Persian (Iranian) DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Iran · West Asia
Iran's population has deep local roots on the Iranian plateau. This page uses the Fars (Shiraz region) average. In our model, the largest share, 36.8%, comes from Iranian Neolithic farmers, represented by Ganj Dareh, an early herding village in the Zagros mountains of western Iran. Anatolian Neolithic farmers add 24.3% and steppe herders 16.7%, with smaller shares linked to the Caucasus (7.6%), the Levant (5.8% Natufian and 5.8% Levantine Neolithic) and East Asia (2.9%). Studies of ancient genomes show a lasting continuity on the Iranian plateau since the Neolithic, with steppe-related ancestry arriving later; many researchers connect it with the spread of Iranian languages, though its exact timing on the plateau is still debated. The closest ancient matches are Iron Age people from Hasanlu and Dinkha Tepe in northwestern Iran, and the closest modern averages are Persians from Isfahan and Yazd and Iranians from the centre of the country.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Iranian Neolithic farmers 36.8%, Anatolian Neolithic farmers 24.3%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 16.7%
- Closest modern population in our data: Persian (Isfahan), distance 0.0084
- Closest ancient group in our data: Iran IA Hasanlu (Iranian Plateau Profile), distance 0.0237
This page sums up what the DNA of the Persian (Iranian) 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 "Iranian_Fars", 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 Persian (Iranian) average
Modelled as a mix of deep ancestral reference populations, the Persian (Iranian) average comes out as 36.8% Iranian Neolithic farmers, 24.3% Anatolian Neolithic farmers and 16.7% Steppe herders (Yamnaya). The Iranian Neolithic farmers component reflects the early farmers and herders of the Zagros mountains in Iran. The Anatolian Neolithic farmers share (24.3%) 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 model fits well (fit distance 0.024), so these proportions are a reasonable summary. 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 Persian (Iranian)
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Persian (Isfahan) first for Persian (Iranian), at 0.008, then Iranian (Central) and Persian (Yazd). Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Persian (Isfahan) (0.008), Persian (Yazd) (0.010) and Persian (Fars Shiraz) (0.010). Even the tenth closest, Lak (Iran), is only 0.019 away: Persian (Iranian) belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Persian (Isfahan) | 0.0084 | Very close |
| 2 | Iranian (Central) | 0.0086 | Very close |
| 3 | Persian (Yazd) | 0.0096 | Very close |
| 4 | Persian (Fars Shiraz) | 0.0098 | Very close |
| 5 | Iranian (Cosmopolitan Tehran) | 0.0098 | Very close |
| 6 | Kurdish (Iran Kermanshah) | 0.0142 | Very close |
| 7 | Iranian Zoroastrian | 0.0146 | Very close |
| 8 | Ajam (Emirates) | 0.0153 | Very close |
| 9 | Kurdish Sorani (Iran Kordestan) | 0.0184 | Very close |
| 10 | Lak (Iran) | 0.0190 | 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 Persian (Iranian)
Looking back in time, the ancient sample that most resembles the Persian (Iranian) average is Iran IA Hasanlu (Iranian Plateau Profile) (Iron Age), at 0.024. Iran IA Dinkha Tepe (Iranian Plateau Profile) and Iran IA Hajji Firuz (Iranian Plateau 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 | Iran IA Hasanlu (Iranian Plateau Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0237 |
| 2 | Iran IA Dinkha Tepe (Iranian Plateau Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0271 |
| 3 | Iran IA Hajji Firuz (Iranian Plateau Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0290 |
| 4 | Iran LBA Dinkha Tepe (Iranian Plateau Profile) | Late Bronze Age | 0.0339 |
| 5 | Iran Medieval Ganj Dareh | Medieval, c. 500-1500 AD | 0.0345 |
| 6 | Iran MBA-IA Dinkha Tepe (Iranian Plateau Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0385 |
| 7 | Iraq Achaemenid Bakr Awa (Zagrosian Profile) | Achaemenid era, c. 550-330 BC | 0.0408 |
| 8 | Azerbaijan Roman Empire-Late Antiquity Shamakhi | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0439 |
| 9 | Iran IA Hasanlu (Irano-Mesopotamian Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0451 |
| 10 | Iran MBA Dinkha Tepe (Iranian Plateau Profile) | Middle Bronze Age | 0.0459 |
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 Persian (Iranian) 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 Persian (Iranian)
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Persian (Iranian) average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Persian (Iranian) 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 Persian (Iranian) individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Persian (Iranian). 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 Persian (Iranian) 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 Persian (Iranian)?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Persian (Iranian) average is about 36.8% Iranian Neolithic farmers, 24.3% Anatolian Neolithic farmers and 16.7% 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 Persian (Iranian)?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Iranian (Central)), the closest modern populations to the Persian (Iranian) average are Persian (Isfahan), Persian (Yazd) and Persian (Fars Shiraz). The closest ancient matches are Iran IA Hasanlu (Iranian Plateau Profile), Iran IA Dinkha Tepe (Iranian Plateau Profile) and Iran IA Hajji Firuz (Iranian Plateau Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Persian (Iranian)?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Persian (Iranian) 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 Persian (Iranian) ancestry?
For the Persian (Iranian) 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.