Demographics of Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia (Latin for New Scotland; Mi'kmaq: Enmigtaqamu'g; 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 km² (20,395.73 sq mi). As of April 2024, it has a population of 1,072,545 people.^[1]

Canada Nova Scotia Density 2016

History

View source data.

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

Source:^[2] Statistics Canada ^[3][4]
* among provinces.
** Preliminary 2006 census estimate.

Population geography

Population centres

Main article: List of population centres in Nova Scotia

The Halifax population centre is the largest urban area in Nova Scotia. Statistics Canada recognizes a total of 37 population centres in the province.^[5]

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.^[6]

Rank	Population centre[6]	Size group[6]	Population (2021)[6]	Population (2016)[6]	Change[6]	Land area[6]		Population density[6]
						km2	sq mi	/km2	/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)[7]	Population (2016)[7]	Change (%)[7]	Area (km²)[7]	Population density[7]
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

Main article: List of towns in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia has 25 towns.

Towns of Nova Scotia
Name	2021 Census of Population[8]
	Population (2021)	Population (2016)	Change	Land area		Population density
				km2	sq mi	/km2	/sq mi
Amherst	9,404	9,713	−3.2%	12.07	4.66	779.1	2,018
Annapolis Royal	530	491	+7.9%	1.98	0.76	267.7	693
Antigonish	4,656	4,364	+6.7%	4.98	1.92	934.9	2,421
Berwick	2,455	2,509	−2.2%	6.53	2.52	384.2	995
Bridgewater	8,790	8,532	+3.0%	13.63	5.26	644.9	1,670
Clark's Harbour	725	758	−4.4%	2.82	1.09	257.1	666
Digby	2,001	2,060	−2.9%	3.16	1.22	633.2	1,640
Kentville	6,630	6,271	+5.7%	17.08	6.59	388.2	1,005
Lockeport	476	531	−10.4%	2.32	0.90	205.2	531
Lunenburg	2,396	2,263	+5.9%	4.04	1.56	593.1	1,536
Mahone Bay	1,064	1,036	+2.7%	3.12	1.20	341.0	883
Middleton	1,873	1,832	+2.2%	5.55	2.14	337.5	874
Mulgrave	627	722	−13.2%	17.83	6.88	35.2	91
New Glasgow	9,471	9,075	+4.4%	9.96	3.85	950.9	2,463
Oxford	1,170	1,190	−1.7%	10.68	4.12	109.6	284
Pictou	3,107	3,186	−2.5%	7.99	3.08	388.9	1,007
Port Hawkesbury	3,210	3,214	−0.1%	8.1	3.1	396.3	1,026
Shelburne	1,644	1,743	−5.7%	8.75	3.38	187.9	487
Stellarton	4,007	4,208	−4.8%	8.99	3.47	445.7	1,154
Stewiacke	1,557	1,373	+13.4%	17.62	6.80	88.4	229
Trenton	2,407	2,474	−2.7%	6.07	2.34	396.5	1,027
Truro	12,954	12,261	+5.7%	37.52	14.49	345.3	894
Westville	3,540	3,628	−2.4%	14.24	5.50	248.6	644
Wolfville	5,057	4,195	+20.5%	6.46	2.49	782.8	2,027
Yarmouth	6,829	6,518	+4.8%	10.57	4.08	646.1	1,673
Total	96,580	93,847	+2.9%	242.06	93.46	399.0	1,033
Province of Nova Scotia	969,383	923,598	+5.0%	52,824.71	20,395.73	18.35	47.5

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.^[9]

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

Largest Pan-Ethnic Group in Nova Scotia by Census Division Based on the 2021 Census

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

Language

Knowledge of languages

Knowledge of official languages of Canada in Nova Scotia (2016)
Language			Percent
English only			89.17%
French only			0.08%
English and French			10.45%
Neither English nor French			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[11]		2016
	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

Mother tongue in Nova Scotia: Red – majority anglophone, Orange – mixed, Blue – majority francophone, Brown- majority mi'kmaw.

