Introducing Ethnicity Estimate v2.5: The Long-Awaited Improved DNA Ethnicity Model

Introducing Ethnicity Estimate v2.5: The Long-Awaited Improved DNA Ethnicity Model

We are excited to announce the long-awaited and highly anticipated release of our new DNA ethnicity model: Ethnicity Estimate v2.5. The new model provides higher-resolution results compared to the previous model, v0.95, and nearly doubles the number of ethnicities identified by MyHeritage, from 42 to 79.

First, an honest confession: We know that many of our DNA users have been looking forward to this update for a long time. We initially released the intended model, v2, in June 2024 to a relatively small subset of thousands of users and ran surveys to gather feedback. The feedback was okay, but this wasn’t good enough for us; we wanted it to be great. Several flaws were raised in the survey. So, we decided not to roll out v2 to all users, and our team went back to work to improve the model further. We apologize for this delay, but we put quality above all else.

In that time, we developed a better algorithm, overcoming shortcomings in the v2 model, and released the new model, v2.5, to the same subset of users, plus thousands of others. Again, we surveyed these users, and this time, the feedback was significantly better. Users reported being happier with the new model compared to both the original ethnicity model (v0.95) that we’ve been using for years, and compared to v2.

Today we’re delighted to release Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 to everyone. New MyHeritage DNA users will receive Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 results from day one. As for existing MyHeritage DNA users who have received v0.95 ethnicity results before: we want everyone to be comfortable with their results, so we’re giving them the choice: Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 is opt-in, and is not automatically activated for our existing DNA users, so it will not override the previous ethnicity results. It’s up to you to decide if you want to see the new results, or if you prefer to stick with the original ones. If you decide to receive your updated results, you’ll be able to switch back and forth between the models at any time using a simple dropdown on the results page. Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 is free for all users.

We appreciate your patience and your loyalty, and we hope you enjoy this update.

Introduction Video

Check out some of the highlights of Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 in the video below:

Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 Overview

The Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 model is based on advanced new algorithms developed by the MyHeritage Science Team from the ground up following two years of extensive research and fine tuning. The new ethnicity breakdown provides better resolution; for example, individuals whose DNA results previously showed Scandinavian ethnicity will now receive results specifying what percentage of their ethnic makeup is Swedish, Norwegian, or Danish.

The 79 ethnicities covered by Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 (click to zoom)

The 79 ethnicities covered by Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 (click to zoom)

The current update applies only to the Ethnicity Estimate; the algorithm for Genetic Groups remains unchanged and will be enhanced in a future update.

Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 Highlights

  • Identifies 24 percentage-based European ethnicities.
  • Quite a few of the new percentage-based ethnicities, such as Armenian, are unique to MyHeritage and not identified by other tests.
  • Distinguishes between 15 different Jewish ethnicities, more than most other DNA tests on the market.

Explore all the ethnicities in Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 by continent in the gallery below:

Overview

For those who don’t know much about their roots, DNA testing is a great starting point, and provides a wonderful introduction into the fascinating world of genealogy. For those who do know a lot about their roots, DNA testing is an excellent complement to traditional genealogical research.

The MyHeritage DNA test provides two main features: DNA Matches, which are people who are related to you based on shared DNA, and ethnicity reports.

MyHeritage DNA’s ethnicity reports consist of two pillars: an Ethnicity Estimate, which is a percentage-based breakdown of an individual’s ethnic makeup from different populations around the world, and Genetic Groups, which pinpoint the regions, and sometimes even cities, that one’s ancestors came from across 2,114 geographic regions, without percentages. A third pillar is in the final stages of development and will be released very soon!

Until now, Ethnicity Estimates were based on model v0.95, which used a rudimentary Admixture algorithm with a resolution of 42 ethnicities. The new v2.5 model is better than v0.95, but it isn’t perfect. No ethnicity model is ever perfect. We are, however, committed to perfecting it. We will continue to invest efforts to improve the model in the future.

