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Ethnic Origin in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia the seventh-largest Canadian Province by population has a racially and ethnically diverse population. Ethnic origin refers to the ethnic or cultural origins of the respondent’s ancestors. About 250 ethnic origins were reported in Canada’s 2021 census. The Ethnic Origin most often reported is Scottish, English, Irish, and French.
European origins (84.7%) are the most common and prevalent among the population of Nova Scotia. Aboriginals are 5.5% of Nova Scotia’s Population. First Nations, Metis and Inuit are major Aboriginal people groups.
Almost 9.8% of the population of Nova Scotia belongs to a visible minority group. The main Visible minority communities are Black, South Asian, Chinese, Filipino, Latino, and Arab.
also read about the Population of Nova Scotia
Source: Statistics Canada 2021
Nova Scotia population by Race
European origin is most prevalent with 84.7% of Nova Scotia’s Population. The ethnic origin most often reported in Nova Scotia was Scottish, English, Irish, and French.
Let’s look at the top Ethnic Origins in Nova Scotia
| # | Origin | Pop. 2021 | % of Total |
| 1 | Scottish | 257,200 | 26.91% |
| 2 | English | 217,915 | 22.80% |
| 3 | Irish | 195,660 | 20.47% |
| 4 | Canadian | 151,300 | 15.83% |
| 5 | French origins | 113,830 | 11.91% |
| 6 | German | 86,860 | 9.09% |
| 7 | Acadian | 49,200 | 5.15% |
| 8 | First Nations (North American Indian) | 40,720 | 4.26% |
| 9 | British Isles | 32,180 | 3.37% |
| 10 | Dutch | 27,375 | 2.86% |
| 11 | Nova Scotian | 25,500 | 2.67% |
| 12 | Mi’kmaq origins | 22,105 | 2.31% |
| 13 | Métis | 18,310 | 1.92% |
| 14 | Welsh | 18,140 | 1.90% |
| 15 | Italian | 16,575 | 1.73% |
| 16 | Indian (India) | 14,310 | 1.50% |
| 17 | Chinese | 11,520 | 1.21% |
| 18 | Polish | 11,295 | 1.18% |
| 19 | Ukrainian | 9,625 | 1.01% |
| 20 | African | 8,335 | 0.87% |
| 21 | Cape Bretoner | 7,830 | 0.82% |
| 22 | Newfoundlander | 7,540 | 0.79% |
| 23 | Lebanese | 7,285 | 0.76% |
| 24 | American | 6,875 | 0.72% |
| 25 | French Canadian | 6,065 | 0.63% |
| 26 | Norwegian | 6,010 | 0.63% |
| 27 | Filipino | 5,790 | 0.61% |
| 28 | Russian | 4,490 | 0.47% |
| 29 | Black | 4,420 | 0.46% |
| 30 | Swedish | 4,060 | 0.42% |
| 31 | Spanish | 4,015 | 0.42% |
| 32 | African Nova Scotian | 3,810 | 0.40% |
| 33 | Danish | 3,730 | 0.39% |
| 34 | Jewish | 3,655 | 0.38% |
| 35 | Arab | 3,450 | 0.36% |
| 36 | Greek | 3,180 | 0.33% |
| 37 | Portuguese | 2,990 | 0.31% |
| 38 | Hungarian | 2,985 | 0.31% |
| 39 | Belgian | 2,975 | 0.31% |
| 40 | Swiss | 2,905 | 0.30% |
| 41 | Syrian | 2,650 | 0.28% |
| 42 | Korean | 2,550 | 0.27% |
| 43 | Celtic | 2,110 | 0.22% |
| 44 | Austrian | 1,995 | 0.21% |
| 45 | Jamaican | 1,860 | 0.19% |
| 46 | Inuit origins | 1,855 | 0.19% |
| 47 | Québécois | 1,820 | 0.19% |
| 48 | Punjabi | 1,720 | 0.18% |
| 49 | Hindu | 1,500 | 0.16% |
| 50 | Ontarian | 1,400 | 0.15% |
Source: Statistics Canada 2021
*”Canadian” as an ethnic group has since 1996 been added to census questionnaires for possible ancestral origin or descent. “The Respondents generally are visibly European (Anglophones and Francophones) and no longer self-identify with their ethnic ancestral origins. This response is attributed to a multitude or generational distance from ancestral lineage.
Visible minorities and Aboriginals in Nova Scotia
As per the Census 2021, about 9.8% of the population of Nova Scotia belongs to a visible minority group & total number of Aboriginals people was 5.5%
Visible minority populations
Almost 9.77% of the population of Nova Scotia belongs to a visible minority group. Black, South Asians, Chinese, Arab, Filipino, etc. are the main visible minorities.
| # | Visible minority Group | Pop. 2021 | % of Total Pop. |
| 1 | Black | 28220 | 2.95% |
| 2 | South Asian | 21650 | 2.26% |
| 3 | Chinese | 11595 | 1.21% |
| 4 | Arab | 10605 | 1.11% |
| 5 | Filipino | 6615 | 0.69% |
| 6 | Latin American | 2910 | 0.30% |
| 7 | Korean | 2840 | 0.30% |
| 8 | Southeast Asian | 2405 | 0.25% |
| 9 | West Asian | 1875 | 0.20% |
| 10 | Japanese | 985 | 0.10% |
| 11 | Others | 970 | 0.10% |
| 12 | Multiple visible minorities | 2750 | 0.29% |
| Total | 93430 | 9.77% |
Aboriginal populations
Around 5.5% of the population of Nova Scotia belongs to Indigenous People.
| Aboriginal group | Pop. 2021 | Percentage |
| First Nations | 28,050 | 2.94% |
| Métis | 21,090 | 2.20% |
| Inuit | 1,100 | – |
| Multiple Aboriginal identities | 885 | – |
| Aboriginal, n.i.e. | 1,300 | 0 |
| Total Aboriginal population | 52,430 | 5.5% |
Source: Statistics Canada 2021
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