The 2021 Canadian census showed a population of 969,383.
Of the 941,105 singular responses to the census question concerning mother tongue the most commonly reported languages were:^[12]

Ranking	Language	Population	Percentage
1.	English	851,545	90.48%
2.	French	27,340	2.91%
3.	Arabic	7,960	0.85%
4.	Mandarin	6,730	0.72%
5.	Punjabi	4,550	0.48%
6.	Tagalog	3,240	0.34%
7.	Mi'kmaq	3,145	0.33%
8.	German	3,050	0.32%
9.	Spanish	2,680	0.28%
10.	Korean	2,340	0.25%
11.	Hindi	2,035	0.22%
12.	Malayalam	1,975	0.21%
13.	Russian	1,735	0.18%
14.	Persian	1,435	0.15%
15.	Dutch	1,395	0.15%
16.	Portuguese	1,305	0.14%
17.	Yue (Cantonese)	1,250	0.13%
18.	Gujarati	1,160	0.12%
19.	Urdu	965	0.10%
20.	Vietnamese	950	0.10%
21.	Bengali	890	0.09%
22.	Polish	870	0.09%
23.	Telugu	750	0.08%
24.	Italian	730	0.08%
25.	Greek	710	0.08%
26.	Serbo-Croatian	580	0.06%
27.	Tamil	555	0.06%

Religion

Largest non-Christian religions in Nova Scotia (2021 census)

Majority religion in Nova Scotia by county

Religious groups in Nova Scotia (1981−2021)

Religious group	2021[13]		2011[14]		2001[15]		1991[16]		1981[17]
	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 (1861–2021)
Census year	Immigrant percentage	Immigrant population	Total responses	Total population	Source(s)
1861 Census of Nova Scotia	10.93%	36,151	330,857	330,857	[18]: 114–115 [19]: 346
1871 Canadian census	8.37%	32,456	387,800	387,800	[20]: 336 [21]: 28
1881 Canadian census	6.29%	27,713	440,572	440,572	[22]: 239
1891 Canadian census	5.84%	26,315	450,396	450,396	[22]: 239
1901 Canadian census	5.31%	24,402	459,574	459,574	[22]: 239
1911 Canadian census	7.39%	36,375	492,338	492,338	[22]: 239
1921 Canadian census	8.31%	43,505	523,837	523,837	[23]: 108 [22]: 239
1931 Canadian census	8.15%	41,797	512,846	512,846	[24]: 540 [25]: 710 [26]: 446 [27]: 374 [23]: 108
1941 Canadian census	7.05%	40,741	577,962	577,962	[28][29][30]: 282–343 [23]: 108
1951 Canadian census	4.46%	28,680	642,584	642,584	[31]: 675–676 [23]: 108
1961 Canadian census	4.64%	34,168	737,007	737,007	[32][33][34][23]: 108
1971 Canadian census	4.71%	37,190	788,960	788,960	[35][36][37][23]: 108
1981 Canadian census	4.97%	41,715	839,800	847,442	[38][39][40][41][42][43]
1986 Canadian census	4.68%	40,465	864,150	873,176	[44][45][46][47][48]
1991 Canadian census	4.39%	39,110	890,950	899,942	[44][49][50]
1996 Canadian census	4.66%	41,955	899,970	909,282	[51][52][44][53][54]
2001 Canadian census	4.6%	41,315	897,570	908,007	[55][52][56]
2006 Canadian census	5%	45,190	903,090	913,462	[57][58]
2011 Canadian census	5.33%	48,275	906,175	921,727	[59][60]
2016 Canadian census	6.13%	55,680	908,340	923,598	[61][62][63]
2021 Canadian census	7.49%	71,570	955,855	969,383	[64][65][66]

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.^[64][65]

