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 Moldovan ancestry?
For the Moldovan average, the regional report to choose is Balkan Frontier – Serbian, Croatian & Balkan Slavic 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.