# Demographics of Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia (Latin for New Scotland; French: Nouvelle-Écosse; Scottish Gaelic: Alba Nuadh) is a Canadian province located on the country's southeastern coast. It is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada, and its capital, Halifax, is a major economic centre of the region. Geographically, Nova Scotia is the second smallest province in Canada, with an area of 52,824.71 km$^2$ (20,395.73 sq mi). As of April 2024, it has a population of 1,072,545 people.

## History

| Year | Population | % change | % change | Rank* |
| Year | Population | 5-year | 10-year | Rank* |
| 1827 | 123,630 | – | – | n/a |
| 1837 | 199,906 | – | 62.0 | n/a |
| 1851 | 276,854 | – | – | n/a |
| 1861 | 330,857 | – | 19.5 | n/a |
| 1871 | 387,800 | – | 17.2 | 3 |
| 1881 | 440,572 | – | 13.6 | 3 |
| 1891 | 450,396 | – | 2.2 | 3 |
| 1901 | 459,574 | – | 2.0 | 3 |
| 1911 | 492,338 | – | 7.1 | 4 |
| 1921 | 523,837 | – | 6.4 | 7 |
| 1931 | 512,846 | – | - 2.1 | 7 |
| 1941 | 577,962 | – | 12.7 | 7 |
| 1951 | 642,584 | – | 11.2 | 7 |
| 1956 | 694,717 | 8.1 | – | 7 |
| 1961 | 737,007 | 6.1 | 14.7 | 7 |
| 1966 | 756,039 | 2.6 | 8.8 | 7 |
| 1971 | 788,965 | 4.4 | 7.0 | 7 |
| 1976 | 828,570 | 5.0 | 9.6 | 7 |
| 1981 | 847,442 | 2.3 | 7.4 | 7 |
| 1986 | 873,175 | 3.0 | 5.4 | 7 |
| 1991 | 899,942 | 3.1 | 6.2 | 7 |
| 1996 | 909,282 | 1.0 | 4.1 | 7 |
| 2001 | 908,007 | - 0.1 | 0.9 | 7 |
| 2006 | 913,462 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 7 |
| 2011 | 921,727 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 7 |
| 2016 | 923,598 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 7 |
| 2021 | 969,383 | 5.0 | 5.2 | 7 |
Source: Statistics Canada * among provinces. ** Preliminary 2006 census estimate.