Immigrants in Nova Scotia by country of birth

Country of birth	2021 census [64][65][66]		2016 census [61][62][63]		2011 census [59][60]		2006 census [57][58]		2001 census [55][52][56]		1996 census [51][52][44][53][54]		1991 census [44][49][50]		1986 census [44][45][46][47][48]		1981 census [38][39][40][41][42][43]		1971 census [35][36][37]		1961 census [32][33][34]		1951 census [31]: 675–676		1941 census [28][29][30]: 282–343		1931 census [24]: 540 [25]: 710 [26]: 446 [27]: 374
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	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%	12,210	29.1%	12,045	30.8%	13,445	33.2%	14,190	34%	13,965	37.6%	14,429	42.2%	13,180	46%	12,316	30.2%	13,552	32.4%
United States	7,570	10.6%	7,375	13.2%	8,275	17.1%	7,960	17.6%	8,065	19.5%	8,815	21%	9,485	24.3%	9,905	24.5%	11,335	27.2%	8,780	23.6%	7,389	21.6%	7,555	26.3%	8,633	21.2%	7,222	17.3%
India	5,605	7.8%	2,225	4%	1,415	2.9%	1,440	3.2%	1,140	2.8%	1,370	3.3%	1,190	3%	1,175	2.9%	1,140	2.7%	890	2.4%	119	0.3%	86	0.3%	66	0.2%	80	0.2%
Philippines	4,755	6.6%	2,575	4.6%	1,325	2.7%	420	0.9%	495	1.2%	460	1.1%	245	0.6%	235	0.6%	245	0.6%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
China & Taiwan	4,500[b]	6.3%	3,055[c]	5.5%	2,145[d]	4.4%	1,830[e]	4%	1,150[f]	2.8%	910[g]	2.2%	620[h]	1.6%	560[i]	1.4%	520[j]	1.2%	510	1.4%	358	1%	331	1.2%	286	0.7%	297	0.7%
Syria & Lebanon	3,985[k]	5.6%	2,520[l]	4.5%	1,780[m]	3.7%	1,400[n]	3.1%	1,640[o]	4%	1,305[p]	3.1%	1,125[q]	2.9%	975[r]	2.4%	995	2.4%	—	—	—	—	—	—	336	0.8%	365	0.9%
Germany & Austria	2,485[s]	3.5%	2,745[t]	4.9%	2,530[u]	5.2%	2,995[v]	6.6%	2,660[w]	6.4%	2,505[x]	6%	1,880[y]	4.8%	2,275[z]	5.6%	2,745[aa]	6.6%	2,950	7.9%	1,771	5.2%	453	1.6%	514	1.3%	635	1.5%
Nigeria & Ghana	1,935[ab]	2.7%	525[ac]	0.9%	365[ad]	0.8%	255[ae]	0.6%	165[af]	0.4%	165[ag]	0.4%	145	0.4%	115	0.3%	80	0.2%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Netherlands	1,465	2%	1,645	3%	1,530	3.2%	1,830	4%	1,975	4.8%	2,070	4.9%	2,000	5.1%	2,105	5.2%	1,945	4.7%	1,910	5.1%	2,222	6.5%	607	2.1%	95	0.2%	29	0.1%
Russia & Ukraine	1,320[ah]	1.8%	930[ai]	1.7%	725[aj]	1.5%	385[ak]	0.9%	310[al]	0.8%	365[am]	0.9%	240[am]	0.6%	230[am]	0.6%	345[am]	0.8%	495[am]	1.3%	762[am]	2.2%	901[am]	3.1%	831[am]	2%	852[am]	2%
South Korea	1,220	1.7%	865	1.6%	570	1.2%	425	0.9%	310	0.8%	180	0.4%	95	0.2%	20	0%	20	0%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Jamaica & Trinidad and Tobago	1,045[an]	1.5%	705[ao]	1.3%	390[ap]	0.8%	410[aq]	0.9%	375[ar]	0.9%	415[as]	1%	505[at]	1.3%	535[au]	1.3%	465	1.1%	335	0.9%	401[av]	1.2%	444[av]	1.5%	500[av]	1.2%	564[av]	1.3%
Iran	1,040	1.5%	970	1.7%	910	1.9%	400	0.9%	220	0.5%	185	0.4%	220	0.6%	180	0.4%	50	0.1%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Egypt	970	1.4%	765	1.4%	570	1.2%	670	1.5%	260	0.6%	405	1%	175	0.4%	105	0.3%	75	0.2%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Former Yugoslavia	950	1.3%	730	1.3%	430	0.9%	670	1.5%	635	1.5%	640	1.5%	215	0.5%	210	0.5%	150	0.4%	160	0.4%	195	0.6%	111	0.4%	134	0.3%	245	0.6%
Pakistan	900	1.3%	615	1.1%	345	0.7%	450	1%	235	0.6%	390	0.9%	150	0.4%	135	0.3%	160	0.4%	85	0.2%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Poland	765	1.1%	625	1.1%	575	1.2%	970	2.1%	730	1.8%	655	1.6%	960	2.5%	700	1.7%	550	1.3%	665	1.8%	834	2.4%	930	3.2%	1,054	2.6%	1,262	3%
South Africa	710	1%	460	0.8%	310	0.6%	320	0.7%	160	0.4%	225	0.5%	225	0.6%	185	0.5%	120	0.3%	—	—	58	0.2%	26	0.1%	50	0.1%	37	0.1%
France & Belgium	680[aw]	1%	720[ax]	1.3%	545[ay]	1.1%	710[az]	1.6%	620[ba]	1.5%	585[bb]	1.4%	525[bc]	1.3%	660[bd]	1.6%	700[be]	1.7%	815	2.2%	860	2.5%	635	2.2%	752	1.8%	951	2.3%
Vietnam	675	0.9%	450	0.8%	450	0.9%	375	0.8%	535	1.3%	515	1.2%	510	1.3%	495	1.2%	480	1.2%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Israel & Palestine	625	0.9%	505	0.9%	280	0.6%	155	0.3%	225	0.5%	145	0.3%	25	0.1%	80	0.2%	55	0.1%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Australia & New Zealand	590	0.8%	430	0.8%	410	0.8%	440	1%	345	0.8%	320	0.8%	210	0.5%	245	0.6%	215	0.5%	255	0.7%	132	0.4%	86	0.3%	108	0.3%	82	0.2%
Ireland	555	0.8%	475	0.9%	635	1.3%	425	0.9%	375	0.9%	350	0.8%	480	1.2%	375	0.9%	185	0.4%	335	0.9%	1,006	2.9%	796	2.8%	880	2.2%	990	2.4%
Kenya & Tanzania & Uganda	555[bf]	0.8%	285[bg]	0.5%	260[bh]	0.5%	245[bi]	0.5%	190[bj]	0.5%	165[bk]	0.4%	145[bl]	0.4%	80[bm]	0.2%	160	0.4%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Kuwait	545	0.8%	615	1.1%	695	1.4%	780	1.7%	770	1.9%	535	1.3%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Bangladesh	540	0.8%	315	0.6%	335	0.7%	135	0.3%	10	0%	15	0%	0	0%	5	0%	10	0%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Saudi Arabia	500	0.7%	370	0.7%	335	0.7%	255	0.6%	230	0.6%	90	0.2%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Italy	490	0.7%	525	0.9%	480	1%	540	1.2%	575	1.4%	560	1.3%	670	1.7%	715	1.8%	725	1.7%	900	2.4%	830	2.4%	466	1.6%	606	1.5%	742	1.8%
Scandinavia[bn]	440	0.6%	495	0.9%	470	1%	460	1%	560	1.4%	555	1.3%	485	1.2%	535	1.3%	590	1.4%	780	2.1%	698	2%	617	2.2%	687	1.7%	690	1.7%
Brazil	440	0.6%	175	0.3%	65	0.1%	25	0.1%	80	0.2%	45	0.1%	30	0.1%	15	0%	45	0.1%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Iraq	440	0.6%	525	0.9%	455	0.9%	250	0.6%	240	0.6%	140	0.3%	55	0.1%	10	0%	10	0%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Ethiopia & Eritrea	400[bo]	0.6%	320[bp]	0.6%	205[bq]	0.4%	140[br]	0.3%	100[bs]	0.2%	155	0.4%	30	0.1%	45	0.1%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Jordan	385	0.5%	395	0.7%	285	0.6%	170	0.4%	100	0.2%	35	0.1%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Sri Lanka	375	0.5%	310	0.6%	190	0.4%	95	0.2%	205	0.5%	200	0.5%	95	0.2%	45	0.1%	30	0.1%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Mexico	355	0.5%	330	0.6%	185	0.4%	185	0.4%	75	0.2%	95	0.2%	75	0.2%	65	0.2%	15	0%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Hong Kong	350	0.5%	280	0.5%	290	0.6%	280	0.6%	470	1.1%	540	1.3%	345	0.9%	165	0.4%	265	0.6%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
