Highlights from ‘Nova Scotia population estimates by county and census subdivision – July 1, 2024’
The following statistics were released from the Economics and Statistics Division on January 16, 2025. For full details from this dataset, please click here.
- Between July 1, 2023 and July 1, 2024 Nova Scotia’s population increased by 1.88% or 19,888 persons, reaching 1,076,374 as of July 1, 2024
- Across Nova Scotia, all counties except for Digby reported population growth
- Cape Breton county had the fastest growth at 3.18%, followed by Richmond (+2.62%) and Halifax (+2.36%)
- Growth was slower in Victoria, Guysborough, Queens and Shelburne counties
- Of the 19,888 persons added to Nova Scotia’s population from July 1, 2023 to July 1, 2024, Halifax accounted for the largest portion at 11,600
- Cape Breton county accounted for the next largest amount of population increase after adding 3,473 persons to the population
- Halifax’s population has risen to 503,037 or 46.7% of the provincial population as of July 1, 2024
- Cape Breton county’s population was 112,789 and accounted for 10.5% of the provincial population
- Outside of Halifax, Hants, Lunenburg, Colchester, Antigonish and Kings counties, most parts of the province have experienced periods of population decline
- However, in recent years, population decline has stopped and reversed for all counties
Age cohorts
- Nova Scotia’s overall median age declined from 43.8 years on July 1, 2023 to 43.5 years on July 1, 2024
- Median age declined for most counties, but the decline in Cape Breton county’s median age was particularly sharp
- Only Shelburne, Queens, Hants, Pictou, Guysborough and Victoria counties reported rising median age