This update adds higher resolution to our Ethnicity Estimates. However, there are a few ethnicities that were “lost” in the new algorithm, due to lack of data, for example, Maasai and Sierra Leonean. This is because the new model requires more training samples, which were not available in sufficient numbers for those ethnicities. The good news is that even if an ethnicity was “lost,” it may make a comeback in a future update to the algorithm.

Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 examples

Below are a few examples of DNA ethnicity results of real users who now enjoy better resolution thanks to this update.

User 1

This user’s v0.95 ethnicity breakdown showed 92% North and West European ethnicity, with Genetic Groups in Germany and the Netherlands. She also received 8% Greek and South Italian ethnicity, which seemed to her to be a false result. With the new v2.5 model, her ethnicity results now identify that she is 67% Germanic and 28% Dutch, which aligns with the Genetic Groups in her results and corroborates her documented genealogy research. The incorrect Greek and South Italian ethnicity is gone.

Before: Ethnicity Estimate v0.95 results showing North and West European origins

Before: Ethnicity Estimate v0.95 results showing North and West European origins (click to zoom)

After: Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 provides much better resolution in Northern and Western Europe

After: Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 provides much better resolution in Northern and Western Europe (click to zoom)

User 2
The user in the example below received v0.95 results showing he is 100% Scandinavian, with Genetic Groups in Sweden and parts of Norway and Denmark. The same user’s v2.5 results clearly distinguish between his Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish ethnicity, and show that the largest part of his ethnicity is Norwegian. The sum of these ethnicities is still 100% from Scandinavia.

Before: Ethnicity Estimate v0.95 results showing 100% Scandinavian ethnicity

Before: Ethnicity Estimate v0.95 results showing 100% Scandinavian ethnicity (click to zoom)

After: Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 distinguishes between Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish ethnicity

After: Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 distinguishes between Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish ethnicity (click to zoom)

User 3

This user’s v0.95 results indicated 89.6% West Asian ethnicity, with Genetic Groups in Turkey. She also received some European ethnicities that were false results. Her v2.5 results show her roots as being 100% from Asia, with significant Armenian ethnicity, as well as Persian and Kurdish. The false European roots that appeared in her previous results have disappeared.

Before: Ethnicity Estimate v0.95 results showing 89.5% West Asian ethnicity

Before: Ethnicity Estimate v0.95 results showing 89.5% West Asian ethnicity (click to zoom)

After: Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 results identifying Armenian and Persian and Kurdish origins

After: Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 results identifying Armenian and Persian and Kurdish origins (click to zoom)

Viewing your Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 results

We are very excited about this update; however, we also recognize that many users may already be very attached to their original Ethnicity Estimate results. Therefore, as mentioned above, v2.5 is opt-in. This means that the default Ethnicity Estimate you see in your MyHeritage account will still be v0.95. You can easily switch to v2.5 by following the steps below.

First, visit your ethnicity results. On the MyHeritage website, select “Ethnicity Estimate” in the DNA menu.

Accessing the Ethnicity Estimate on the web

Accessing the Ethnicity Estimate on the web (click to zoom)

A pop-up message will appear on the Ethnicity Estimate page inviting you to get your v2.5 results. Click the button to opt in.

Opting in to Ethnicity Estimate v2.5

Opting in to Ethnicity Estimate v2.5

It takes about one day to generate the ethnicity results, and we’ll email you as soon as they’re ready.

Ethnicity Estimate v2.5: generating results

Ethnicity Estimate v2.5: generating results

If you choose “Maybe later”, you can still opt in to ethnicity v2.5 at any time by clicking the banner on the left panel of the Ethnicity Estimate page.

Banner to generate ethnicity v2.5 results at any time

Banner to switch to ethnicity v2.5 results at any time (click to zoom)

If you manage several DNA kits and want to see their ethnicity v2.5 results, you will need to opt in to v2.5 for each individual kit.

To view your ethnicity v2.5 results using the MyHeritage mobile app, open the app on your device and tap the DNA icon on the bottom of the home screen (marked below in red). Then, follow the same steps mentioned above.

Accessing DNA results from the MyHeritage mobile app (click to zoom)

Accessing DNA results from the MyHeritage mobile app (click to zoom)

When the new ethnicity v2.5 results are ready, you will receive a notification email. Clicking a button in this email will take you to the “spinning globe” video of your ethnicity results. We’ve refreshed the video to include many new, original tunes that were composed for each ethnicity. These tunes are exclusive to MyHeritage.

Many MyHeritage users have converted the cool globe animation presenting their ethnicity results into videos that they have posted on social media. Numerous videos have gone viral on Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms.

Many users who download and share their results video do so from their mobile web browser. To do this, tap the “play” icon on the results screen, marked below in red.

Play or download the results video on a mobile web browser

Play or download the results video on a mobile web browser (click to zoom)

A popup notice will display while your video is prepared for download. Keep the page open until the download is complete.

Here’s an example of the ethnicity v2.5 spinning globe video:

Toggling between v0.95 and v2.5 ethnicity results

We understand that some users may prefer their v0.95 Ethnicity Estimate over the updated one, or may want to systematically compare their new results to the old ones. To switch between the two models, use the ethnicity version dropdown that appears just below “Your ethnicity results”, marked below in red.

Changing the ethnicity model on desktop (click to zoom)

Changing the ethnicity model on desktop (click to zoom)

Changing the Ethnicity Estimate model on mobile web

Changing the Ethnicity Estimate model on mobile web (click to zoom)

Eligibility and cost

Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 is now provided as a standard for all new MyHeritage DNA kits sold, and all DNA kits that are currently being processed at the lab. Customers who previously tested with MyHeritage DNA can opt in and have their results upgraded to Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 for free. This means that you can receive updated ethnicity results regardless of when you took your MyHeritage DNA test, and regardless of the DNA chip that was used for analysis. The new v2.5 model supports DNA results from Illumina’s OmniExpress and Global Screening Array (GSA) chips.

Customers who uploaded DNA data from another service to MyHeritage and purchased access to advanced DNA features are also eligible to receive Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 at no additional cost. Anyone who uploads their DNA to MyHeritage and wants to receive Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 and access to all advanced DNA features can pay a one-time unlock fee of $29, or purchase a MyHeritage subscription (Premium, PremiumPlus, Complete, or Omni). Advanced DNA features on MyHeritage include the Ethnicity Estimate, Shared DNA Matches, Chromosome Browser, AutoClusters, Theory of Family Relativity™, and more. To order a MyHeritage DNA kit, visit myheritage.com/dna. To upload DNA data from another service to MyHeritage, visit myheritage.com/dna/upload.

Thank you

We are thankful to the many users who have provided us with valuable feedback about the Ethnicity Estimates over the years. This feedback was very useful in our efforts to develop and fine tune v2.5.

We are extremely grateful to all MyHeritage employees who collaborated on developing and testing the new Ethnicity Estimates. A special thank you goes to the amazing MyHeritage Science Team, under the guidance of Professor Shai Carmi, for their exceptional work developing Ethnicity Estimate v2.5, and to Ran Snir and Gal Zrihen from our Product team for their leadership in bringing this project to fruition.

Some of the MyHeritage employees who worked on Ethnicity Estimate v2.5, celebrating with a tasty MyHeritage DNA-themed cake

Some of the MyHeritage employees who worked on Ethnicity Estimate v2.5, celebrating with a tasty MyHeritage DNA-themed cake (click to zoom)

Summary

MyHeritage DNA provides fascinating insights into who you are and where you come from, using the combined power of Ethnicity Estimates, DNA Matches, and genetic genealogy tools. The long-awaited Ethnicity Estimate v2.5 will enable millions of people to better understand their identity. We’re delighted to release it this week, and we promise to continue our efforts to improve it further in the future.

Comments

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  • JV

    João Ventura

    February 2, 2025

    The new update is excellent!
    However, please fix the music for Portuguese.. We speak Portuguese in Portugal, not Spanish. The music seems to be a Flamenco song from the area of Seville which, again, is not in Portugal.

  • AH

    Annelise Hever

    February 4, 2025

    Amazing details coming to light! Thank you.