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September 23, 2026NOVA SCOTIA QUARTERLY POPULATION ESTIMATES AS OF JULY 1, 2026 
Nova Scotia's population was 1,103,419 as of July 1, 2026, a gain of 4,020 (+0.37%) from April 1, 2026.
From April 1 to June 30, 2026 natural population change continues to be negative as deaths (2,878) outnumber births (2,030). Natural population change has been negative for every quarter since 2016.
The number of immigrants (2,879) substantially outnumbered net emigrants (285) while the number of non-permanent residents leaving Nova Scotia (2,552) was outpaced by the number entering the province (3,863), leading to a net increase of 1,311 in Nova Scotia's non-permanent residents.
The number people moving into Nova Scotia from another province or territory (6,668) exceeded the number of Nova Scotians moving away to another province (5,705), resulting in a net interprovincial inflow of 963 persons.
Nova Scotia's population gain of 4,020 (+0.37%) from April 1 to June 30, 2026 exceeded the gain from last quarter.
From April 1 to June 30, 2026 Nova Scotia’s population increased 0.37%, exceeding the national gain. All provinces recorded population gains, the fastest being in New Brunswick.
Nova Scotia's population grew 0.75% (+8,262) from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026. Nationally, the population grew by 0.46% over the last year, with gains in all provinces. Alberta reported the fastest growth rate while British Columbia reported the slowest.
This was the eleventh consecutive increase in Nova Scotia's year-over-year population.
From July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, international sources added to the population as immigration (9,564) combined with non-permanent resident entries (13,001) offset net emigration (1,310) plus exit of non-permanent residents (13,358).
Natural change reduced Nova Scotia's population by 3,498 as deaths (11,557) exceeded births (8,059).
The number people moving into Nova Scotia from another province or territory (19,322) exceeded the number of Nova Scotians moving away to another province (15,459) by 3,863.
Nova Scotia’s natural population change (the number of births less the number of deaths) has been negative in every quarter since 2016. Between April 1 and June 30, 2026 there were 2,030 births and 2,878 deaths, amounting to a natural population decline of 848. The decline in the April-June period 2026 was larger than in the same periods of 2023, 2024, and 2025.
From July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, there were 8,059 births, which were outnumbered by 11,557 deaths, resulting in a natural population decline of 3,498.
Immigration from other countries continued to be contribute to Nova Scotia's population growth. For the period April 1 to June 30, 2026 an additional 2,879 immigrants came to the province, a higher rate for the same period last year. Over the past year (July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026) 9,564 immigrants have arrived in Nova Scotia.
From April 1 to June 30, 1,311 more non-permanent residents entered Nova Scotia than the number that left. The number of non-permanent residents arriving in Nova Scotia was 3,863 while 2,552 non-permanent residents left the province.
In the period July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 there was a net decrease of 357 non-permanent residents in Nova Scotia with 13,001 non-permanent resident entries and 13,358 non-permanent resident exits.
From April 1 to June 30, there has been a net increase in Nova Scotia's non-permanent residents following two consecutive quarterly declines.
A total of 6,668 new Nova Scotians arrived in the province from other parts of Canada between April 1 to June 30, 2026. This was the slowest pace of in-migration for the same period since 2020. From July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, 19,322 interprovincial migrants arrived in Nova Scotia.
A total of 5,705 Nova Scotians left the province bound for other parts of Canada between April and June 30, 2026 - a pace that has consistent since the same periods over 2022-2025. Over the past year (July 1 2025 to June 30, 2026), Nova Scotia has seen 15,459 interprovincial outmigrants.
From April 1 to June 30, 2026 Nova Scotia's net interprovincial migration generated a net inflow of +963. From July 1 2025 to June 30, 2026, Nova Scotia's net interprovincial migration was positive (+3,863). With slowing in-migration, Nova Scotia's net interprovincial migration flows have decelerated in the last two years.
For April 1 to June 30, 2026 Ontario continued to account for the largest number of in-migrants to Nova Scotia, however this pace slowed substantially from the pace observed in the same periods from the previous five years. There have been notable slow-downs for in-migration to Nova Scotia from Newfoundland and Labrador as well as New Brunswick, however these trends were reversed in the most recent data. In-migration from British Columbia and Alberta continue to show declines.
Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and New Brunswick were the largest destinations for those leaving Nova Scotia between April 1 and June 30 of 2026. Out-migration was up compared to the same quarter in the previous year for most provinces and territories except Ontario, British Columbia, and Northwest Territories.
From April 1 to June 30, 2026, Nova Scotia's net interprovincial population gain reflected net inflows from most provinces and territories except New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Nunavut.
From July, 2025 to June 30, 2026, the largest source of interprovincial in-migration was from Ontario (8,525), which was lower than in any of the previous seven years. In-migration was higher from all provinces and territories except New Brunswick, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Québec and Nunavut compared to the previous year.
From July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026, the top three destinations for outmigration from Nova Scotia were Ontario, Alberta and New Brunswick. Compared to the previous year, Nova Scotia out-migration decreased for all of the provinces and territories except Prince Edward Island, Yukon, Nunavut, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
Ontario contributed the most substantial positive net interprovincial migration from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 (+2,100). There was also positive net interprovincial migration with: New Brunswick (+516), Québec (+426), Prince Edward Island (+207), British Columbia (+572), Newfoundland and Labrador (+313), Manitoba (+193), and Northwest Territory (+108). Alberta reported the largest net outmigration with Nova Scotia (-427) along with smaller net out-migrations to Saskatchewan (-19), Yukon (-26), and Nunavut (-100).
Non-permanent residents
The number of non-permanent residents in Nova Scotia was 55,701 as of July 1, 2026. This was up 1,311 from April 1, 2026 and down 1,657 from the peak population of non-permanent residents on October 1, 2025 (57,358). Non-permanent residents most often hold work permits (35,238), study permits (10,708), or both work and study permits (5,042). The largest declines in the last quarter were among work and study permit holders (-156).
Asylum claimants, both with and without study/work permits, were 1,484 as of July 1, 2026.
There were 3,229 other non-permanent residents who are typically family members living with permit holders or persons with temporary resident permits.
Non-permanent residents accounted for 5.0% of Nova Scotia's population as of July 1, 2026. Nationally, non-permanent residents make up 6.7% of the population with the highest shares in British Columbia (8.2%) and Ontario (7.7%) and lowest shares in Newfoundland and Labrador (3.0%) and Saskatchewan (3.8%).
For the period April 1 to June 30, 2026 the non-permanent resident population in Nova Scotia grew 2.4%, while a decline of 0.7% was experienced nationally. The fastest increase was recorded in New Brunswick (+6.2%) and the fastest decline was experienced in Ontario (-1.5%)
The non-permanent resident population in Nova Scotia fell 0.6% from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026. Nationally, the non-permanent resident population decreased 5.3% with declines in all provinces except New Brunswick. Manitoba (-7.8%) reported the steepest year-over-year decline in non-permanent residents.
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 17-10-0009-01 Population estimates, quarterly; Table 17-10-0059-01 Estimates of the components of natural increase, quarterly; Table 17-10-0020-01 Estimates of the components of interprovincial migration, quarterly; Table 17-10-0040-01 Estimates of the components of international migration, quarterly; Table 17-10-0045-01 Estimates of interprovincial migrants by province or territory of origin and destination, quarterly; Table 17-10-0121-01 Estimates of the number of non-permanent residents by type, quarterly
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