The number of people living in Nova Scotia has reached record levels largely thanks to a significant increase in the number of immigrants settling there.
A new report from Statistics Canada shows that the province’s population has increased by about 4,900 people since April 2015, bringing its total population to about 947,000.
The report stated that the increase in Nova Scotia was mainly driven by international migration. In fact, the figures show that the province’s natural population change — the number of births against the number of deaths — continues to decline, with 2,005 births and 2,543 deaths in the first three months of this year.
Meanwhile, the figures show that 1,849 immigrants arrived in the province during the first quarter of 2016 – the largest number on record for a single quarter.
In terms of intra-provincial migration, 33 more people left Nova Scotia to settle in another Canadian province than those who arrived to live there.
A recent report noted that immigration is key to maintaining and improving Nova Scotia’s economic strength, and recommended that the number of immigrants arriving to live in the province each year should be tripled.