DR Congo & Cameroon	345[bt]	0.5%	180[bu]	0.3%	105[bv]	0.2%	40[bw]	0.1%	25[bx]	0.1%	15[by]	0%	30	0.1%	10	0%	0	0%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
United Arab Emirates	330	0.5%	265	0.5%	195	0.4%	105	0.2%	205	0.5%	65	0.2%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Turkey	320	0.4%	270	0.5%	170	0.4%	85	0.2%	110	0.3%	90	0.2%	105	0.3%	175	0.4%	50	0.1%	—	—	—	—	—	—	8	0%	4	0%
Sudan & South Sudan	315	0.4%	130	0.2%	90	0.2%	65	0.1%	70	0.2%	0	0%	5	0%	0	0%	0	0%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Romania	310	0.4%	180	0.3%	190	0.4%	130	0.3%	135	0.3%	85	0.2%	70	0.2%	40	0.1%	45	0.1%	30	0.1%	61	0.2%	57	0.2%	106	0.3%	174	0.4%
Greece	300	0.4%	510	0.9%	355	0.7%	550	1.2%	635	1.5%	545	1.3%	580	1.5%	560	1.4%	745	1.8%	550	1.5%	411	1.2%	129	0.4%	108	0.3%	96	0.2%
Japan	300	0.4%	225	0.4%	135	0.3%	185	0.4%	50	0.1%	115	0.3%	30	0.1%	30	0.1%	45	0.1%	45	0.1%	15	0%	7	0%	13	0%	6	0%
Switzerland	290	0.4%	210	0.4%	215	0.4%	215	0.5%	130	0.3%	145	0.3%	60	0.2%	120	0.3%	70	0.2%	55	0.1%	46	0.1%	32	0.1%	35	0.1%	23	0.1%
Colombia	270	0.4%	175	0.3%	290	0.6%	115	0.3%	10	0%	0	0%	15	0%	5	0%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Guyana	255	0.4%	170	0.3%	170	0.4%	125	0.3%	150	0.4%	100	0.2%	55	0.1%	130	0.3%	65	0.2%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Czech Republic & Slovakia	250	0.3%	210	0.4%	135	0.3%	250	0.6%	245	0.6%	215	0.5%	185	0.5%	240	0.6%	240	0.6%	285	0.8%	231	0.7%	227	0.8%	272	0.7%	373	0.9%
Portugal	235	0.3%	220	0.4%	120	0.2%	220	0.5%	215	0.5%	215	0.5%	270	0.7%	310	0.8%	245	0.6%	110	0.3%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
El Salvador & Guatemala & Nicaragua	215[bz]	0.3%	175[ca]	0.3%	80[cb]	0.2%	55[cc]	0.1%	65[cd]	0.2%	105[ce]	0.3%	260[cf]	0.7%	15[cg]	0%	20	0%	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Hungary	215	0.3%	110	0.2%	185	0.4%	230	0.5%	210	0.5%	185	0.4%	260	0.7%	235	0.6%	285	0.7%	260	0.7%	351	1%	201	0.7%	302	0.7%	421	1%
Total immigrants	71,570	7.5%	55,680	6.1%	48,275	5.3%	45,190	5%	41,315	4.6%	41,955	4.7%	39,110	4.4%	40,465	4.7%	41,715	5%	37,190	4.7%	34,168	4.6%	28,680	4.5%	40,741	7%	41,797	8.2%
Total responses	955,855	98.6%	908,340	98.3%	906,175	98.3%	903,090	98.9%	897,570	98.9%	899,970	99%	890,950	99%	864,150	99%	839,800	99.1%	788,960	100%	737,007	100%	642,584	100%	577,962	100%	512,846	100%
Total population	969,383	100%	923,598	100%	921,727	100%	913,462	100%	908,007	100%	909,282	100%	899,942	100%	873,176	100%	847,442	100%	788,960	100%	737,007	100%	642,584	100%	577,962	100%	512,846	100%

