2025 provincial population data

Letter to the Editor of allnovascotia.com
Published: 2 January 2026
Larry Hughes

One of Premier Houston's earliest bold visions was to double Nova Scotia's population by 2060.

This would have seen the population rising from about 1 million in 2021 to 2 million in 2060.

To meet this goal, the province's population would need to increase at a rate of about 25,000 a year (about the population of Yarmouth County).

In 2022 and 2023, the province appeared to be on track to meet the Premier's goal; population grew by 25,355 and 31,233, respectively, with the arrival of immigrants and Canadians from other provinces and territories.

However, this rate of growth proved to be unsustainable due to, for example, the lack of adequate housing, the shortage of trained health professionals, and the high cost of living. Consequently, the province's annual population growth fell to 19,888 and 16,871 in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

If growth rates return to Statistics Canada's long-term projections for the province (to 2049), the province will fall far short of doubling its population by 2060.

Nova Scotia's actual population and projections (Premier's and Statistic Canada's lowest, median, and highest)

The provincial government needs to understand that bold visions without sufficient preparation will be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve.