I was recently having a discussion with someone about the size of the genetic testing market, and I mentioned the number of people who had already paid for genetic genealogy testing. This oft-repeated number, 460,000, is the addition of two figures from a short 2006 EMBO article (“Genetic Genealogy Goes Global” EMBO 1072 (2006)):
- “Companies such as Oxford Ancestors, Family Tree DNA and DNAPrint Genomics have attracted more than 300,000 customers in the past six years.”
- “During the first 15 months of the five-year [Genographic] project, 160,000 people signed on, far more than had been anticipated.”
So, 300,000 + 160,000 = 460,000. A year later, however, these numbers are obsolete and I wanted to bring them as up-to-date as possible. To do this, I took the 2006 EMBO papers and scoured the internet for testing numbers revealed by any of the genetic genealogy testing firms. The results suggest that the current number is much higher than 460,000. My findings are below:
1. Oxford Ancestors, FTDNA, and DNAPrint Genomics = 300,000 up to November 2006. Although I am not certain of the accuracy of this number from the 2006 EMBO article, I decided to use it as a starting point.
2. FTDNA sells 30,000 kits per year as of 2007 (source), so I added 30,000 to represent November 2006 to November 2007.
3. Genographic Project – By October 27th, DNA has been collected from 225,000 individuals, with 1,000 kits sold per week (source), so I added 226,000.
4. African Ancestry – As of May 2007, African Ancestry had tested 10,000 individuals (source), so I added 10,000.
5. Sorenson Genomics – As of 2006, the company had sold 1,500 testing kits in Asia through affiliates (source), so I added 1,500.
6. Genomac in Prague – As of June 2007, this company had tested 5,000 individuals (source), so I added 5,000.
7. Relative Genetics – As of 2002, this company had 19,000 genetic genealogy sequences in its database (source). I’m not sure if they were all from customers, and I’m not sure how much growth they experienced in the intervening 5 years. Thus, to be conservative, I added just 19,000.
8. I wasn’t sure whether or not to add SMGF, which as of 2006 had collected over 60,000 DNA samples and genealogical charts (source). This would not reflect a paid part of the market, but might represent people who would be interested in further genetic genealogy testing.
In conclusion, given the numbers revealed from the above sources in addition to the traditional figure of 460,000, there have been at least 591,500 kits sold and/or DNA samples tested. If I add in the SMGF numbers, it rises to 651,500. Given my research, I believe that if the 300,000 number from the EMBO article is correct, the number of people who have undergone genetic genealogy testing might be as high as 600,000 to 700,000 people. Additionally, this number appears to be growing by as much as 80,000 to 100,000 per year. My confidence is these numbers is boosted by the fact that I do not have information for a number of companies that offer genetic genealogy testing. As the interest in genetic genealogy grows, I predict that the 1 millionth genetic genealogy customer will push the “buy” button as early as 2009.
Dr. DNA:
How very interesting! Now if you took an average of the cost per test for each company discussed and multiplied it by the number of tests, it would be even more interesting to see just what our DNA is worth.
Show me the money!
fM
fM,
Stay tuned! wink wink
Dr. DNA:
Thank you for all your hard work into converting my question into dollar amounts.
Were you to have overvalued/undervalued the dollar totals, it is still a staggering amount of money.
So, puzzle me this. Are we getting our money’s worth?
fM
It means we can make money with out DNA, but i think it is not worth to make money in any form by using some from our body. Do you think this is ethical?
At the last I must appreciate that your post is unique and I find it very useful for the people who like to take it that way. Congratulation on your success and hard work.
With Blessing,
HudHud
HudHud’s last blog post..Make Money Selling Hot Items Online
Whoah, so DNA can turn into a running Gold Mine? haha.. pretty cool!
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Hello – have you posted any more recent information on this topic? I am looking for the size of the genealogical DNA market as of now 11/16/09. I was hoping to get more recent numbers. Any resources would be helpful. Thanks.
Here’s the latest on the conference’s top players who are projected to go from playing on Saturdays to starring on Sundays.
1. LB Jarvis Jones, 6-3, 241, Georgia
Why he has the top spot: Jones’ battle with an ankle injury hasn’t changed his status as the top overall draft prospect in the SEC. He missed his second full game due to the
injury in the Bulldogs’ 29-24 win over Kentucky on Saturday. Still, Jones remains a versatile defender who can rush the pass or drop into coverage. He’ll need a strong second
half of the season to maintain his lofty draft status.
Season stats (five games): 36 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 9.5 TFLs, 3 forced fumbles, 15 QB hurries, INT.
Player ranking: Jones remains fifth overall, and he is the second-highest outside linebacker in CBSSports.com’s latest player rankings.
Up next: The Bulldogs’ next game is against Florida. Jones returned to practice on Monday and is expected to play. Georgia will need him against a Florida team that averages 213
yards per game on the ground.
2. QB Tyler Wilson, 6-3, 220, Arkansas
Why he has the second spot: After a slow start for Wilson and the Razorbacks, the senior QB has turned it around in the last few weeks before having a bye last weekend. He’ll
have a chance to solidify his status as a first-round pick with games against Mississippi State, LSU and South Carolina still on the schedule.
Season stats (six games): 124 of 205 (60.5 percent) for 1,957 yards, 14 TDs, 5 INTs.
Player ranking: Wilson is ranked as the No. 12 overall prospect and is the third-highest ranked QB in CBSSports.com’s latest player rankings.
Up next: The Razorbacks play Ole Miss this weekend. The Rebels are ranked No. 65 nationally in scoring defense, so Wilson should have a chance to put some good numbers up.
JERSEYS