## Population geography
### Population centres

The Halifax population centre is the largest urban area in Nova Scotia. Statistics Canada recognizes a total of 37 population centres in the province.
The below table is a list of those population centres in Nova Scotia from the 2021 Census of Population as designated, named, and delineated by Statistics Canada.
| Rank | Population centre | Size group | Population (2021) | Population (2016) | Change | Land area | Land area | Population density | Population density |
| Rank | Population centre | Size group | Population (2021) | Population (2016) | Change | km$^2$ | sq mi | /km$^2$ | /sq mi |
| 1 | Halifax | Large urban | 348,634 | 317,334 | +9.9% | 238.29 | 92.00 | 1,463.1 | 3,789 |
| 2 | Cape Breton - Sydney | Medium | 30,960 | 30,170 | +2.6% | 30.91 | 11.93 | 1,001.6 | 2,594 |
| 3 | Truro | Small | 23,583 | 23,205 | +1.6% | 31.52 | 12.17 | 748.2 | 1,938 |
| 4 | New Glasgow | Small | 19,316 | 19,137 | +0.9% | 29.82 | 11.51 | 647.8 | 1,678 |
| 5 | Glace Bay | Small | 16,915 | 17,604 | −3.9% | 31.19 | 12.04 | 542.3 | 1,405 |
| 6 | Kentville | Small | 14,905 | 14,449 | +3.2% | 27.98 | 10.80 | 532.7 | 1,380 |
| 7 | Sydney Mines | Small | 12,353 | 12,823 | −3.7% | 18.11 | 6.99 | 682.1 | 1,767 |
| 8 | Amherst | Small | 9,548 | 9,550 | 0.0% | 12.38 | 4.78 | 771.2 | 1,997 |
| 9 | Bridgewater | Small | 8,790 | 8,532 | +3.0% | 13.63 | 5.26 | 644.9 | 1,670 |
| 10 | Yarmouth | Small | 7,848 | 7,527 | +4.3% | 16.81 | 6.49 | 466.9 | 1,209 |
| 11 | Kingston - Greenwood | Small | 7,118 | 6,879 | +3.5% | 17.22 | 6.65 | 413.4 | 1,071 |
| 12 | New Waterford | Small | 6,723 | 7,416 | −9.3% | 9.23 | 3.56 | 728.4 | 1,887 |
| 13 | Enfield - Lantz | Small | 6,583 | 6,807 | −3.3% | 11.67 | 4.51 | 564.1 | 1,461 |
| 14 | Antigonish | Small | 5,620 | 5,079 | +10.7% | 5.88 | 2.27 | 955.8 | 2,476 |
| 15 | Windsor | Small | 5,514 | 5,248 | +5.1% | 10.56 | 4.08 | 522.2 | 1,352 |
| 16 | Wolfville | Small | 5,057 | 4,195 | +20.5% | 6.46 | 2.49 | 782.8 | 2,027 |
| 17 | Still Water Lake | Small | 3,379 | 3,447 | −2.0% | 8.23 | 3.18 | 410.6 | 1,063 |
| 18 | Port Hawkesbury | Small | 2,998 | 3,004 | −0.2% | 5 | 1.9 | 599.6 | 1,553 |
| 19 | Springhill | Small | 2,654 | 2,743 | −3.2% | 4.84 | 1.87 | 548.3 | 1,420 |
| 20 | Pictou | Small | 2,643 | 2,711 | −2.5% | 4.35 | 1.68 | 607.6 | 1,574 |
| 21 | Eskasoni 3 | Small | 2,575 | 2,352 | +9.5% | 5.7 | 2.2 | 451.8 | 1,170 |
| 22 | Liverpool | Small | 2,546 | 2,549 | −0.1% | 3.59 | 1.39 | 709.2 | 1,837 |
| 23 | Berwick | Small | 2,455 | 2,517 | −2.5% | 4.31 | 1.66 | 569.6 | 1,475 |
| 24 | Lunenburg | Small | 2,405 | 2,262 | +6.3% | 3.35 | 1.29 | 717.9 | 1,859 |
| 25 | Lake Echo | Small | 2,365 | 2,515 | −6.0% | 4.76 | 1.84 | 496.8 | 1,287 |
| 26 | Indian Brook 14 | Small | 2,332 | 655 | +256.0% | 3.89 | 1.50 | 599.5 | 1,553 |
| 27 | Digby | Small | 2,001 | 2,060 | −2.9% | 3.16 | 1.22 | 633.2 | 1,640 |
| 28 | Hantsport | Small | 1,542 | 1,560 | −1.2% | 2.89 | 1.12 | 533.6 | 1,382 |
| 29 | Brookside | Small | 1,439 | 1,441 | −0.1% | 2.81 | 1.08 | 512.1 | 1,326 |
| 30 | Shelburne | Small | 1,439 | 1,483 | −3.0% | 2.6 | 1.0 | 553.5 | 1,434 |
| 31 | Middleton | Small | 1,429 | 1,391 | +2.7% | 2.72 | 1.05 | 525.4 | 1,361 |
| 32 | Chester | Small | 1,371 | 1,362 | +0.7% | 3.23 | 1.25 | 424.5 | 1,099 |
| 33 | Inverness | Small | 1,228 | 1,248 | −1.6% | 2.73 | 1.05 | 449.8 | 1,165 |
| 34 | Centreville | Small | 1,159 | 1,129 | +2.7% | 2.36 | 0.91 | 491.1 | 1,272 |
| 35 | Howie Centre | Small | 1,106 | 1,157 | −4.4% | 1.67 | 0.64 | 662.3 | 1,715 |
| 36 | Hayes Subdivision | Small | 1,044 | 1,121 | −6.9% | 1.1 | 0.42 | 949.1 | 2,458 |
| 37 | Port Williams | Small | 1,030 | 1,120 | −8.0% | 1.92 | 0.74 | 536.5 | 1,390 |

