Salvadoran DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · El Salvador · Americas
El Salvador is the smallest country of mainland Central America and one of the most densely populated in the Americas. Before the Spanish conquest, much of the country was home to the Pipil, whose language, Nawat, is a close relative of the Nahuatl of central Mexico and still has a few speakers today. In our model, the Salvadoran average is 42.5% Native American, with Anatolian Neolithic farmers (30.3%), steppe herders (16.6%) and Western hunter-gatherers (3.7%) describing the European, mostly Spanish, side, plus West African (4.1%) and North African hunter-gatherer (2.8%) shares. The West African component, a little higher than in the Guatemalan average (3.5%), reflects the Africans brought to the region in colonial times, whose descendants largely merged into the mestizo population. The closest modern average is Guatemalan (0.0161), followed at a greater distance by Mexican (0.0294) and Ecuadorian. The model fits closely (0.0143), one of the best fits among our Latin American pages.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Native American (Paleo-American) 42.5%, Anatolian Neolithic farmers 30.3%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 16.6%
- Closest modern population in our data: Guatemalan, distance 0.0161
- Model fit: 0.0143, a close fit (global model)
This page sums up what the DNA of the Salvadoran sample tells us about deep origins. It is built from the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of individuals sampled in El Salvador, listed in the G25 sheet as "Salvadoran_Mestizo", 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 Salvadoran average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Salvadoran average, 42.5%, goes to Native American (Paleo-American), ahead of Anatolian Neolithic farmers (30.3%) and Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (16.6%). The Native American (Paleo-American) component reflects the ancestry of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. The Anatolian Neolithic farmers share (30.3%) reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC.
Smaller traces of West African, Western hunter-gatherers and North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) (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 0.014), 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.
Raíces – Latin American Bloodline
Closest modern populations to Salvadoran
Ranking every modern population by genetic distance puts Guatemalan first for Salvadoran, at 0.016, then Mexican and Ecuadorian. By the tenth closest (Colombian) the distance grows to 0.072, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guatemalan | 0.0161 | Very close |
| 2 | Mexican | 0.0294 | Close |
| 3 | Ecuadorian | 0.0317 | Close |
| 4 | Hispano (Texas, Tejano) | 0.0376 | Close |
| 5 | Panamanian Mestizo | 0.0392 | Close |
| 6 | Belizean Mestizo | 0.0403 | Close |
| 7 | Honduran Mestizo | 0.0427 | Close |
| 8 | Nicaraguan Mestizo | 0.0494 | Close |
| 9 | Paraguayan Mestizo | 0.0546 | Moderate |
| 10 | Colombian | 0.0722 | 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 Salvadoran
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Salvadoran, USA Alaska Trail Creek 9000BP (c. 7050 BC) comes first, at 0.249, with USA Alaska Ancient Beringian 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 | USA Alaska Trail Creek 9000BP | c. 7050 BC | 0.2488 |
| 2 | USA Alaska Ancient Beringian | Ancient Beringian, c. 9500 BC | 0.2710 |
| 3 | Greenland Early-High Medieval Viking Age Eastern Settlement (Early Norse, Norse Profile) | Viking Age, c. 800-1050 AD | 0.2911 |
| 4 | Mexico Early Modern Campeche (Iberian Profile) | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.2918 |
| 5 | USA Pennsylvania Early Modern Shohola Creek (Northwest Euro Profile) | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.2925 |
| 6 | USA Delaware Early Modern Avery's Rest (Northwest Euro Profile) | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.2933 |
| 7 | Greenland Early-High Medieval Viking Age Eastern Settlement (Early Norse, Mixed Gaelic-Norse Profile) | Viking Age, c. 800-1050 AD | 0.2935 |
| 8 | USA Maryland Early Modern St. Mary's City English | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.2942 |
| 9 | Greenland Early-High Medieval Viking Age Eastern Settlement (Late Norse, Mixed Gaelic-Norse Profile) | Viking Age, c. 800-1050 AD | 0.2978 |
| 10 | Canada Big Bar Lake 5700BP | c. 3750 BC | 0.3082 |
Compare yourself with Salvadoran
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Salvadoran average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Salvadoran 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 Salvadoran. 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 Salvadoran average. Your own DNA has its own story: Raíces – Latin American Bloodline (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 only for Latinos: pick your country and we model your DNA against its indigenous peoples plus every Old-World source of Latin American history, on an interactive map.
More populations from Americas
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Salvadoran?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Salvadoran average is about 42.5% Native American (Paleo-American), 30.3% Anatolian Neolithic farmers and 16.6% 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 Salvadoran?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Salvadoran average are Guatemalan, Mexican and Ecuadorian. The closest ancient matches are USA Alaska Trail Creek 9000BP, USA Alaska Ancient Beringian and Greenland Early-High Medieval Viking Age Eastern Settlement (Early Norse, Norse Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Salvadoran?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Salvadoran 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 Salvadoran ancestry?
Raíces – Latin American Bloodline is the report built for this heritage, and its reference panel fits the Salvadoran average closely. 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.