Recent immigration

The 2021 Canadian census counted a total of 21,385 people who immigrated to Nova Scotia between 2016 and 2021.^[64][65]

Recent immigrants to Nova Scotia by Country of birth (2016 to 2021)[64][65]
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%
Bangladesh	350	1.6%
Jamaica	325	1.5%
Ukraine	265	1.2%
Brazil	260	1.2%
South Africa	225	1.1%
Saudi Arabia	225	1.1%
Iran	220	1%
Russia	205	1%
Vietnam	205	1%
Germany	185	0.9%
Israel	180	0.8%
Jordan	175	0.8%
Lebanon	175	0.8%
Sudan	160	0.7%
Democratic Republic of the Congo	160	0.7%
Total recent immigrants	21,385	100%

Interprovincial migration

Net cumulative interprovincial migration per Province from 1997 to 2017, as a share of population of each Provinces

Main article: Interprovincial migration in Canada

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.^[67]

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^[68]

Income

Median household income

By county

By community

Rank County 2011[69] 1 Halifax County $62,049 2 Hants County $60,186 3 Antigonish County $57,577 Nova Scotia $53,606 4 Inverness County $53,194 5 Kings County $51,850 6 Richmond County $50,745 7 Colchester County $50,568 8 Pictou County $50,417 9 Lunenburg County $48,154 10 Yarmouth County $47,676 11 Victoria County $47,413 12 Cape Breton County $47,224 13 Queens County $45,050 14 Shelburne County $44,267 15 Cumberland County $43,385 16 Annapolis County $43,522 17 Digby County $42,293 18 Guysborough County $42,063

Rank Community 2011[69] 1 Halifax Regional Municipality $62,069 2 Port Hawkesbury $61,013 Nova Scotia $53,606 3 Stewiacke $52,118 4 Mahone Bay $49,158 5 Wolfville $48,671 6 Hantsport $48,584 7 Clark's Harbour $48,102 8 Cape Breton Regional Municipality $47,830 9 Stellarton $46,307 10 Antigonish $45,538 11 Kentville $45,098 12 New Glasgow $44,942 13 Westville $44,647 14 Middleton $44,048 15 Annapolis Royal $43,956 16 Trenton $42,535 17 Pictou $41,905[ch] 18 Truro $41,878 19 Windsor $41,859 20 Amherst $41,027 21 Bridgewater $40,049 22 Berwick $39,674 23 Lunenburg $39,529 24 Bridgetown $38,248[ch] 25 Oxford $37,734[ch] 26 Springhill $36,995[ch] 27 Mulgrave $36,200 28 Canso $35,574 29 Shelburne $35,526 30 Yarmouth $34,572 31 Lockeport $33,854[ch] 32 Digby $33,437 33 Parrsboro $27,472[ch]

