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December 19, 2019NOVA SCOTIA QUARTERLY POPULATION ESTIMATES AS OF OCTOBER 1, 2019 
Nova Scotia’s population increased by 5,373 between July 1 and October 1, 2019. The population as of October 1, 2019 was 976,768, the highest population for Nova Scotia on record. Since April 1, 2015 Nova Scotia's population has increased by 40,497. This quarter's increase reflects an increase in immigrants, net non-permanent residents and net interprovincial migration more than offsetting the natural population change.
There are seasonal patterns in quarterly population changes, particularly evident in births and international migration. In recent years, the third quarter has been the strongest quarter of the year for population growth. This quarter's population change is the largest for the third quarter since Statistics Canada began using the current demographic accounting system (1971), and the second highest quarterly change since these records were kept.
In the last quarter, Nova Scotia’s population increased by 0.55 per cent compared to the July 1 estimate, the same pace as the national population. The quarterly increase at the national level is the largest quarterly increase in the period covered by modern demographic estimates. Compared with October 1, 2018 Nova Scotia’s population has increased by 1.28 per cent, or 12,339, while the national population grew by 1.50 per cent.
In recent years, immigration from other countries has been a strong contributor to population growth in Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia received 2,471 immigrants during the third quarter of 2019. Quarterly immigration continues to be higher than historical averages. Immigration in Q3 2019 is the highest level for any quarter for data that begins 1946 Q1.
Net non-permanent residents can be a key component of quarterly demographic growth. In this quarter, Nova Scotia saw a net gain of 2,084 non-permanent residents since July 1, 2019.
Nova Scotia’s natural population change (the number of births, less the number of deaths) has been negative for several years. Births are typically higher in the third quarter of the year, leading to the quarter showing the smallest decline compared to other quarters. Between July 1, 2019 and September 30, 2019, there were 2,316 births and 2,406 deaths, amounting to a natural population decline of 90.
Interprovincial migration has historically shown a net outflow of Nova Scotia's population to other provinces. However, over the past four years, the population has grown through interprovincial movements. This quarter, Nova Scotia had a net inflow interprovincially of 1,090 persons similar to the gains in Q3 of 2018 and 2017. There were net inflows from six provinces.
Out-migration from Nova Scotia to other provinces increased compared to the third quarter of 2018. Out-migration increased to Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia. Out-migration to Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan declined.
Compared to Q3 2018, in-migrants to Nova Scotia increased by 271 to 4,995 for Q3 2019. There were higher levels of in-migrants from all provinces except New Brunswick, Alberta and British Columbia. In-migrants in the third quarter have been increasing steadily from Ontario in recent years, while they have been declining from Alberta.
Interprovincial migration to Nova Scotia was a net inflow of 1,090 persons in Q3 2019. The largest net inflows came from Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador and British Columbia. Quebec, New Brunswick and Alberta were the only provinces with net outflows from Nova Scotia in Q3 2019.
Source: Statistics Canada.
Table 17-10-0009-01 Population estimates, 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 17-10-0059-01 Estimates of the components of natural increase, quarterly
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