Population of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. The province’s mainland is the Nova Scotia peninsula, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and including numerous bays and estuaries. Nova Scotia is the seventh most populous province of Canada and It’s the second smallest province by area. As per the Canada Census Bureau, the population of Nova Scotia in 2021 is 969,383 and its estimated population in 2024 is 1,072,545 or 1 million.
Source: Statistics Canada
Nova Scotia Population 2016-2021
Nova Scotia has a population growth rate of 5% during 2016-2021. It has population increase of 45,785 since 2016.
| Nova Scotia | Census 2021 |
| Total Population | 969,383 |
| Percentage Change since 2016 | 5% |
| Population Rank | 7th |
| Total Land Area | 52,825 sq. km (20,441 sq mi) |
| Area Rank | 12th |
| Population Density | 18.4/km2 (47.6/sq mi) |
| Capital City | Halifax |
| Largest City | Halifax |
Source: Statistics Canada
Nova Scotia Historical Population
Nova Scotia has a population growth rate during 2016-2020 of 7.41%. In 1901 Population of Nova Scotia was 0.27 million & Year 2021 it reached 1 million, an increase of almost 1 million. Let’s look at population & percentage change from the Year 1851 to 2021.
| Year | Population | Actual Change | Percentage Change |
| 1851 | 276,854 | – | – |
| 1861 | 330,857 | 54,003 | 19.51% |
| 1871 | 387,800 | 56,943 | 17.21% |
| 1881 | 440,572 | 52,772 | 13.61% |
| 1891 | 450,396 | 9,824 | 2.23% |
| 1901 | 459,574 | 9,178 | 2.04% |
| 1911 | 492,338 | 32,764 | 7.13% |
| 1921 | 523,837 | 31,499 | 6.40% |
| 1931 | 512,846 | -10,991 | -2.10% |
| 1941 | 577,962 | 65,116 | 12.70% |
| 1951 | 642,584 | 64,622 | 11.18% |
| 1956 | 694,717 | 52,133 | 8.11% |
| 1961 | 737,007 | 42,290 | 6.09% |
| 1966 | 756,039 | 19,032 | 2.58% |
| 1971 | 788,965 | 32,926 | 4.36% |
| 1976 | 828,570 | 39,605 | 5.02% |
| 1981 | 847,442 | 18,872 | 2.28% |
| 1986 | 873,175 | 25,733 | 3.04% |
| 1991 | 899,942 | 26,767 | 3.07% |
| 1996 | 909,282 | 9,340 | 1.04% |
| 2001 | 908,007 | -1,275 | -0.14% |
| 2006 | 913,462 | 5,455 | 0.60% |
| 2011 | 921,727 | 8,265 | 0.90% |
| 2016 | 923,598 | 1,871 | 0.20% |
| 2021 | 969,383 | 45,785 | 5% |
Source: Statistics Canada
Nova Scotia Ethnic composition
The ethnic origin most often reported in Nova Scotia was Canadian followed by Scottish, English, Irish, French & German. 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.
read in detail about race and ethnicity in Nova Scotia
Top cities in Nova Scotia by population
Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of Nova Scotia and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada As of 2021, it has a population is 439,819 people. Next comes Cape Breton which is Nova Scotia’s second-largest municipality and the economic heart of Cape Breton Island. As of 2021, the municipality has a population of 93,694. It’s followed by Kings (47,918), Colchester (36,044), and Lunenburg (25,545).
| # | City/Town | Pop 2021 |
| 1 | Halifax | 439,819 |
| 2 | Cape Breton | 93,694 |
| 3 | Kings | 47,918 |
| 4 | Colchester | 36,044 |
| 5 | Lunenburg | 25,545 |
| 6 | East Hants | 22,892 |
| 7 | Pictou | 20,676 |
| 8 | Cumberland | 19,964 |
| 9 | West Hants | 19,509 |
| 10 | Annapolis | 18,834 |
| 11 | Antigonish | 15,101 |
| 12 | Inverness | 13,239 |
| 13 | Truro | 12,954 |
| 14 | Chester | 10,693 |
| 15 | Queens | 10,422 |
| 16 | Yarmouth | 10,067 |
| 17 | New Glasgow | 9,471 |
| 18 | Amherst | 9,404 |
| 19 | Bridgewater | 8,790 |
| 20 | Richmond | 8,509 |
Source: Statistics Canada 2021
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