Nova Scotia Statistics

Statistics Canada released the final results of the 2021 Census of Population on November 30, 2022.

The 2021 Census of Population, conducted in May, 2021, counted Nova Scotia’s population to be 969,383. This compares to the official population estimate of 985,238  as of July 1, 2021. 

The difference in these numbers is because some people were counted more than once in the Census and many more were missed.  Several factors contribute to this in attempting to count almost 37 million people living in over 16 million dwellings for a one day snapshot of Canada’s population. 

Net under-coverage, the official term for those not counted in the Census, for Nova Scotia  was 1.89% for the 2016 Census of Population. Undercoverage rates for the 2021 Census will not likely be available until some time in 2023.

Highlights of the 2016 Census, as well as a few historical comparisons, are included on other pages of this website.  Many of these will be updated to reflect the 2021 Census results over the next few weeks. Your comments and questions are welcome.

For additional information, look at:

Changes in Population

Measures of Poverty

Seniors Focus

Statistical Resources