Nova Scotia Profile
This profile summarizes Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021 data for Nova Scotia — population, households, income, employment, languages, and dwellings. See our sources & methodology page for attribution and the Open Government Licence - Canada.
National Rank:7 of 10
Level:Province
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%)
Nova Scotia Dwellings
Dwelling Type
Single-detached
272,980(63.7%)
Semi-detached
21,605(5.0%)
Row house
11,220(2.6%)
Duplex
13,165(3.1%)
Apt. < 5 storeys
64,575(15.1%)
Apt. ≥ 5 storeys
28,650(6.7%)
Other attached
700(0.2%)
Movable
15,345(3.6%)
Cities & towns in Nova Scotia
| Location | Population | Growth | Avg Age | Median HH Income | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Halifax | 439,819 | +9.1% | 41.3 | $69,500 | 58.1% |
| Cape Breton | 93,694 | -0.6% | 46.9 | $55,600 | 41.7% |
| Lunenburg | 25,545 | +2.7% | 48.7 | $60,800 | 47.9% |
| East Hants | 22,892 | +2.0% | 42.5 | $72,000 | 57.8% |
| Kings | 22,355 | +0.5% | 43.7 | $62,000 | 52.6% |
| Colchester | 19,806 | +1.4% | 45.6 | $62,000 | 52.7% |
| West Hants | 19,509 | +2.6% | 45.9 | $61,200 | 50.1% |
| Truro | 12,954 | +5.7% | 46.2 | $49,600 | 48.2% |
| Colchester | 12,476 | -4.7% | 44.2 | $64,500 | 52.7% |
| Chester | 10,693 | +3.7% | 49.9 | $57,600 | 45.1% |
| Queens | 10,422 | +1.2% | 50.5 | $52,400 | 38.9% |
| Yarmouth | 10,067 | +2.3% | 46.7 | $60,000 | 51.7% |
| New Glasgow | 9,471 | +4.4% | 45.9 | $52,400 | 48.2% |
| Amherst | 9,404 | -0.1% | 46.2 | $50,400 | 45.9% |
| Bridgewater | 8,790 | +3.0% | 48.5 | $51,600 | 46.4% |
| Argyle | 7,870 | -0.4% | 47.5 | $61,600 | 50.8% |
| Clare | 7,678 | -4.2% | 51 | $55,200 | 44.9% |
| Digby | 7,242 | +1.9% | 48.5 | $49,200 | 41.7% |
| Yarmouth | 6,829 | +4.8% | 46.2 | $44,400 | 44.5% |
| Kentville | 6,630 | +5.7% | 45.1 | $60,000 | 53.7% |
| Barrington | 6,523 | -1.9% | 46.6 | $59,200 | 53.5% |
| Wolfville | 5,057 | +20.5% | 44.4 | $52,000 | 47.4% |
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