Nepali (Chhetri) DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Nepal · South Asia
Chhetris are the largest single community in Nepal, part of the Khas people of the western hills, whose language developed into Nepali, now the country's national language and a member of the Indo-Aryan family. This page uses the Chhetri average. In our model, it is 44.0% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy), 19.1% East Asian, 18.6% steppe and 14.6% Iranian Neolithic farmer, with small Anatolian Neolithic (2.3%) and Ancient Northeast Asian (1.4%) shares. The East Asian component is the key difference from the plains of northern India: it reflects centuries of contact and mixing with Tibeto-Burman-speaking peoples of the Himalaya, yet it stays far below the share in the Newar (40.7%) or Sherpa (73.9%) averages. The closest modern averages are hill communities of the central Himalaya: a Rajput (Mondal) sample (0.0179), Indo-Aryan-speaking Nepalis and Rajput samples from Kumaon and Garhwal in Uttarakhand. No ancient genome in our data comes close, the nearest being at around 0.10.
- Largest ancient components in our model: South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) 44.0%, East Asian 19.1%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 18.6%
- Closest modern population in our data: Rajput (Mondal), distance 0.0179
- Closest ancient group in our data: China Shaanxi HP Northern Zhou Dynasty Xi'an (Burusho Profile), distance 0.0980
Nepali (Chhetri) 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 Nepali (Chhetri) individuals sampled in Nepal, listed in the G25 sheet as "Khas_Kshatriya_Chhetri_Nepal". Like every population average, it smooths over a lot of variation between individuals.
Ancient make-up of the Nepali (Chhetri) average
Modelled as a mix of deep ancestral reference populations, the Nepali (Chhetri) average comes out as 44.0% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy), 19.1% East Asian and 18.6% Steppe herders (Yamnaya). The South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) component reflects the deep hunter-gatherer ancestry of South Asia (Ancient Ancestral South Indians). The East Asian share (19.1%) reflects ancestry most common today in East Asia.
Smaller traces of Anatolian Neolithic farmers and Ancient Northeast Asians (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 fit is acceptable (fit distance 0.026): treat the proportions as a good approximation rather than exact values. 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.
Closest modern populations to Nepali (Chhetri)
Genetically, the Nepali (Chhetri) average sits nearest to Rajput (Mondal) at 0.018, Nepali (Indo-Aryan C) at 0.020 and Kumaoni (Rajput Thakur) at 0.021. On our scale, a distance of 0.018 counts as very close. By the tenth closest (Nepali (Indo-Aryan B)) the distance grows to 0.053, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rajput (Mondal) | 0.0179 | Very close |
| 2 | Nepali (Indo-Aryan C) | 0.0195 | Very close |
| 3 | Kumaoni (Rajput Thakur) | 0.0206 | Very close |
| 4 | Nepalese (C) | 0.0237 | Very close |
| 5 | Rajput (Garhwal) | 0.0286 | Close |
| 6 | Garhwali (Rajput) | 0.0298 | Close |
| 7 | Himachali (Rajput Mandi) | 0.0357 | Close |
| 8 | Brahmin (Uttarakhand) | 0.0382 | Close |
| 9 | Balti | 0.0409 | Close |
| 10 | Nepali (Indo-Aryan B) | 0.0531 | Moderate |
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 Nepali (Chhetri)
Looking back in time, the ancient sample that most resembles the Nepali (Chhetri) average is China Shaanxi HP Northern Zhou Dynasty Xi'an (Burusho Profile) (Northern Zhou dynasty, 557-581 AD), at 0.098. India Uttarakhand Early Medieval Roopkund c.800CE (South Asian Profile) and Pakistan IA Aligrama come next. Even the best ancient match is distant, so the modern population is better described as a blend of several ancestral sources than as the continuation of one. 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 Shaanxi HP Northern Zhou Dynasty Xi'an (Burusho Profile) | Northern Zhou dynasty, 557-581 AD | 0.0980 |
| 2 | India Uttarakhand Early Medieval Roopkund c.800CE (South Asian Profile) | c. 800 AD | 0.1069 |
| 3 | Pakistan IA Aligrama | Iron Age | 0.1177 |
| 4 | Tibet Early Modern Guge Kingdom Guge Ganshidong | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.1243 |
| 5 | Pakistan HP Aligrama | Historical period | 0.1253 |
| 6 | Pakistan HP Butkara | Historical period | 0.1282 |
| 7 | Pakistan HP Saidu Sharif | Historical period | 0.1285 |
| 8 | Xinjiang HP Xikakandasayi | Historical period | 0.1298 |
| 9 | China Inner Mongolia HP Tang Dynasty Naobaowan (Turanian-Mixed Profile) | Tang dynasty, 618-907 AD | 0.1308 |
| 10 | Xinjiang HP Gongnaisi | Historical period | 0.1318 |
Ancient DNA from Nepal
Our ancient DNA database holds 35 individuals excavated in present-day Nepal, dated from about 1,425 BC to 675 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are O2a (15) and D1a (1), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are M9 (16), F1 (10) and A17 (1). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Nepali (Chhetri) population.
Ancient DNA studies on Nepal
- Dynamic human admixture histories over the past ~1300 years at the northern Himalayan frontier (2025)
- The genetic demographic history of the last hunter-gatherer population of the Himalayas (2025)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 35 from Nepal.
Compare yourself with Nepali (Chhetri)
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Nepali (Chhetri) average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Nepali (Chhetri) 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 Nepali (Chhetri). 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 Nepali (Chhetri) average. For your own DNA, Advanced Ancestry Report (16€) gives a full ancestry breakdown with no regional focus, in a personal PDF report.
Comprehensive DNA analysis comparing your genetics to over 2,000 modern reference populations.
More populations from South Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Nepali (Chhetri)?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Nepali (Chhetri) average is about 44.0% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy), 19.1% East Asian and 18.6% 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 Nepali (Chhetri)?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Nepali (Chhetri) average are Rajput (Mondal), Nepali (Indo-Aryan C) and Kumaoni (Rajput Thakur). The closest ancient matches are China Shaanxi HP Northern Zhou Dynasty Xi'an (Burusho Profile), India Uttarakhand Early Medieval Roopkund c.800CE (South Asian Profile) and Pakistan IA Aligrama.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Nepali (Chhetri)?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Nepali (Chhetri) 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 Nepali (Chhetri) ancestry?
Our regional report for this part of the world does not fit the Nepali (Chhetri) average closely, so the full Advanced Ancestry Report (no regional focus) is the better choice. The DNA Mega-Analysis adds Neanderthal %, traits and closest ancient populations. The free Report Finder checks every report against your own DNA first.
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.