Swedes Seek Personal Histories through DNA Testing
Swedes who take commercial DNA tests are primarily searching for personal stories—rather than confirmation of national or ethnic belonging. This is demonstrated in a new study from the Centre for Critical Heritage Studies at the University of Gothenburg. The study, the first of its kind in Europe, draws on 900 survey responses.
Genealogical research was long regarded as an interest mainly for older generations, but as digital services have expanded, the desire to explore one’s roots has also grown among younger Swedes. Interest in personal DNA testing has surged dramatically in recent years.
In a new study, researchers investigate why Swedes choose to take a personal DNA test, with the aim of identifying social and cultural attitudes. The research team is affiliated with the Centre for Critical Heritage Studies and the SOM Institute at the University of Gothenburg, and the national survey was conducted in collaboration with the Swedish Society for Genetic Genealogy.
In search of family history
The study shows that the appeal of DNA testing is above all linked to the discovery of individual family connections, unknown kinship ties, and a desire to understand one’s personal background.
In contrast to the polarised debates that have emerged around DNA research in archaeology—where genetic results are often tied to ethno-nationalist narratives—the study finds that questions of national identity are not central for Swedes who take commercial DNA tests. Here, personal genealogy takes precedence over identity politics.
“The study shows that national identity does not play a prominent role,” says Kristian Kristiansen, Professor Emeritus of Archaeology and one of the researchers behind the study.
“This may be related to Sweden’s history as a country of emigration, where many who take a DNA test can trace relatives outside Sweden, particularly in North America.”
A New Way of Engaging with Family History
The motivations for taking a DNA test are clearly dominated by a desire to learn about one’s own history and one’s place within it. More introspective motives—such as wanting to know “who one is” or feeling “a sense of awe at human existence”—play a comparatively minor role in the decision.
The study highlights how direct-to-consumer DNA tests represent a new way of engaging with family history, where genetic data complement—and in some cases challenge—traditional, document-based genealogical research.
The researchers argue that these insights are important for archaeologists, historians, and the heritage sector more broadly, as DNA results increasingly shape how people understand their past.
Text: Jenny Högström Berntson and Johanna Hillgren
The study, “Do You Want to Know Who You Are?” The Rise of Genetic Ancestry Testing and the Search for Genealogies: A Case Study from Sweden, Open access and published in the journal Current Swedish Archaeology (doi: 10.37718/CSA.2025.02)
Authors of the article:
- Kristian Kristiansen, Department of Historical Studies, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
- Victor Wåhlstrand, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
- Daniel Brodén, Department of Literature, History of Ideas and Religion, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
- Mats Ahlgren, Swedish Society for Genetic Genealogy, Sweden
- Marie Louise Stig Sørensen, University of Cambridge, UK
- Michael Rowlands (†), University College London, UK
- Hannes Schroeder, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