Notes

1. Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an Indigenous identity.
2. China: 4,320 / Taiwan: 180
3. China: 2,830 / Taiwan: 225
4. China: 1,710 / Taiwan: 435
5. China: 1,740 / Taiwan: 90
6. China: 1,025 / Taiwan: 125
7. China: 870 / Taiwan: 40
8. China: 585 / Taiwan: 35
9. China: 510 / Taiwan: 50
10. China: 240 / Taiwan: 280
11. Syria: 2,420 / Lebanon: 1,565
12. Syria: 1,150 / Lebanon: 1,370
13. Syria: 185 / Lebanon: 1,595
14. Syria: 135 / Lebanon: 1,265
15. Syria: 180 / Lebanon: 1,460
16. Syria: 50 / Lebanon: 1,255
17. Syria: 65 / Lebanon: 1,060
18. Syria: 50 / Lebanon: 925
19. Germany: 2,375 / Austria: 110
20. Germany: 2,600 / Austria: 145
21. Germany: 2,385 / Austria: 145
22. Germany: 2,850 / Austria: 145
23. Germany: 2,455 / Austria: 205
24. Germany: 2,375 / Austria: 130
25. Germany: 1,740 / Austria: 140
26. Germany: 2,160 / Austria: 115
27. Germany: 2,630 / Austria: 115
28. Nigeria: 1,745 / Ghana: 190
29. Nigeria: 350 / Ghana: 175
30. Nigeria: 215 / Ghana: 150
31. Nigeria: 165 / Ghana: 90
32. Nigeria: 105 / Ghana: 60
33. Nigeria: 105 / Ghana: 60
34. Russia: 705 / Ukraine: 615
35. Russia: 590 / Ukraine: 340
36. Russia: 485 / Ukraine: 240
37. Russia: 225 / Ukraine: 160
38. Russia: 215 / Ukraine: 95
39. Includes total persons born in all republics of the Soviet Union.
40. Jamaica: 760 / Trinidad and Tobago: 285
41. Jamaica: 485 / Trinidad and Tobago: 220
42. Jamaica: 185 / Trinidad and Tobago: 205
43. Jamaica: 170 / Trinidad and Tobago: 240
44. Jamaica: 155 / Trinidad and Tobago: 220
45. Jamaica: 190 / Trinidad and Tobago: 225
46. Jamaica: 230 / Trinidad and Tobago: 275
47. Jamaica: 250 / Trinidad and Tobago: 285
48. All individuals born in the British West Indies.
49. France: 485 / Belgium: 195
50. France: 610 / Belgium: 110
51. France: 395 / Belgium: 150
52. France: 530 / Belgium: 180
53. France: 485 / Belgium: 135
54. France: 410 / Belgium: 175
55. France: 345 / Belgium: 180
56. France: 430 / Belgium: 230
57. France: 495 / Belgium: 205
58. Kenya: 355 / Tanzania: 60 / Uganda: 140
59. Kenya: 125 / Tanzania: 50 / Uganda: 110
60. Kenya: 125 / Tanzania: 75 / Uganda: 60
61. Kenya: 110 / Tanzania: 75 / Uganda: 60
62. Kenya: 125 / Tanzania: 20 / Uganda: 45
63. Kenya: 65 / Tanzania: 40 / Uganda: 60
64. Kenya: 60 / Tanzania: 30 / Uganda: 55
65. Kenya: 20 / Tanzania: 30 / Uganda: 30
66. Includes Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
67. Ethiopia: 275 / Eritrea: 125
68. Ethiopia: 190 / Eritrea: 130
69. Ethiopia: 170 / Eritrea: 35
70. Ethiopia: 125 / Eritrea: 15
71. Ethiopia: 90 / Eritrea: 10
72. DR Congo: 265 / Cameroon: 80
73. DR Congo: 150 / Cameroon: 30
74. DR Congo: 50 / Cameroon: 55
75. DR Congo: 30 / Cameroon: 10
76. DR Congo: 25 / Cameroon: 0
77. DR Congo: 15 / Cameroon: 0
78. El Salvador: 85 / Guatemala: 100 / Nicaragua: 30
79. El Salvador: 95 / Guatemala: 45 / Nicaragua: 35
80. El Salvador: 45 / Guatemala: 35 / Nicaragua: 0
81. El Salvador: 35 / Guatemala: 10 / Nicaragua: 10
82. El Salvador: 25 / Guatemala: 30 / Nicaragua: 10
83. El Salvador: 70 / Guatemala: 20 / Nicaragua: 15
84. El Salvador: 165 / Guatemala: 85 / Nicaragua: 10
85. El Salvador: 0 / Guatemala: 0 / Nicaragua: 15
86. 2011 Census data unavailable, data taken from the 2006 Census.

See also

• Demographics of Canada
• Population of Canada by province and territory