Best DNA Test for Asian Ancestry and Ethnicity in 2024
Good news! Things have gotten much better for people of Asian descent who want to use DNA to learn more about their ethnicity. More accurate and specific results are available for people with heritage from many Asian groups.
Before we tell you where to test, though–are you ready for DNA discoveries? Do you know what to expect with your results?
Be prepared. Download our free guide, “DNA Testing for Family History: What to Know Before You Test.”
The best DNA test for Asian ancestry provides the most specific, accurate ethnicity results for those with Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indian, Pakistani and other Asian roots. Here are your options and our top pick for DNA testing for Asian ethnicity.
For people of Asian descent, there are good things happening in the world of DNA testing for people of Asian descent! Finally!
DNA diversity in Asian ancestry
First, let’s talk about what we mean by “Asian.” More than 2 billion people live in East Asia, an area that includes Siberia and Mongolia in the north, through China, Korea and Japan, and curving around south to the nations of Southeast Asia, Indonesia and the Philippines. And the story is similar for people with South and Central Asian ancestry coming from Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and surrounding areas, the home to 20% of the world’s population.
Much of the development of ancestry genetics was piloted with European DNA. But Asian populations are deeply diverse and numerous, accounting for more worldwide genetic diversity than all of Europe put together.
A study published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature reported findings from over 1,700 Asian individuals, demonstrating at least 10 deep lineages that produced the various ancient Asian populations—with the equivalent of just one for all of Europe.
“Map of Asia” by Cacahuate, adapted by Peter Fitzgerald, Globe-trotter, Joelf, Texugo, Piet-c and Bennylin at Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, no changes made.
The groups classified as Asian differ across testing companies. Some databases define Asian populations based strictly on geography, including West Asian countries such as Iran and Iraq—perhaps more typically culturally defined as Middle Eastern—in the category. Others use a narrower definition. Such discrepancies appear when comparing ethnicity reports provided by different testing companies.
So what’s the best DNA test for Asian ancestry or ethnicity today?
For those who want to explore their Asian ancestry through DNA testing, AncestryDNA* is the clear winner right now. They are the global leader with the most diverse and well-populated reference panel with 71,306 people with long family histories from 88 regions around the world. AncestryDNA has 7,649 reference samples just for Asian populations, which is more than some other competitors have to represent the entire world.
Click below to purchase your AncestryDNA test based on where you live.
*Thanks for using our links–we get a small commission at no extra cost to you, and we put a lot of time into analyzing this question for you!
Now, that’s the short answer. But AncestryDNA isn’t the only DNA test kit that explores Asian origins. They all continue to progress, and some offer better options for different parts of Asia. Explore the different Asian ethnicities represented at each testing company below.
Asian ethnicities represented at each of the four major testing companies
Click on the tabs below to see the Asian ethnicities represented at each testing company.
Last updated August 2024
Bengal
- Bangladesh
Burusho
Central & Eastern China
Central & Southern Philippines
- Western Visayas
Central Asia-South
Dai
Japan
- Japan
- Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Fukuoka, Olta & Kumamoto
- Okinawa
Korea
- South Korea
Mainland Southeast Asia
- Thailand & Cambodia
Maritime Southeast Asia
- Western Indonesia & Peninsular Malaysia
Mongolia & Central Asia-North
Nepal & the Himalayan Foothills
Northern Asia
Northern China
Northern India
Northern Philippines
- Central & Southern Luzon
- Bicol
- Bulacan, Metro Manilla, Rizal & Laguna
- Calabarzon
- Cavite
- Tarlac, Pampanga, Eastern Bataan & Southern Nueva Ecija
- Ilocos Region & Central Luzon
- Ilocos Region
- Ilocos Sur & Southern Zambales
- La Union, Pangasinan
Southern China
- Eastern China & Southeast Asia
- Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang & Shanghai
- Guangzhou
- Southeast China & Malaysia
- Southern Central China
Southern India
- Goa & Western Deccan
- Southeastern India
- Sri Lanka
Southern Japanese Islands
Southwestern China
Tibetan Peoples
Vietnam
- Vietnam
- Northern Vietnam
- Southern Vietnam
Western China
Western Philippines
- The Visayas & Mindanao
- Northern & Central Cebu
- Southern & Central Cebu
- Southern Samar & Eastern Leyte
- Western Leyte, Bohol, Northern Mindanao, Northwest Caraga
Additional Asian Communities
Asians in South Africa
Central Asia & Russia
Eastern India
Indian Diaspora in the Caribbean & Fiji
Punjab & Western India
- Central Kerala & Central Travancore
- Eastern Gujarat & Western Maharashatra
- Eastern Pakistan & Himachal Pradesh, India
- Mumbai, Pune & Surat
- Northern India & Northern Pakistan
- Northern Punjab, Pakistan & Northwestern India
- Pakistan & East Africa
West Asia & Middle East
Anatolia & the Caucasus
- Eastern Anatolia
Arabian Peninsula
- Iraq
Iran/Persia
- Iran
- Baghdad & Western Iran
- Eastern Iraq & Central Iran
- Eastern Iraq, Western Iran & the Caspian Coast
- Northwestern Iran
Levant
- Eastern Mediterranean & Egypt
- Beirut, Damascus & Sidon Triangle
- Nile Delta
- Northern Coastal Levant
- Southern Lebanon & Northern Israel/Palestine
- Northern Lebanon & Mount Lebanon
- Mount Lebanon
- North Lebanon
- Western Levant
- Israel/Palestine, Beirut & Damascus
- Lebanon
- Northern Lebanon & Northwest Syria
- Southern Lebanon & Damascus
Additional West Asian Communities
Eastern Anatolia/Armenia
- Cilicia
- Eastern Anatolia
- Eastern Anatolia & Armenian Highlands
- Lake Van Region/Historical Western Armenia
Eastern Armenia & Iran
Eastern Iraq, Iran & Central Asia
North Anatolia
Northern Iraq & Iran
Central Asia
- Mongolia
- Southern Siberia
Central Siberia
- Central & Eastern Siberia
- Taimyr Peninsula
- Yakut
Indian Subcontinent
- Eastern India
- Northern India
- Southern India
- Western India
Island Southeast Asia
- Malaysia & Western Indonesia
- Northern Borneo
- Philippine Lowlands
- South Wallacea Islands
- Southern Borneo
Kalash
- Kalash
Myanmar
- Myanmar
Northeast Asia
- Japan
- Korean Peninsula
- Northern Han
Philippine Indigenous
- Philippine Austronesian
- Philippine Melanesian
Southeast Asia
- Laos, Vietnam & Cambodia
- Southern Han
- Thailand and Southern China
- Yao
West Central Asia
- Afghanistan & Northern Pakistan
- Indus Valley
Western Siberia
- Northwestern Siberia
- Western Siberian Plains
Central Asia
Mongolian
Chinese and Vietnamese
Inuit
Filipino, Indonesian, and Malaysian
Japanese
Mizrahi Jewish – Iranian/Iraqi
Nepali
South Asian
Thai and Cambodian
West Asian
Central & South Asian
Central Asian, Northern Indian & Pakistani
Bengali & Northeast Indian
- Bangladesh
- India (northeastern regions)
- Nepal
Central Asian
- Afghanistan
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Tajikistan
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
Gujarati Patidar
Northern Indian & Pakistani
- India (northern regions)
- Pakistan
Southern Indian Subgroup
Southern South Asian
- Malayali Subgroup
- Southern Indian & Sri Lankan
- Indian (southern regions)
- Sri Lanka
Broadly Central & South Asian
East Asian
Chinese
Northern Chinese & Tibetan
- Mainland China (northern provinces)
Southern Chinese & Taiwanese
- Mainland China (southern provinces)
- Taiwan
South Chinese
- Mainland China (south provinces)
Vietnamese
Filipino & Austronesian
- American Samoa
- Guam
- Madagascar
- Micronesia
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Palau
- Philippines
- Samoa
- Tonga
Indonesian, Thai, Kymer & Myanma
- Cambodia
- Indonesia
- Laos
- Malaysia
- Myanmar
- Thailand
Chinese Dai
Japanese
- Ryukyu Arc
- Yamaguchi and Western Hiroshima
- Northern Honshu and Hokkaido
- Kii Peninsula
- Northern Kyushu
- Chugoku and northern Shikoku
- Southern Kyushu
- Yanbaru
- Miyako-jima
- Southern Okinawan
- Nagasaku Bay and Yokatsu Islands
- Okinawan West Coast
Korean
Northern Asian
- Manchurian & Mongolian
- Siberian
- Broadly Northern Asian
Broadly East Asian
Western Asian & North African
Northern West Asian
Anatolian
Cypriot
Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Georgia
- Iran
- Iraq
- Turkey (eastern provinces)
Broadly Northern West Asian
Broadly Western Asian & North African
What to do next: choose your DNA adventure
STEP 1: Be prepared. Get our free guide, “DNA Testing for Family History: What to Know Before You Test.”
STEP 2: If you decide you’re ready, take a DNA test. Again, we recommend AncestryDNA. Your ethnicity results will automatically update as more people test and more data becomes available! Again, thanks for using our links!