Nova Scotia
Province or territory · Population 969,383
People and homes
Who lives here and what homes are like, from the 2021 Census. Shown for context: these figures are never part of a score.
Who lives here
- Median age
- 45.6 years
- Canada: 41.6 years, 2016: 45.5 years
- Average household size
- 2.2
- Canada: 2.4, 2006: 2.4 · 2011: 2.3 · 2016: 2.3
- Moved home in the last 5 years
- 36.5%
- Canada: 39%, 2006: 33.2% · 2016: 32.7%
Age
- Ages 0 to 14Canada: 16.3%14.1%2016: 14.5%
- Ages 15 to 24Canada: 11.4%11%2016: 11.6%
- Ages 25 to 44Canada: 26.6%24.2%2016: 23.2%
- Ages 45 to 64Canada: 26.7%28.6%2016: 30.8%
- Ages 65 and overCanada: 19%22.2%2016: 19.9%
Households
- Couples with childrenCanada: 25.3%20.7%2011: 24.4%
- Couples without childrenCanada: 25.6%29.4%2011: 28.9%
- One-parent familiesCanada: 8.7%9%2011: 9.4%
- People living aloneCanada: 29.3%30.8%2016: 29.5%
- Other householdsCanada: 11%10.1%2011: 9.4%
Education and languages
Highest education, ages 25 to 64
- No certificate, diploma or degreeCanada: 9.9%10%2016: 12.2%
- High school diplomaCanada: 23%24.4%2016: 23.5%
- Apprenticeship or trades certificateCanada: 9.6%8.8%2016: 10.6%
- College, CEGEP or other certificateCanada: 24.6%26.9%2016: 28.2%
- University degree (bachelor's or higher)Canada: 32.9%29.8%2016: 25.5%
Knowledge of English and French
- Speak English onlyCanada: 69%89.3%2016: 89.2%
- Speak French onlyCanada: 11.2%0.1%2016: 0.1%
- Speak English and FrenchCanada: 18%10.3%2016: 10.5%
- Speak neither English nor FrenchCanada: 1.9%0.3%2016: 0.3%
Mother tongue
- Mother tongue EnglishCanada: 54.9%88.8%2016: 91%
- Mother tongue FrenchCanada: 19.6%2.9%2016: 3.2%
- Mother tongue another language, or more than oneCanada: 25.5%8.4%2016: 5.8%
Homes
- Condominiums
- 3.8%
- Canada: 15%, 2016: 3.3%
Owners and renters
- OwnersCanada: 66.5%66.8%2016: 68.7%
- RentersCanada: 33.1%32.6%2016: 30.7%
- Band or local government housing0.7%2016: 0.6%
Types of homes
- Single-detached housesCanada: 52.6%63.7%2016: 65.5%
- Semi-detached housesCanada: 5%5%2016: 5.1%
- Row housesCanada: 6.5%2.6%2016: 2.5%
- Duplex apartmentsCanada: 5.5%3.1%2016: 3.1%
- Apartments under 5 storeysCanada: 18.3%15.1%2016: 14.5%
- Apartments of 5 storeys or moreCanada: 10.7%6.7%2016: 5.3%
- Other dwellings (incl. mobile homes)Canada: 1.5%3.7%2016: 3.9%
When homes were built
- Built 1960 or beforeCanada: 20.2%25.9%
- Built 1961 to 1980Canada: 27.9%27.3%
- Built 1981 to 2000Canada: 25.3%26.3%
- Built 2001 to 2015Canada: 19.8%15.4%
- Built 2016 to 2021Canada: 6.9%5.2%
Getting to work
Main way to work
- Car, truck or vanCanada: 83.9%87.4%2016: 85.4%
- Public transitCanada: 7.7%4.1%2016: 6.4%
- WalkCanada: 5.2%5.6%2016: 6.3%
- BicycleCanada: 1.1%0.5%2016: 0.6%
- Other wayCanada: 2.2%2.3%2016: 1.4%
Statistics Canada, 2021