Immigration to Nova Scotia, Canada | Annual Arrivals and Census Trends
In 2025, Nova Scotia was the destination for 9,175 new permanent residents.
- In 2025, 393,530 new permanent residents were admitted to Canada, 2.3% of them landed in Nova Scotia.
- From 2020 to 2025, Nova Scotia was the chosen destination for 60,595 new immigrants (permanent residents).
- The immigration data highlights a growing trend pre-pandemic levels, a sharp decline in 2020, a strong rebound leading up to 2024, and a decline by 2025.
Source: IRCC
Immigration to Nova Scotia in Recent Years
Since 2020, immigration has been a primary driver of population growth in Nova Scotia, helping the province surpass one million residents by late 2021 and sustain expansion through much of the post-pandemic period. Annual permanent resident arrivals rose notably, reaching record highs such as over 12,000 in 2022 and around 11,000 in 2024, with international migration offsetting natural population decline and supporting economic needs in sectors like healthcare, technology, and education. This influx, combined with interprovincial movers, fueled robust quarterly gains until federal policy adjustments in 2024 and 2025 led to a sharp reduction in non-permanent residents, including international students and temporary workers. As a result, the province experienced its first population decline since 2020 in the third quarter of 2025, though permanent immigration continued to provide a net positive contribution amid the overall slowdown.
IMMIGRATION TO NOVA SCOTIA – ANIMATED CHARTS
