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 Iraqperhaps more typically culturally defined as Middle Easternin 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!