Indigenous people in Canada include:
- First Nations
- Metis
- Inuit/Inuk
Being a Registered or Treaty Indian, means you are officially recognized under the Indian Act of Canada, or you belong to a First Nation band that signed a treaty with the Crown. Inuit and Metis aren’t included in the Indian Act of Canada.
Nova Scotia Has the Second-Highest Indigenous Population in Atlantic Canada
In 2021, there were 52,430 Indigenous people are living in Nova Scotia. Across Canada, the were 1.8 million Indigenous people, making up about 5% of the Canadian population.
![A horizontal bar chart titled Indigenous Identity (%) by province/territory. The chart data can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Image1_6.jpg)
- In Atlantic Canada, Nova Scotia has the second-highest Indigenous population, with about 5.5% of its people identifying as Indigenous.
Most of Nova Scotia’s Indigenous Population Identifies as First Nations
Of the Indigenous population in Nova Scotia (both on and off reserve):
- First Nations – 28,050 or 53.9% of the Indigenous population
- Metis – 21, 090 or 40.2%
- Other Indigenous identities – 3,285 or 6.5%
![A pie chart titled Indigenous identities composition in Nova Scotia in 2021. The chart data can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Image2_6.jpg)
Eskasoni is the largest Mi’kmaq community in the world
![A table titled Economic Regions, Counties, and 13 Mi’kmaq First Nations in Nova Scotia. The chart data can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Image3_5.jpg)
- In Nova Scotia, most First Nations are Mi’kmaq. There are 13 Mi’kmaq First Nations based in four Economic Regions. Other First Nations have locations all over the province.
- The biggest Mi’kmaq community in the world is Eskasoni, which is in Cape Breton County. In 2021, it had 3,422 people.
![A map of Nova Scotia showing the Indigenous population by economic region. The chart data can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Image4_2.jpg)
Despite growth in numbers, the share of Indigenous population declined
- Even though there are more Indigenous people in Nova Scotia overall, their share of the total population dropped slightly from 5.7% in 2016 to 5.5% In 2021.
- The growth in the Indigenous population in the province mainly came from First Nations and people without Registered/Treaty status.
- In 2021, the number of Registered/Treaty Status Indigenous people decreased by 490 people (-2.2%) compared to 2016, while the number of people without status increased by 1,420 people (+4.4%).
- The biggest decrease was among those who identified as Metis which went down by 9.5%, or -2,220 individuals from 2016. The number of self-identifying Metis had more than doubled between 2011 and 2016.
![A table titled Status-based Indigenous Population change 2016-2021, Nova Scotia versus New Brunswick. The chart data can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Image5_1.jpg)
Indigenous people are younger than the overall population, having a lower average age
- In Nova Scotia and all across Atlantic Canada, Indigenous people are generally younger than non-indigenous people. In Nova Scotia, the average age of Indigenous people is 37, while the average age for everyone else in the province is 44.3.
![A table showing the average age of Indigenous and Non-indigenous populations in Canada, NS, PEI, NB, and NFLD. The chart data can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Image6_0.jpg)
- Compared to everyone else in Nova Scotia, Indigenous people are more likely to be younger, with more of them falling into the age groups of 0 to 14 and 15 to 24. There are fewer Indigenous people who are over 55 years old.
Age Structure of Indigenous Population – 2021 Nova Scotia
- Average age also varies by Indigenous identity and location of residence.
![A vertical bar chart titled Average age by indigenous identity and indigenous geography. The chart data can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Image9_1.jpg)
Those living off-reserve were more likely to have post-secondary education
Higher educational attainment is strongly correlated with higher income and labour market outcomes.
Post-secondary Education – Bachelor’s Degree or More in 2021
![A vertical bar chart titled Post-secondary Education – Bachelor’s Degree or More in 2021. The chart data can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.](/sites/default/files/inline-images/Image10.jpg)
- About 30% of non-Indigenous people in Nova Scotia had bachelor's degree or higher, while only about 19% of Indigenous people do.
- Among those with a bachelor’s degree or higher, about 17% live on reserve, compared to 20% living off-reserve.
- Only about 14% of Indigenous men have a bachelor’s degree or higher, whereas about 26% of non-Indigenous men do. Among those living on reserve, only about 8% of men have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 14% living off reserve.
- For women, about 23% both those on and off reserve have a bachelor’s degree or higher, while it is about 35% for non-Indigenous women.
Source: Statistics Canada 2021 Census