### Municipalities

Nova Scotia has four regional municipalities.
| Name | Population (2021) | Population (2016) | Change (%) | Area (km²) | Population density |
| Cape Breton | 93,694 | 94,285 | −0.6% | 2,419.70 | 38.7 |
| Halifax | 439,819 | 403,131 | +9.1% | 5,475.57 | 80.3 |
| Queens | 10,422 | 10,302 | +1.2% | 2,387.52 | 4.4 |
| West Hants | 19,509 | 19,016 | +2.6% | 1,250.5 | 15.6 |
| Total regional municipalities | 563,444 | 526,734 | +7.0% | 11,533.29 | 48.85 |

### Towns

Nova Scotia has 26 towns, not including the former Town of Canso that dissolved to become part of Guysborough County on July 1, 2012, and the former Towns of Bridgetown and Springhill which dissolved on April 1, 2015.

## Ethnic origins

Note: the percentages do not necessarily add up to 100% as multiple responses are allowed. Ethnic origins with less than 2% of the responses are not listed.
Ethnic origin (Canada 2016 Census) :
| Population group | Population | % of total population |
| Canadian | 387,360 | 42.6% |
| Scottish | 272,880 | 30.0% |
| English | 262,375 | 28.9% |
| Irish | 195,865 | 21.6% |
| French | 149,625 | 16.5% |
| German | 97,555 | 10.7% |
| First Nations (Indigenous North American) | 48,640 | 5.4% |
| Dutch | 32,045 | 3.5% |
| Métis | 26,025 | 2.9% |
| Acadian | 23,700 | 2.6% |

## Visible minorities and Indigenous peoples

Visible minority and Indigenous population (Canada 2021 Census) :
| Population group | Population group | Population | % |
| European | European | 809,995 | 84.7% |
| Visible minority group | South Asian | 21,655 | 2.3% |
| Visible minority group | Chinese | 11,600 | 1.2% |
| Visible minority group | Black | 28,220 | 3.0% |
| Visible minority group | Filipino | 6,615 | 0.7% |
| Visible minority group | Arab | 10,610 | 1.1% |
| Visible minority group | Latin American | 2,915 | 0.3% |
| Visible minority group | Southeast Asian | 2,400 | 0.3% |
| Visible minority group | West Asian | 1,875 | 0.2% |
| Visible minority group | Korean | 2,845 | 0.3% |
| Visible minority group | Japanese | 985 | 0.1% |
| Visible minority group | Visible minority, n.i.e. | 970 | 0.1% |
| Visible minority group | Multiple visible minorities | 2,750 | 0.3% |
| Total visible minority population | Total visible minority population | 93,430 | 9.8% |
| Indigenous group | First Nations (North American Indian) | 28,050 | 2.9% |
| Indigenous group | Métis | 21,090 | 2.2% |
| Indigenous group | Inuk (Inuit) | 1,100 | 0.1% |
| Indigenous group | Multiple Indigenous responses | 885 | 0.1% |
| Indigenous group | Indigenous responses n.i.e. | 1,300 | 0.1% |
| Total Indigenous population | Total Indigenous population | 52,430 | 5.5% |
| Total population | Total population | 955,855 | 100.0% |

## Language
### Knowledge of languages

Knowledge of official languages of Canada in Nova Scotia (2016) :
| Language | Language | Percent | Percent |
| English only | English only | 89.17% | 89.17% |
| French only | French only | 0.08% | 0.08% |
| English and French | English and French | 10.45% | 10.45% |
| Neither English nor French | Neither English nor French | 0.30% | 0.30% |
The question on knowledge of languages allows for multiple responses. The following figures are from the 2021 Canadian Census and the 2016 Canadian Census, and lists languages that were selected by at least 0.5 per cent of respondents.
Knowledge of languages in Nova Scotia :
| Language | 2021 | 2021 | 2016 | 2016 |
| Language | Pop. | % | Pop. | % |
| English | 951,945 | 99.59% | 905,020 | 99.63% |
| French | 99,300 | 10.39% | 95,740 | 10.54% |
| Arabic | 11,745 | 1.23% | 9,685 | 1.07% |
| Hindi | 10,115 | 1.06% | N/A | <0.5% |
| Spanish | 8,675 | 0.91% | 6,990 | 0.77% |
| Mandarin | 8,525 | 0.89% | 5,435 | 0.6% |
| Punjabi | 6,730 | 0.7% | N/A | <0.5% |
| German | 6,665 | 0.7% | 6,335 | 0.7% |
| Miꞌkmaq | 5,650 | 0.59% | 5,540 | 0.61% |
| Tagalog | 5,595 | 0.59% | N/A | <0.5% |

