Uyghur DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · China (Xinjiang) · Central Asia
The Uyghurs live mainly in Xinjiang in northwestern China, around the oasis towns of the Tarim Basin and the Turpan Depression, such as Kashgar, Hotan and Turpan. Uyghur is a Karluk Turkic language, close to Uzbek, and before Turkic languages spread here, the oases were home to speakers of Tocharian and of Iranian languages such as Saka and Sogdian. In our model, the Uyghur average is 23.5% East Asian, 23.0% steppe, 21.1% Ancient Northeast Asian, 13.3% Iranian Neolithic, 10.6% Anatolian Neolithic farmer and 5.0% South Asian proxy, with small other shares. That is a near even balance of West and East Eurasian-related ancestry, with the largest Han-like East Asian share of our Central Asian pages. After another Uyghur sample, the closest modern averages are the Hazara of Pakistan and Afghanistan (0.0203 to 0.0259), a people with a different language and history but a similar mix. Gongnaisi in Xinjiang, a historical-period site, gives the closest ancient group (0.0329).
- Largest ancient components in our model: East Asian 23.5%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 23.0%, Ancient Northeast Asians 21.1%
- Closest other population in our data: Hazara (Pakistan), distance 0.0203
- Closest ancient group in our data: Xinjiang HP Gongnaisi, distance 0.0329
Uyghur 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 Uyghur individuals sampled in China (Xinjiang). Like every population average, it smooths over a lot of variation between individuals.
Ancient make-up of the Uyghur average
The ancient make-up of the Uyghur average is led by East Asian (23.5%), followed by Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (23.0%) and Ancient Northeast Asians (21.1%). The East Asian component reflects ancestry most common today in East Asia. The Steppe herders (Yamnaya) share (23.0%) 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 Arctic Siberian (Nganasan-related) and Ancient North Eurasians (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 0.020), 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.
Turan – Silk Road & Central Asian Ancestry Report
Closest modern populations to Uyghur
Genetically, the Uyghur average sits nearest to Uygur at 0.003, Hazara (Pakistan) at 0.020 and Hazara (Afghanistan) at 0.024. On our scale, a distance of 0.003 counts as very close. By the tenth closest (Uzbek) the distance grows to 0.067, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uygur | 0.0034 | Very close |
| 2 | Hazara (Pakistan) | 0.0203 | Very close |
| 3 | Hazara (Afghanistan) | 0.0239 | Very close |
| 4 | Hazara | 0.0259 | Close |
| 5 | Nogai (Stavropol) | 0.0455 | Close |
| 6 | Nogai (Dagestan) | 0.0473 | Close |
| 7 | Nogai | 0.0495 | Close |
| 8 | Karakalpak | 0.0520 | Moderate |
| 9 | Nogai (Dobruja) | 0.0582 | Moderate |
| 10 | Uzbek | 0.0665 | 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 Uyghur
Among ancient genomes, the closest match to the modern Uyghur average is Xinjiang HP Gongnaisi (Historical period), at 0.033, followed by China Inner Mongolia HP Tang Dynasty Naobaowan (Turanian-Mixed Profile) and Kazakhstan Early-High Medieval Karluk Butakty. 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 | Xinjiang HP Gongnaisi | Historical period | 0.0329 |
| 2 | China Inner Mongolia HP Tang Dynasty Naobaowan (Turanian-Mixed Profile) | Tang dynasty, 618-907 AD | 0.0346 |
| 3 | Kazakhstan Early-High Medieval Karluk Butakty | Early to High Medieval, c. 500-1300 AD | 0.0406 |
| 4 | Kazakhstan Early-High Medieval Karakhanid Butakty | Early to High Medieval, c. 500-1300 AD | 0.0427 |
| 5 | Kazakhstan Early Medieval Karluk Butakty | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0475 |
| 6 | Kazakhstan IA Mayemer | Iron Age | 0.0518 |
| 7 | Kazakhstan Early Medieval Nomad Almaly | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0524 |
| 8 | Kazakhstan Early Medieval Nomad Issyk | Early Medieval, c. 500-1000 AD | 0.0528 |
| 9 | Kazakhstan IA Zevakino-Chilikta Zevakino | Iron Age | 0.0549 |
| 10 | Xinjiang HP Xikakandasayi | Historical period | 0.0551 |
Ancient DNA from China
Our ancient DNA database holds 2,865 individuals excavated in present-day China, dated from about 100,550 BC to 1823 AD. The most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups among them are O2a (168), C2b (74) and N1b (59), and the most frequent mtDNA haplogroups are D4 (208), C4 (121) and B4 (72). These are people who lived on the same land in the past, not necessarily ancestors of today's Uyghur population.
Most frequent Y-DNA haplogroups
Most frequent mtDNA haplogroups
| Haplogroup | Individuals | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| D4 | 208 | NE34 NE-5 NE5_AmurRiver |
| C4 | 121 | WQM4 NE9 NE-9 |
| B4 | 72 | Tianyuan BS Dushan4-1 |
| F1 | 68 | NE19 WGM35 18R21265 |
| D5 | 50 | BLSM14 BLSM27S BLSM45 |
| U5 | 49 | NLKG218_M5-1 G218M5-3N C3340 |
| G2 | 45 | NE56 JZ24089582-C24-22 S96 |
| A | 35 | M89_Houtaomuga JZ24089566-C8-28 ZJG7 |
Ancient DNA studies on China
- Ancient DNA unveils distinctive ancestries in the Bronze and Iron Ages of East Tianshan (2026)
- Ancient DNA unveils distinctive ancestries in the Bronze and Iron Ages of East Tianshan (2026)
- Genomic characterization of historical Jinlingnan individuals: insights into genetic continuity and trans-Eurasian signals in eastern China (2026)
- Go north: Isotope and aDNA analysis reconstructing the life history of a first-generation immigrant in the early Western Zhou Yan state (2026)
- A prehistoric East-Asian Yersinia pestis genome and a ~5.3 ka trans-Eurasian expansion of plague (2026)
- Genomic signatures of female exogamy and cultural interaction in a Tang Dynasty patrilineal clan (2026)
- Genetic continuity and dietary change during the emergence of millet farming in northern China (2026)
- Genetic continuity and dietary change during the emergence of millet farming in northern China (2026)
Browse them in our ancient DNA database: 2,865 from China.
Compare yourself with Uyghur
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Uyghur average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Uyghur 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 Uyghur individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Uyghur. 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 Uyghur average. Your own DNA has its own story: Turan – Silk Road & Central Asian 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 of Central Asian / Silk Road Turkic ancestry: ancient regional core (Botai, Andronovo, BMAC Bactria-Margiana, Saka/Scythian, Wusun, Kushan Empire, Xiongnu, Turkic Khaganate, Golden Horde) versus non-regional...
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Uyghur?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Uyghur average is about 23.5% East Asian, 23.0% Steppe herders (Yamnaya) and 21.1% Ancient Northeast Asians. These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Uyghur?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Uyghur average are Uygur, Hazara (Pakistan) and Hazara (Afghanistan). The closest ancient matches are Xinjiang HP Gongnaisi, China Inner Mongolia HP Tang Dynasty Naobaowan (Turanian-Mixed Profile) and Kazakhstan Early-High Medieval Karluk Butakty.
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Uyghur?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Uyghur 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 Uyghur ancestry?
For the Uyghur average, the regional report to choose is Turan – Silk Road & Central Asian 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.