Ancestry and Genetic Admixture of the Colombian Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted to estimate and compare the proportions of Native American, African, and European ancestries in Colombia with those in other Latin American countries.

Articles published between 2005 and 2022 that estimated Colombian genetic admixture using autosomal markers (single nucleotide polymorphisms or ancestry informative markers) were reviewed. Meta-analyses were conducted at both national and regional levels. Finally, the results of Colombia were compared with estimates from other Latin American countries.

Considering 75 records, Colombia displayed more balanced proportions of Native American and European ancestry (0.307 and 0.510, respectively), while the proportion of African ancestry was, on average, 2.23 times lower, with a value of 0.183. At the regional level, the distribution of these ancestral groups across the territory was not homogeneous. The Pacific region exhibits the highest African ancestry, followed closely by the Insular region. The Amazon region shows the highest Native American ancestry, followed by the Orinoquía region, while the Andean region presents the highest European ancestry, followed by the Caribbean and Orinoquía regions. In the Latin America context, Colombia ranks 8th for Native American ancestry, 5th for African ancestry, and 11th for European ancestry.

Colombia can be considered one of the most genetically diverse countries in Latin America, with significant variability in ancestry distribution both between and within regions. Further research is needed to fully understand Colombia's genomic ancestry and to develop precision public health strategies to advance precision medicine.