### Mother tongue

The 2011 Canadian census showed a population of 921,727. Of the 904,285 singular responses to the census question concerning mother tongue the most commonly reported languages were:
| Ranking | Language | Population | Percentage |
| 1. | English | 836,085 | 92.46% |
| 2. | French | 31,105 | 3.44% |
| 3. | Arabic | 5,965 | 0.66% |
| 4. | Algonquian languages | 4,685 | 0.52% |
| | Mi'kmaq | 4,620 | 0.51% |
| 5. | German | 3,275 | 0.36% |
| 6. | Chinese | 2,750 | 0.30% |
| | Mandarin | 905 | 0.10% |
| | Cantonese | 590 | 0.06% |
| 7. | Dutch | 1,725 | 0.19% |
| 8. | Spanish | 1,545 | 0.17% |
| 9. | Canadian Gaelic | 1,275 | 0.14% |
| =10. | Tagalog | 1.185 | 0.13% |
| =10. | Persian | 1,185 | 0.13% |
| 11. | Polish | 825 | 0.09% |
| =12. | Korean | 815 | 0.09% |
| =12. | Russian | 815 | 0.09% |
| 14. | Italian | 790 | 0.09% |
| 15. | Greek | 775 | 0.08% |
| 16. | Scandinavian languages | 595 | 0.06% |
| | Danish | 175 | 0.02% |
| | Norwegian | 125 | 0.02% |
| | Icelandic | 120 | 0.01% |
| | Swedish | 85 | 0.01% |
| 17. | Urdu | 540 | 0.06% |
| 18. | Serbo-Croatian languages | 520 | 0.06% |
| | Croatian | 210 | 0.02% |
| | Serbo-Croatian | 105 | 0.01% |
| | Bosnian | 90 | 0.01% |
| | Serbian | 115 | 0.01% |
| 19. | Hindi | 515 | 0.06% |
| 20. | Vietnamese | 450 | 0.05% |
| 21. | Portuguese | 380 | 0.04% |
| 22. | Bengali | 375 | 0.04% |
| 23. | Panjabi | 370 | 0.04% |
| 24. | Celtic languages | 330 | 0.04% |
| 25. | Japanese | 305 | 0.03% |
| 26. | Ukrainian | 300 | 0.03% |
| 27. | Hungarian | 280 | 0.03% |
| 28. | Czech | 180 | 0.02% |
| 29. | Romanian | 170 | 0.02% |
| 30. | Gujarati | 105 | 0.01% |
There were also 275 single-language responses for Turkish; 195 for Non-verbal languages (Sign languages); 30 for Malay; 100 for Bantu languages; 70 for Kurdish; 120 for Slovak; and 5 for Estonian. Figures shown are for the number of single language responses and the percentage of total single-language responses.

