Best DNA Test for Asian Ancestry and Ethnicity in 2025
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 February 2025
Each region is divided into ancestral regions and ancestral journeys. Some ancestral journeys may be further divided into subjourneys
Central Asia
Ancestral Regions:
- Iran/Persia
- Lower Central Asia
- Mongolia & Upper Central Asia
- Northern Iraq & Northern Iran
- Russia
Eastern Asia
Ancestral Regions:
- Central & Eastern China
- Japan
- Korea
- Northern Asia
- Northern China
- Southern China
- Southern Japanese Islands
- Southwestern China
- Tibetan Peoples
- Western China
Ancestral Journeys:
- Eastern China & Southeast Asia
- Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang & Shanghai
- Southern Central China
- Southeast China & Malaysia
- Guangzhou
- Japan
- Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Fukuoka, Olta & Kumamoto
- Okinawa
- South Korea
Northern Asia
Ancestral Journeys:
- Central Asia & Russia
Southeast Asia
Ancestral Regions:
- Central & Southern Philippines
- Dai
- Luzon
- Mainland Southeast Asia
- Maritime Southeast Asia
- Northern & Central Philippines
- Vietnam
- Western Visayas
Ancestral Journeys:
- Central & Southern Luzon
- Tarlac, Pampanga, Eastern Bataan & Southern Nueva Ecija
- Calabarzon
- Bicol
- Cavite
- Bulacan, Metro Manilla, Rizal & Laguna
- Eastern China & Southeast Asia
- Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang & Shanghai
- Southern Central China
- Southeast China & Malaysia
- Guangzhou
- Ilocos Region & Central Luzon
- Ilocos Region
- La Union, Pangasinan
- Ilocos Sur & Southern Zambales
- Thailand & Cambodia
- The Visayas & Mindanao
- Western Leyte, Bohol, Northern Mindanao, Northwest Caraga
- Northern & Central Cebu
- Southern Samar & Eastern Leyte
- Southern & Central Cebu
- Vietnam
- Northern Vietnam
- Southern Vietnam
- Western Indonesia & Peninsula Malaysia
- Western Visayas
Southern Asia
Ancestral Regions:
- Bengal
- Burusho
- Gujarat
- Gulf of Khambhat
- Indo-Gangetic Plain
- Nepal & the Himalayan Foothills
- Southern India
- Southwest India
- The Deccan & the Gulf of Mannar
- Western Himalayas & the Hindu Kush
Ancestral Journeys:
- Bangladesh
- Eastern India
- Goa & Western Deccan, India
- Punjab & Western India
- Northern India & Northern Pakistan
- Central Kerala & Central Travancore
- Northern Punjab, Pakistan & Northwestern India
- Pakistan & East Africa
- Eastern Gujarat & Western Maharashatra
- Eastern Pakistan & Himachal Pradesh, India
- Mumbai, Pune & Surat
- Southeastern India
- Sri Lanka
Western Asia
Ancestral Regions:
- Anatolia & the Caucasus
- Arabian Peninsula
- Levant
Ancestral Journeys:
- Anatolian Turks
- Macedonia & Western Türkiye
- Kayseri
- Aegean Türkiye
- Mediterranean Türkiye
- Central Anatolia
- Eastern Anatolia
- Central & Eastern Anatolia
- Türkiye
- Cyprus
- Western & Central Cyprus
- Eastern & Central Cyprus
- Central Cyrpus
- Eastern Anatolian & Armenia
- Eastern Anatolia
- Central & Eastern Anatolia & Armenia
- South Central Anantolia
- Anatolia
- Eastern Armenia & Iran
- Western Armenia
- Eastern Armenia
- Northwestern Iran
- Georgia
- Iran
- Northwest Iran
- Azerbaijan & Tabriz
- Kermanshah, Hamadan, Malayer & Lorestan
- Kermanshah & Northeastern Iraq
- North Central Iraq
- Central Gilan Province
- Central Markazi Province
- Central Isfahan Province
- Rasht & Tehran
- Kashan & Tehran
- Babol & Kuhi Kheyl
- Southwest Central Iran
- Central Iran
- Northwest & North Central Iran
- Iraq
- Lebanon
- Mount Lebanon & North Lebanon
- Mount Lebanon & Southern North Lebanon
- North Governorate
- Lebanon & Damascus
- Central & Southern Lebanon
- Southern Mount Lebanon & Southern Beqaa
- Southern Mount Lebanon & Northern South Lebanon
- South Central Lebanon
- Central Lebanon
- Mount Lebanon & Central & Southern Beqaa
- Lebanon & Syrian Border
- Western Lebanon
- Southwest Mount Lebanon
- Southern Beqaa & Damascus
- Hatay Province, Turkey & Northwestern Syria
- Aley & Mar Moussa
- Mizrahi Jews of Iraq & Iran
- Caucuses, Iran & Central Asia
- Eastern Mediterranean & Iraq
- North Anatolia Pontian Greeks
- Black Sea Region
- Central & Western Türkiye & Greece
- Northeastern Türkiye
- Northern Iraq & Iran
- Northwestern Iran
- Northern Iraq
- Southeastern Anatolia
- Sephardic Jews
- Sephardic Jews in North Africa
- Sephardic Jews in the Eastern Mediterranean
- Greece & Western Anatolia
- Eastern Mediterranean
- Southern & Eastern European Roma
- Western Levant
- North Lebanon & Tartus
- Northern Mount Lebanon & North Lebanon
- Central & Northern Lebanon & Western Syria
Additional Asian Communities
Ancestral journeys:
- Asians in South Africa
- Indian Diaspora in the Caribbean & Fiji
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
People who have tested at MyHeritage or transferred their DNA there before February 2025 can toggle their ethnicity results between the Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 and the older version, v0.95
Ethnicity Estimate v2.5
Asia
- Armenian
- Bene Israel Jewish
- Bengali
- Burkharan Jewish
- Caucasus Jewish
- Central Asian
- Chinese
- Circassian
- Cochin Jewish
- Filipino
- Georgian
- Indonesian and Malay
- Japanese
- Mainland South East Asian
- Pakistani and Punjabi
- Pashtun
- Persian and Kurdish
- Persian Jewish and Kurdish Jewish
- South Asian
- Turkish
Middle East
- Iraqi
- Iraqi Jewish
- Lebanese
- Middle Eastern
- Peninsular Arab
- Syrian
- Syrian Jewish
- Yemenite Jewish
Ethnicity Estimate v0.95
- 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!
