Pashtun DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Afghanistan and Pakistan · South Asia
Pashtuns live on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, between the Iranian plateau, Central Asia and the Indus valley, and their genetic profile reflects that position. This page uses the Afghan Pashtun average. In our model, the ancestry is 35.8% Iranian Neolithic farmer, 30.4% steppe, 17.3% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy), 15.3% Anatolian Neolithic farmer and 1.2% Arctic Siberian. Compared with populations further southeast, Pashtuns carry more Iranian-related and steppe-related ancestry and less of the South Asian hunter-gatherer component, part of the well-known northwest to southeast gradient across the region. The closest ancient group is a High Medieval Ghaznavid-era population from Udegram in the Swat valley, at a close 0.0252, followed by Early Modern Singoor in Pakistan. The closest modern averages are other Pashtun samples, from Kandahar and the Lodi tribe, followed by Tajiks from Kapisa and Panjshir.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Iranian Neolithic farmers 35.8%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 30.4%, South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy) 17.3%
- Closest modern population in our data: Pashtun (Afghanistan Kandahar), distance 0.0140
- Closest ancient group in our data: Pakistan High Medieval Ghaznavid Udegram, distance 0.0252
Pashtun 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 Pashtun individuals sampled in Afghanistan and Pakistan, listed in the G25 sheet as "Pashtun_Afghanistan". Like every population average, it smooths over a lot of variation between individuals.
Ancient make-up of the Pashtun average
Modelled as a mix of deep ancestral reference populations, the Pashtun average comes out as 35.8% Iranian Neolithic farmers, 30.4% Steppe herders (Yamnaya) and 17.3% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy). The Iranian Neolithic farmers component reflects the early farmers and herders of the Zagros mountains in Iran. The Steppe herders (Yamnaya) share (30.4%) 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.
Smaller traces of Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) (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 model fits well (fit distance 0.024), 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.
Sindhu – South Asian Report
Closest modern populations to Pashtun
Genetically, the Pashtun average sits nearest to Pashtun (Afghanistan Kandahar) at 0.014, Pashtun (Lodi) at 0.015 and Tajik (Kapisa) at 0.016. On our scale, a distance of 0.014 counts as very close. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Tajik (Kapisa) (0.016), Tajik (Panjshir) (0.019) and Turkmen (Afghanistan) (0.023). By the tenth closest (Pashayi) the distance grows to 0.033, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pashtun (Afghanistan Kandahar) | 0.0140 | Very close |
| 2 | Pashtun (Lodi) | 0.0153 | Very close |
| 3 | Tajik (Kapisa) | 0.0164 | Very close |
| 4 | Tajik (Panjshir) | 0.0187 | Very close |
| 5 | Turkmen (Afghanistan) | 0.0232 | Very close |
| 6 | Ormur | 0.0286 | Close |
| 7 | Uthmankhel | 0.0316 | Close |
| 8 | Khetran | 0.0317 | Close |
| 9 | Tarkalani | 0.0322 | Close |
| 10 | Pashayi | 0.0326 | 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 Pashtun
Looking back in time, the ancient sample that most resembles the Pashtun average is Pakistan High Medieval Ghaznavid Udegram (High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD), at 0.025. Pakistan Early Modern Singoor and Xinjiang HP Junmachanyilian (South Asian 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 | Pakistan High Medieval Ghaznavid Udegram | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0252 |
| 2 | Pakistan Early Modern Singoor | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0431 |
| 3 | Xinjiang HP Junmachanyilian (South Asian Profile) | Historical period | 0.0487 |
| 4 | Pakistan IA Barikot | Iron Age | 0.0514 |
| 5 | Xinjiang HP Tang Dynasty-Uygur Period Lafuqueke (South Central Asian Profile) | Tang dynasty, 618-907 AD | 0.0585 |
| 6 | China Inner Mongolia HP Tang Dynasty Naobaowan (South Central Asian Profile) | Tang dynasty, 618-907 AD | 0.0592 |
| 7 | Pakistan High Medieval Barikot | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0598 |
| 8 | Mongolia Early Medieval Uygur Period (South Central Asian Profile) | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0628 |
| 9 | Uzbekistan HP Kushan Rabat | Historical period | 0.0655 |
| 10 | Tajikistan HP Kushan Ksirov | Historical period | 0.0660 |
Ancient DNA from Pakistan and Afghanistan
Our ancient DNA database holds 137 individuals excavated in present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan, dated from about 2,516 BC to 1568 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are L1a (14), E1b (11) and R2a (10), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are U2 (14), M30 (9) and M65 (8). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Pashtun population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on Pakistan and Afghanistan
- Contrasting maternal and paternal genetic histories among five ethnic groups from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan (2025)
- Phylogenetic analysis of the enigmatic Kalash population in Pakistan (2025)
- Ethnogenetic analysis reveals the Bronze Age genetic affiliation of Yashkuns with West Eurasians (2024)
- Multiple-Wave Admixture and Adaptive Evolution of the Pamirian Wakhi People (2024)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 136 from Pakistan, 1 from Afghanistan.
Compare yourself with Pashtun
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Pashtun average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Pashtun 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 Pashtun. 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 Pashtun average. Your own DNA has its own story: Sindhu – South Asian 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 South Asian ancestry: ancient regional core (Indus Valley Civilization, BMAC, Steppe migration, Himalayan Iron Age & Classical layers) versus non-regional outside admixture, across 13 communities (Punjabi...
More populations from South Asia
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Pashtun?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Pashtun average is about 35.8% Iranian Neolithic farmers, 30.4% Steppe herders (Yamnaya) and 17.3% South Asian hunter-gatherer related (Irula proxy). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Pashtun?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Pashtun (Afghanistan Kandahar)), the closest modern populations to the Pashtun average are Tajik (Kapisa), Tajik (Panjshir) and Turkmen (Afghanistan). The closest ancient matches are Pakistan High Medieval Ghaznavid Udegram, Pakistan Early Modern Singoor and Xinjiang HP Junmachanyilian (South Asian Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Pashtun?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Pashtun 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 Pashtun ancestry?
For the Pashtun average, the regional report to choose is Sindhu – South Asian 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.