Nova Scotia Demographics & Population Statistics
2021 CENSUS POPULATION:
• Total Population: 971,395
• Population Density: 17.6 per km²
• Rank in Canada: 7th province
• Growth Rate: 5.0% (2016-2021)
• Urban Population: 60.1%
Age Distribution
AGE BREAKDOWN:
• 0-14 years: 13.8% (134,026)
• 15-64 years: 64.6% (627,681)
• 65+ years: 21.6% (209,688)
• Median Age: 46.8 years
• Seniors Growth: +33.4% since 2016
Cultural Composition
LANGUAGES SPOKEN AT HOME:
• English: 93.2% (905,620)
• French: 3.2% (31,085)
• Arabic: 0.8% (7,780)
• Other languages: 2.8% (27,210)
ETHNIC ORIGINS (TOP 10):
• Canadian: 35.2%
• Scottish: 29.4%
• Irish: 21.9%
• English: 21.2%
• German: 10.4%
• French: 9.8%
• Mi'kmaq: 2.7%
• Dutch: 2.1%
• American: 1.8%
• Italian: 1.6%
Immigration & Settlement
IMMIGRATION TRENDS:
• Recent Immigrants (2016-2021): 25,305
• Total Immigrants: 87,885 (9.0%)
• Top Source Countries: Philippines, China, Syria, India, UK
• Provincial Nominee Program: 4,500+ annually
RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION:
• Christian: 59.8%
• No religious affiliation: 34.6%
• Islam: 2.2%
• Other religions: 3.4%
• Hindu: 0.7%
• Jewish: 0.3%
Regional Distribution
HALIFAX REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY: 448,544 (46.2%)
CAPE BRETON REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY: 94,285 (9.7%)
KINGS COUNTY: 47,918 (4.9%)
COLCHESTER COUNTY: 51,476 (5.3%)
PICTOU COUNTY: 43,657 (4.5%)
Economic Demographics
EMPLOYMENT STATUS:
• Labour Force Participation: 59.4%
• Unemployment Rate: 7.9%
• Median Household Income: $62,850
• Average Household Income: $78,630
• Poverty Rate: 13.4%
EDUCATION LEVELS:
• No certificate/diploma: 16.4%
• High school diploma: 24.7%
• Post-secondary certificate: 25.8%
• University degree: 33.1%
Housing Statistics
DWELLING CHARACTERISTICS:
• Total Private Dwellings: 461,435
• Average Household Size: 2.3 persons
• Owner-occupied: 74.2%
• Renter-occupied: 25.8%
• Average Home Value: $312,500