## Religion

Religious groups in Nova Scotia (1981−2021) :
| Religious group | 2021 | 2021 | 2011 | 2011 | 2001 | 2001 | 1991 | 1991 | 1981 | 1981 |
| Religious group | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % |
| Christianity | 556,115 | 58.18% | 690,460 | 76.19% | 780,530 | 86.96% | 815,815 | 91.57% | 800,325 | 95.3% |
| Irreligion | 359,395 | 37.6% | 197,665 | 21.81% | 106,405 | 11.85% | 68,010 | 7.63% | 34,335 | 4.09% |
| Islam | 14,715 | 1.54% | 8,505 | 0.94% | 3,545 | 0.39% | 1,435 | 0.16% | 790 | 0.09% |
| Hinduism | 8,460 | 0.89% | 1,850 | 0.2% | 1,235 | 0.14% | 970 | 0.11% | 1,025 | 0.12% |
| Sikhism | 4,735 | 0.5% | 390 | 0.04% | 270 | 0.03% | 330 | 0.04% | 275 | 0.03% |
| Buddhism | 2,955 | 0.31% | 2,205 | 0.24% | 1,735 | 0.19% | 1,485 | 0.17% | 420 | 0.05% |
| Judaism | 2,195 | 0.23% | 1,805 | 0.2% | 2,120 | 0.24% | 1,950 | 0.22% | 2,010 | 0.24% |
| Indigenous spirituality | 1,090 | 0.11% | 570 | 0.06% | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Other | 6,195 | 0.65% | 2,720 | 0.3% | 1,720 | 0.19% | 960 | 0.11% | 525 | 0.06% |
| Total responses | 955,855 | 98.6% | 906,175 | 98.31% | 897,570 | 98.85% | 890,950 | 99% | 839,800 | 99.1% |
| Total population | 969,383 | 100% | 921,727 | 100% | 908,007 | 100% | 899,942 | 100% | 847,442 | 100% |

## Migration
### Immigration

Nova Scotia Immigration Statistics$^{:114–115}$$^{:239}$$^{:108}$ :
| Year | Immigrant percentage | Immigrant population | Total population |
| 1861 | 10.9% | 36,151 | 330,857 |
| 1881 | 6.3% | 27,713 | 440,572 |
| 1891 | 5.8% | 26,315 | 450,396 |
| 1901 | 5.3% | 24,402 | 459,574 |
| 1911 | 7.4% | 36,375 | 492,338 |
| 1921 | 8.3% | 43,505 | 523,837 |
| 1931 | 8.2% | 41,797 | 512,846 |
| 1941 | 7% | 40,741 | 577,962 |
| 1951 | 4.5% | 28,680 | 642,584 |
| 1961 | 4.6% | 34,168 | 737,007 |
| 1971 | 4.7% | 37,190 | 788,960 |
The 2021 census reported that immigrants (individuals born outside Canada) comprise 71,570 persons or 7.5 percent of the total population of Nova Scotia.
Immigrants in Nova Scotia by country of birth :
| Country of Birth | 2021 | 2021 | 2016 | 2016 | 2011 | 2011 | 2006 | 2006 | 2001 | 2001 |
| Country of Birth | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % |
| United Kingdom | 11,930 | 16.7% | 11,270 | 20.2% | 11,000 | 22.8% | 11,660 | 25.8% | 10,800 | 26.1% |
| United States | 7,570 | 10.6% | 7,375 | 13.2% | 8,275 | 17.1% | 7,960 | 17.6% | 8,065 | 19.5% |
| India | 5,605 | 7.8% | 2,225 | 4% | 1,415 | 2.9% | 1,440 | 3.2% | 1,140 | 2.8% |
| Philippines | 4,755 | 6.6% | 2,575 | 4.6% | 1,325 | 2.7% | 420 | 0.9% | 495 | 1.2% |
| China | 4,320 | 6% | 2,830 | 5.1% | 1,710 | 3.5% | 1,740 | 3.9% | 1,025 | 2.5% |
| Syria | 2,420 | 3.4% | 1,150 | 2.1% | 185 | 0.4% | 135 | 0.3% | 180 | 0.4% |
| Germany | 2,375 | 3.3% | 2,600 | 4.7% | 2,385 | 4.9% | 2,850 | 6.3% | 2,455 | 5.9% |
| Nigeria | 1,745 | 2.4% | 350 | 0.6% | 215 | 0.4% | 165 | 0.4% | 105 | 0.3% |
| Lebanon | 1,565 | 2.2% | 1,365 | 2.5% | 1,590 | 3.3% | 1,265 | 2.8% | 1,460 | 3.5% |
| Netherlands | 1,465 | 2% | 1,645 | 3% | 1,530 | 3.2% | 1,830 | 4% | 1,975 | 4.8% |
| Total immigrants | 71,570 | 7.5% | 55,680 | 6.1% | 48,275 | 5.3% | 45,190 | 5% | 41,315 | 4.6% |
| Total responses | 955,855 | 98.6% | 908,340 | 98.3% | 906,175 | 98.3% | 903,090 | 98.9% | 897,570 | 98.9% |
| Total population | 969,383 | 100% | 923,598 | 100% | 921,727 | 100% | 913,462 | 100% | 908,007 | 100% |

