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 km2 (20,395.73 sq mi). As of 2021, it has a population of 969,383 people.[1]
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Source:[2] Statistics Canada [3][4]
* among provinces.
** Preliminary 2006 census estimate.
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 |
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 |
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.[8]
This section needs to be updated.(October 2023) |
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 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% |
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.
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% |
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.[12]
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% |
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.[21]
Country of Birth | 2021[22][21] | 2016[23] | 2011[24][25] | 2006[26][27] | 2001[28][29] | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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% |
The 2021 Canadian census counted a total of 21,385 people who immigrated to Nova Scotia between 2016 and 2021.[21]
Recent immigrants to Nova Scotia by Country of birth (2016 to 2021)[21] | |||
---|---|---|---|
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% |
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.[30]
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
As of February 2019, the unemployment rate for the province is 6.4 percent. Halifax Regional Municipality 4.9 percent[31]
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