Sámi DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Norway, Sweden, Finland · Northern Europe
The Sámi are the Indigenous people of Sápmi, the far north of Norway, Sweden and Finland and the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and they speak a group of Uralic languages related to Finnish. Their genetic profile is one of the most distinctive in Europe. In our model, the largest share, 32.9%, comes from Eastern hunter-gatherers, with 19.6% steppe-related ancestry, 19.0% Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) ancestry, 16.7% Anatolian Neolithic farmer and smaller Western hunter-gatherer, East Asian and Northeast Asian shares. The closest ancient group is the Iron Age population of Levanluhta in western Finland (distance 0.0176), far south of today's Sámi areas in Finland, which shows that Sámi-related people once lived across a wider area. Viking Age individuals with a Sámi profile from northern Norway and Late Modern people from Chalmny-Varre on the Kola Peninsula follow. Beyond two other Sámi samples, from Norway (0.0138) and Finland, no modern population is close: the nearest are the Udmurts of the Volga-Ural region, at 0.0523.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Eastern hunter-gatherers 32.9%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 19.6%, Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) 19.0%
- Closest non-Sámi population in our data: Udmurt, distance 0.0523
- Closest ancient group in our data: Finland IA Levanluhta, distance 0.0176
Where does Sámi DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Sámi individuals sampled in Norway, Sweden, Finland, listed in the G25 sheet as "Saami" and compare them with deep ancestral reference populations, with other modern groups and with ancient genomes. It is one of 335 populations in our atlas.
Ancient make-up of the Sámi average
In a model built from deep ancestral reference populations, the largest share of the Sámi average, 32.9%, goes to Eastern hunter-gatherers, ahead of Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (19.6%) and Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) (19.0%). The Eastern hunter-gatherers component reflects the hunter-gatherers of the forest and steppe zone of eastern Europe and Russia. The Steppe herders (Yamnaya) share (19.6%) 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. No single source dominates, so the profile is best read as a balanced blend of several ancient ancestries.
Smaller traces of East Asian 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 loose (fit distance 0.041), which usually means that none of the available reference populations is a close stand-in for part of this ancestry, so read the percentages as rough. 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 Sámi
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Sámi average is Saami (Norway), at a distance of 0.014 (very close). Next come Saami (Finland) at 0.032 and Udmurt at 0.052. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Udmurt (0.052), Besermyan (0.060) and Bashkir (Ianaul) (0.065). By the tenth closest (Bashkir (Ilishevsky)) the distance grows to 0.073, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saami (Norway) | 0.0138 | Very close |
| 2 | Saami (Finland) | 0.0322 | Close |
| 3 | Udmurt | 0.0523 | Moderate |
| 4 | Besermyan | 0.0602 | Moderate |
| 5 | Bashkir (Ianaul) | 0.0647 | Moderate |
| 6 | Bashkir (Karaidelsky) | 0.0652 | Moderate |
| 7 | Tatar (Ufa) | 0.0679 | Moderate |
| 8 | Chuvash | 0.0711 | Moderate |
| 9 | Komi (A) | 0.0729 | Moderate |
| 10 | Bashkir (Ilishevsky) | 0.0732 | 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 Sámi
Looking back in time, the ancient sample that most resembles the Sámi average is Finland IA Levanluhta (Iron Age), at 0.018. Norway North Early Medieval Viking Age (Saami Profile) and Russia Murmansk Late Modern Chalmny-Varre 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 | Finland IA Levanluhta | Iron Age | 0.0176 |
| 2 | Norway North Early Medieval Viking Age (Saami Profile) | Viking Age, c. 800-1050 AD | 0.0269 |
| 3 | Russia Murmansk Late Modern Chalmny-Varre | Late Modern, c. 1800-1950 AD | 0.0276 |
| 4 | Finland Early Modern Kemi Saami Kuusamo | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0334 |
| 5 | Russia Bashkortostan Late Medieval Chiyalik Nizhne-Khozyatovo | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0482 |
| 6 | Russia Tatarstan IA Mazunino Turaevo | Iron Age | 0.0570 |
| 7 | Russia Tatarstan EIA Post-Maklasheevka Izmeri | Early Iron Age | 0.0574 |
| 8 | Russia Bashkortostan IA Pyany Bor Kamyshly-Tamak | Iron Age | 0.0616 |
| 9 | Russia Udmurtia IA Mazunino Dubrovsky | Iron Age | 0.0621 |
| 10 | Russia Bashkortostan IA-Early Medieval Nevolino Bartym | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0650 |
Ancient DNA from Sweden, Norway and Finland
Our ancient DNA database holds 902 individuals excavated in present-day Sweden, Norway and Finland, dated from about 7,880 BC to 1850 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are I2a (104), I1a (89) and R1a (84), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are U5 (129), H1 (94) and J1 (83). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Sámi population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Ancient DNA studies on Sweden, Norway and Finland
- Population genomics, demography, and circum-Baltic connectivity of Early Medieval southwestern Finland (2026)
- Equal in death: Ancient genomic analysis of children's early Christian burials (2026)
- Ancestry, admixture, and pathogens in contemporaneous Neolithic farmers and foragers on the Island of Gotland (2026)
- Ancestry, admixture, and pathogens in contemporaneous Neolithic farmers and foragers on the Island of Gotland (2026)
- Bioarchaeological analysis illustrates the life of a 16th-century Sámi individual from Kitka, Kuusamo, northern Finland (2026)
- Ancestry, admixture, and pathogens in contemporaneous Neolithic farmers and foragers on the Island of Gotland (2025)
- Beyond the Binary? A Multi-Method Approach to Sexing Children at the Viking Age Site of Ihre, Gotland (2025)
- Archaeogenetics reveals fine-scale genetic continuity and patterns of kinship and health in medieval Finland (2025)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 559 from Sweden, 223 from Norway, 120 from Finland.
Compare yourself with Sámi
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Sámi average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Sámi 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 Sámi individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Sámi. 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 Sámi 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 Northern Europe
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Sámi?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Sámi average is about 32.9% Eastern hunter-gatherers, 19.6% Steppe herders (Yamnaya) and 19.0% Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Sámi?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Saami (Norway)), the closest modern populations to the Sámi average are Udmurt, Besermyan and Bashkir (Ianaul). The closest ancient matches are Finland IA Levanluhta, Norway North Early Medieval Viking Age (Saami Profile) and Russia Murmansk Late Modern Chalmny-Varre.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Sámi?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Sámi 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 Sámi ancestry?
None of our regional reports is built for Sámi ancestry, 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.