Tunisian DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Tunisia · North Africa
Tunisia, on the eastern side of the Maghreb, faces Sicily across a narrow strait. It was the heart of Carthage, the Phoenician city founded in the 9th century BC according to tradition, and then of Roman Africa, before the Arab conquest and later Ottoman rule. In our model, the Tunisian average is 34.1% Anatolian Neolithic farmer, 21.3% Natufian, 20.5% North African hunter-gatherer (Iberomaurusian), 10.7% West African, 7.6% steppe and 5.8% Iranian Neolithic. Compared with Algerians, Tunisians carry more Near Eastern-related ancestry (21.3% Natufian against 14.1%, and 5.8% Iranian Neolithic against 2.5%) and a little less of the Iberomaurusian layer, in line with the country's long openness to the eastern Mediterranean. The closest modern averages are Arabs from Tunis, Tunisian Berbers, Algerian Arabs and Algerian Bedouin. The closest ancient group is a set of Roman-era individuals with a North African profile buried at Wels in Austria (0.0388), followed by the Guanches of the Canary Islands.
- Largest ancient components in our model: Anatolian Neolithic farmers 34.1%, Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) 21.3%, North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) 20.5%
- Closest modern population in our data: Tunisian Arab (Tunis), distance 0.0066
- Closest ancient group in our data: Austria Roman Empire Wels (North African Profile), distance 0.0388
Where does Tunisian DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Tunisian individuals sampled in Tunisia 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 Tunisian average
The ancient make-up of the Tunisian average is led by Anatolian Neolithic farmers (34.1%), followed by Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) (21.3%) and North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian) (20.5%). The Anatolian Neolithic farmers component reflects the Neolithic farmers of Anatolia, who carried agriculture into Europe from about 6500 BC. The Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) share (21.3%) reflects the early farmers of the Levant and the Natufian foragers who came before them. No single source dominates, so the profile is best read as a balanced blend of several ancient ancestries.
The model fits well (fit distance 0.019), 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 Tunisian
Among the modern populations in the G25 data, the closest to the Tunisian average is Tunisian Arab (Tunis), at a distance of 0.007 (very close). Next come Berber (Tunisia Sen) at 0.016 and Tunisian Arab at 0.017. Leaving aside the other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet, the nearest other populations are Berber (Tunisia Sen) (0.016), Algerian Arab (0.017) and Bedouin (Algeria) (0.017). Even the tenth closest, Moroccan Arab, is only 0.027 away: Tunisian belongs to a dense cluster of related populations, so small differences inside that cluster should not be over-interpreted.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tunisian Arab (Tunis) | 0.0066 | Very close |
| 2 | Berber (Tunisia Sen) | 0.0160 | Very close |
| 3 | Tunisian Arab | 0.0165 | Very close |
| 4 | Algerian Arab | 0.0168 | Very close |
| 5 | Bedouin (Algeria) | 0.0171 | Very close |
| 6 | Algerian Arab (Algiers) | 0.0187 | Very close |
| 7 | Algerian (Arab-Berber) | 0.0212 | Very close |
| 8 | Libyan Arab (Tripoli) | 0.0223 | Very close |
| 9 | Algerian | 0.0258 | Close |
| 10 | Moroccan Arab | 0.0266 | 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 Tunisian
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Tunisian, Austria Roman Empire Wels (North African Profile) (Roman era, c. 1-400 AD) comes first, at 0.039, with Canary Islands Guanche 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 | Austria Roman Empire Wels (North African Profile) | Roman era, c. 1-400 AD | 0.0388 |
| 2 | Canary Islands Guanche | Pre-Hispanic Canary Islands, before c. 1500 AD | 0.0434 |
| 3 | Canary Islands High-Late Medieval Guanche | High to Late Medieval, c. 1000-1500 AD | 0.0438 |
| 4 | Canary Islands Late Medieval Guanche | Late Medieval, c. 1300-1500 AD | 0.0452 |
| 5 | Canary Islands Early Medieval Guanche | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0466 |
| 6 | Spain Valencia Early Modern (North African Profile) | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0468 |
| 7 | Canary Islands Late Antiquity Guanche | Late Antiquity, c. 250-600 AD | 0.0474 |
| 8 | Canary Islands High Medieval Guanche | High Medieval, c. 1000-1300 AD | 0.0483 |
| 9 | France Late Antiquity-Early Medieval Chausse Saint-Pierre (North African Profile) | Late Antiquity to Early Medieval, c. 250-1000 AD | 0.0591 |
| 10 | Tunisia IA Phoenician/Punic Kerkouane (North African Profile) | Iron Age | 0.0604 |
Ancient DNA from Tunisia
Our ancient DNA database holds 79 individuals excavated in present-day Tunisia, dated from about 6,153 BC to 274 BC. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are R1b (11), E1b (6) and J2a (4), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are H1 (13), U6 (10) and T2 (8). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Tunisian population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 79 from Tunisia.
Compare yourself with Tunisian
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Tunisian average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Tunisian 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 Tunisian. 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 Tunisian 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...
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Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Tunisian?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Tunisian average is about 34.1% Anatolian Neolithic farmers, 21.3% Natufian hunter-gatherers (Levant) and 20.5% North African hunter-gatherers (Iberomaurusian). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Tunisian?
Leaving aside other regional samples listed under the same name in the G25 sheet (such as Tunisian Arab (Tunis)), the closest modern populations to the Tunisian average are Berber (Tunisia Sen), Algerian Arab and Bedouin (Algeria). The closest ancient matches are Austria Roman Empire Wels (North African Profile), Canary Islands Guanche and Canary Islands High-Late Medieval Guanche.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Tunisian?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Tunisian 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 Tunisian ancestry?
For the Tunisian 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.