Nova Scotia Profile
A comprehensive demographic breakdown using data from the 2021 Statistics Canada Census.
National Rank:7 of 10
Nova Scotia Population
Total Population (2021)
969,383
Total Population (2016)
923,598
Population Growth
+5.0% (+45,785)
Growth Rank
#4 of 10Same geo level
Male
48.7%471,730
Female
51.3%497,650
Male-to-Female Ratio
0.948
Average Age
44.2
Median Age
45.6
Age Rank
#8 of 10Same geo level
Population Age Distribution
0–4
40,340(4.2%)
5–9
47,070(4.9%)
10–14
49,300(5.1%)
15–19
48,180(5.0%)
20–24
58,005(6.0%)
25–29
60,430(6.2%)
30–34
59,575(6.1%)
35–39
57,755(6.0%)
40–44
56,420(5.8%)
45–49
59,200(6.1%)
50–54
63,775(6.6%)
55–59
77,080(8.0%)
60–64
76,935(7.9%)
65–69
68,395(7.1%)
70–74
59,435(6.1%)
75–79
39,325(4.1%)
80–84
25,130(2.6%)
85+
23,035(2.4%)
Nova Scotia Households
Household Size
Average Household Size
2.2
Total Private Dwellings
476,007
Occupied Private Dwellings
428,228
Size Distribution
1 Person
131,850 (30.8%)
2 Persons
166,475 (38.9%)
3 Persons
61,700 (14.4%)
4 Persons
45,700 (10.7%)
5+ Persons
22,500 (5.3%)
Household Composition
Couples with children
88,670(20.7%)
Couples without children
125,945(29.4%)
One-parent families
38,415(9.0%)
One-person households
131,850(30.8%)
Multigenerational
8,620(2.0%)
Multiple-family
1,570(0.4%)
Nova Scotia Incomes
Summary
Avg. Household Income
$72,500After tax
Median Household Income
$62,400After tax
Avg. Individual Income
$39,160After tax
Median Individual Income
$33,600After tax
Income Rank
#8 of 10Same geo level
Income Composition
Market Income
79.0%
Employment Income
62.3%
Government Transfers
21.0%
Individual Income Distribution
Under $10k
65,365(8.3%)
$10k–$20k
102,030(12.9%)
$20k–$30k
140,270(17.7%)
$30k–$40k
111,240(14.0%)
$40k–$50k
96,235(12.1%)
$50k–$60k
72,270(9.1%)
$60k–$70k
52,910(6.7%)
$70k–$80k
40,055(5.1%)
$80k–$90k
32,100(4.1%)
$90k–$100k
23,205(2.9%)
$100k+
56,580(7.1%)
Nova Scotia Employment
Labour Force
Employment Rate
51.9%
Unemployment Rate
12.7%
Total Labour Force
487,260
Employed
425,190
Unemployed
62,070
Not in Labour Force
332,055
Low Income Prevalence
Overall Low-Income Rate
14.9%
Children (0–17)
17.3%
Adults (18–64)
12.5%
Seniors (65+)
19.7%
Gini Coefficient (Total)
0.3270 = perfect equality
Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)
0.282
Nova Scotia Languages
Language Knowledge
English Only
856,200 (89.3%)
French Only
605 (0.1%)
English & French
98,940 (10.3%)
Neither
3,245 (0.3%)
Mother Tongue
English
851,545 (88.8%)
French
27,340 (2.9%)
Non-official languages
62,220 (6.5%)
Top Mother Tongue Languages
English
851,545(88.8%)
French
27,340(2.9%)
Arabic
7,960(0.8%)
Mandarin
6,730(0.7%)
Punjabi
4,550(0.5%)
Tagalog
3,240(0.3%)
Spanish
2,680(0.3%)
Korean
2,340(0.2%)
Hindi
2,035(0.2%)
Russian
1,735(0.2%)
Cities & Towns in Nova Scotia
All 22 census subdivisions in Nova Scotia, sorted by population (2021). Click any column header to re-sort.
| # | Location↕ | Population (2021)↓ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Halifax | 439,819 |
| 2 | Cape Breton | 93,694 |
| 3 | Lunenburg | 25,545 |
| 4 | East Hants | 22,892 |
| 5 | Kings | 22,355 |
| 6 | Colchester | 19,806 |
| 7 | West Hants | 19,509 |
| 8 | Truro | 12,954 |
| 9 | Colchester | 12,476 |
| 10 | Chester | 10,693 |
| 11 | Queens | 10,422 |
| 12 | Yarmouth | 10,067 |
| 13 | New Glasgow | 9,471 |
| 14 | Amherst | 9,404 |
| 15 | Bridgewater | 8,790 |
| 16 | Argyle | 7,870 |
| 17 | Clare | 7,678 |
| 18 | Digby | 7,242 |
| 19 | Yarmouth | 6,829 |
| 20 | Kentville | 6,630 |
| 21 | Barrington | 6,523 |
| 22 | Wolfville | 5,057 |
Discover More Insights
Compare Nova Scotia with other Canadian locations to see how it stacks up against similar population centers.