Sahrawi DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Western Sahara · North Africa
The Sahrawi are the people of Western Sahara and the neighbouring desert regions, traditionally nomadic herders whose language is Hassaniya, the Arabic dialect also spoken in Mauritania. Hassaniya takes its name from the Beni Hassan, Arab tribes who moved into the western Sahara from the 13th century onwards and mixed with the Berber groups already there. In our model, the Sahrawi average is 35.3% North African hunter-gatherer (Iberomaurusian), 33.2% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 14.5% Natufian, 12.0% West African, 3.5% steppe and 1.5% Iranian Neolithic. The Iberomaurusian share is the third highest in our atlas, after the Shilha and the Tuareg. Although the Sahrawi speak Arabic, their closest modern averages are Berber samples from southern Morocco (Errachidia, Ouarzazate and Tiznit), all around 0.02, followed by the Mauritanian Beidane, who carry less Natufian ancestry (5.8%). Kerkouane, a Punic town of Iron Age Tunisia, gives the nearest ancient group at a greater distance (0.0441), and a Neolithic group from Hergla also appears.
- Largest ancient components in our model: North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) 35.3%, Anatolian Neolithic farmers 33.2%, Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) 14.5%
- Closest modern population in our data: Berber (MAR ERR), distance 0.0202
- Closest ancient group in our data: Tunisia IA Phoenician/Punic Kerkouane (North African Profile), distance 0.0441
Sahrawi 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 Sahrawi individuals sampled in Western Sahara, listed in the G25 sheet as "Saharawi". Like every population average, it smooths over a lot of variation between individuals.
Ancient make-up of the Sahrawi average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Sahrawi average, 35.3%, goes to North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian), ahead of Anatolian Neolithic farmers (33.2%) and Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) (14.5%). The North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) component reflects the Late Stone Age North Africans known from the Taforalt cave in Morocco. The Anatolian Neolithic farmers share (33.2%) reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC.
Smaller traces of Steppe herders (Yamnaya) and Iranian Neolithic farmers (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 0.021), 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 Sahrawi
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Berber (MAR ERR) first for Sahrawi, at 0.020, then Berber (Morocco Shilha Ouarzazate) and Berber (MAR TIZ). By the tenth closest (Moroccan Arab) the distance grows to 0.044, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berber (MAR ERR) | 0.0202 | Very close |
| 2 | Berber (Morocco Shilha Ouarzazate) | 0.0206 | Very close |
| 3 | Berber (MAR TIZ) | 0.0214 | Very close |
| 4 | Mauritanian (Beidane) | 0.0244 | Very close |
| 5 | Moroccan | 0.0360 | Close |
| 6 | Moroccan Arab (Casablanca) | 0.0380 | Close |
| 7 | Mozabite (other sample set) | 0.0384 | Close |
| 8 | Shilha (Souss) | 0.0399 | Close |
| 9 | Moroccan Arab (Zagora) | 0.0419 | Close |
| 10 | Moroccan Arab | 0.0438 | 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 Sahrawi
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Sahrawi average is Tunisia IA Phoenician/Punic Kerkouane (North African Profile) (Iron Age), at 0.044, followed by Italy Sardinia CA (North African Profile) and Hungary Late Antiquity Roman (North African Profile). 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 | Tunisia IA Phoenician/Punic Kerkouane (North African Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0441 |
| 2 | Italy Sardinia CA (North African Profile) | Copper Age (Chalcolithic) | 0.0482 |
| 3 | Hungary Late Antiquity Roman (North African Profile) | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0518 |
| 4 | Algeria EIA Khenchela | Early Iron Age | 0.0528 |
| 5 | Tunisia N Hergla | Neolithic | 0.0575 |
| 6 | Spain Andalusia IA Punic-Roman Republic Villaricos (North African Profile) | Roman Republic, c. 500-27 BC | 0.0609 |
| 7 | Canary Islands High-Late Medieval Guanche | High to Late Medieval, c. 1000-1500 AD | 0.0610 |
| 8 | Canary Islands Guanche | Pre-Hispanic Canary Islands, before c. 1500 AD | 0.0618 |
| 9 | Canary Islands Early Medieval Guanche | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0651 |
| 10 | Canary Islands Late Medieval-Early Modern Guanche | Late Medieval to Early Modern, c. 1300-1800 AD | 0.0689 |
Compare yourself with Sahrawi
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Sahrawi average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Sahrawi 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 Sahrawi. 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 Sahrawi 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...
More populations from North Africa
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Sahrawi?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Sahrawi average is about 35.3% North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian), 33.2% Anatolian Neolithic farmers and 14.5% Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Sahrawi?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Sahrawi average are Berber (MAR ERR), Berber (Morocco Shilha Ouarzazate) and Berber (MAR TIZ). The closest ancient matches are Tunisia IA Phoenician/Punic Kerkouane (North African Profile), Italy Sardinia CA (North African Profile) and Hungary Late Antiquity Roman (North African Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Sahrawi?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Sahrawi 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 Sahrawi ancestry?
For the Sahrawi 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.