*The population figures are only for the number of speakers of the Kashmiri language. May not include ethnic Kashmiris who no longer speak the Kashmiri language.
There are about 7.1 million people speaking the Kashmiri language. About 6.7 million of them live in Jammu and Kashmir, and about 350,000 in Azad Kashmir and the Federally Administered Northern Areas (FANA) in Pakistan. Although all residents of Azad Kashmir call themselves 'Kashmiri', most residents of Azad Kashmir are not ethnic Kashmiris but rather a northern subgroup of Punjabis who speak a northern Punjabi dialect.
Yamnaya‑related (steppe) ancestry
Ancient DNA studies show that peoples from the Pontic–Caspian steppe in the Bronze Age (often called **Yamnaya‑related** or **steppe pastoralists**) spread into both **Europe** and **South Asia**. This movement brought a genetic component that is still seen today in many Europeans and in many groups of northern South Asia, including the Kashmir region.
In South Asia, this steppe component is most closely related to **Middle to Late Bronze Age steppe groups** (often labeled Steppe_MLBA) and mixed with older local ancestry from ancient Iran‑related farmers and South Asian hunter‑gatherers. Kashmiris share this same broad pattern, in line with other North‑West South Asian groups.
Relation to British and Irish
Ancient DNA from Britain shows that after about 2400 BCE, people linked with the **Beaker** culture who already carried high steppe ancestry moved into Britain and caused a very large genetic change. By the Early Bronze Age, most ancestry in Britain came from these newcomers mixed with local Neolithic farmers.
Because British and Irish populations today carry strong **steppe‑derived** ancestry, and Kashmiris also have a (smaller) steppe‑related layer, both groups share part of their deep genetic history from the Eurasian steppe. However, Kashmiris are still genetically **closer to peoples of Iran and the Caucasus and to nearby North‑West South Asian groups** than to the British or Irish overall; any similarity is mainly due to shared steppe ancestry at the Bronze Age level, not recent mixing.
Relation to Western Europeans (Iberia, France, Italy, etc.)
Western Europeans also show a mix of **Near Eastern Early Farmer**, **Western Hunter‑Gatherer**, and **Steppe** ancestry. The steppe ancestry rose during the Bronze Age, though the timing and amount differ by region (for example, Iberia and France show complex changes across the Bronze and Iron Ages).
Kashmiris share **West Eurasian‑related** ancestry (Iran‑related farmers plus steppe) that is also present in many Western Europeans. Some analyses report that South Asians with more steppe/West‑Eurasian ancestry can appear **closer to Southern Europeans (Greeks/Italians)** than to Northern Europeans, because Southern Europeans also have more Near‑Eastern farmer ancestry. Even then, the **closest non‑South‑Asian neighbors for Kashmiris are usually Iranic/Caucasus groups**, not Western Europeans.
Relation to Eastern Europeans (Poland, Ukraine, Balkans, etc.)
Eastern Europeans tend to have **some of the highest steppe‑derived ancestry** in Europe due to Bronze Age and later movements across the steppe frontier.
Because Kashmiris also carry steppe‑related ancestry (Steppe_MLBA) together with Iran‑related farmer ancestry, they share deep ancestry with Eastern Europeans at the **Bronze Age steppe** level. But on whole‑genome comparisons (PCA/F_ST/ADMIXTURE), Kashmiris still group **closer to Iranic/Caucasus and nearby South Asian populations** than to modern Eastern Europeans; any “closeness” to Europe depends on which ancestry layer (farmer vs. steppe) a method highlights.
Short summary (for clarity)
**Shared source:** Kashmiris and many Europeans both have ancestry from **Bronze Age steppe herders** plus older **Near‑Eastern farmer** ancestry.
**British & Irish:** very high steppe ancestry after the Beaker expansion; Kashmiris share that layer, but are still overall closer to Iran/Caucasus and nearby South Asian groups.
**Western Europeans:** share the same broad components; Southern Europeans can look somewhat closer than Northern Europeans because of higher farmer‑related ancestry, but Iran/Caucasus‑side groups remain the nearer neighbors to Kashmiris.
**Eastern Europeans:** high steppe ancestry yields a deep shared layer with Kashmiris, yet modern genome‑wide position keeps Kashmiris nearer to Iranic/Caucasus and North‑West South Asia.
Notes
↑Snedden, Understanding Kashmir and Kashmiris (2015, p.10): "Confusingly, the term ‘Kashmiri’ also has wider connotations and uses. Some people in Azad Kashmir call themselves ‘Kashmiris’. This is despite most Azad Kashmiris not being of Kashmiri ethnicity."
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