### Recent immigration

The 2021 Canadian census counted a total of 21,385 people who immigrated to Nova Scotia between 2016 and 2021.
Recent immigrants to Nova Scotia by Country of birth (2016 to 2021) :
| Country of Birth | Population | % recent immigrants |
| India | 3,665 | 17.1% |
| Philippines | 2,325 | 10.9% |
| Syria | 2,140 | 10% |
| China | 2,045 | 9.6% |
| Nigeria | 1,445 | 6.8% |
| United States | 880 | 4.1% |
| United Kingdom | 730 | 3.4% |
| South Korea | 580 | 2.7% |
| Pakistan | 375 | 1.8% |
| Egypt | 375 | 1.8% |
| Total | 21,385 | 100% |

### Interprovincial migration

From 1971 to 2011, Nova Scotia had a persistent negative trend in net interprovincial migration. Combined with a declining birth rate, this posed a significant demographic challenge for the province, as its population was projected to decline. The destination for Nova Scotia migrants was most often Ontario, until the turn of the 21st century when Alberta became a more popular destination; New Brunswick ranks as a distant third.
Interprovincial migration in Nova Scotia :
| | In-migrants | Out-migrants | Net migration |
| 2008–09 | 15,467 | 16,218 | −751 |
| 2009–10 | 15,172 | 14,560 | 612 |
| 2010–11 | 14,553 | 14,594 | −41 |
| 2011–12 | 14,410 | 17,276 | −2,866 |
| 2012–13 | 12,630 | 16,147 | −3,517 |
| 2013–14 | 13,402 | 15,973 | −2,571 |
| 2014–15 | 13,854 | 16,165 | −2,311 |
| 2015–16 | 15,107 | 14,353 | 754 |
| 2016–17 | 15,339 | 12,500 | 2,839 |
| 2017–18 | 15,509 | 12,461 | 3,048 |
| 2018–19 | 17,324 | 14,018 | 3,306 |
Source: Statistics Canada

## Employment

As of February 2019, the unemployment rate for the province is 6.4 percent. Halifax Regional Municipality 4.9 percent

## Income

Median household income :
| By county | By community |
| RankCounty2011 1Halifax County$62,049 2Hants County$60,186 3Antigonish County$57,577 Nova Scotia$53,606 4Inverness County$53,194 5Kings County$51,850 6Richmond County$50,745 7Colchester County$50,568 8Pictou County$50,417 9Lunenburg County$48,154 10Yarmouth County$47,676 11Victoria County$47,413 12Cape Breton County$47,224 13Queens County$45,050 14Shelburne County$44,267 15Cumberland County$43,385 16Annapolis County$43,522 17Digby County$42,293 18Guysborough County$42,063 | RankCommunity2011 1Halifax Regional Municipality$62,069 2Port Hawkesbury$61,013 Nova Scotia$53,606 3Stewiacke$52,118 4Mahone Bay$49,158 5Wolfville$48,671 6Hantsport$48,584 7Clark's Harbour$48,102 8Cape Breton Regional Municipality$47,830 9Stellarton$46,307 10Antigonish$45,538 11Kentville$45,098 12New Glasgow$44,942 13Westville$44,647 14Middleton$44,048 15Annapolis Royal$43,956 16Trenton$42,535 17Pictou$41,905 18Truro$41,878 19Windsor$41,859 20Amherst$41,027 21Bridgewater$40,049 22Berwick$39,674 23Lunenburg$39,529 24Bridgetown$38,248 25Oxford$37,734 26Springhill$36,995 27Mulgrave$36,200 28Canso$35,574 29Shelburne$35,526 30Yarmouth$34,572 31Lockeport$33,854 32Digby$33,437 33Parrsboro$27,472 |