Nova Scotia Census

The Nova Scotia census records before 1703 are helpful in providing a deceased person's name, age, and relatives. The census records from 1703 to 1861 list only the head of each household, with a few exceptions.

Census records beginning in 1871 are national censuses taken by the federal government. Most national censuses have been indexed. Indexes and links to them are listed at the Library and Archives Canada web site.

Earlier Census Records

 * Census Returns, Assessment and Poll Tax Records 1767-1838 Databases at the Nova Scotia Archives.

Contents of the more useful local censuses are listed below:


 * 1671 Acadia: lists names, ages, and places of origin.


 * 1686 Acadia: lists names, ages, and animals.


 * 1693 Acadia: lists names, ages, and animals.


 * 1698 Acadia: lists names, ages, and animals.


 * 1701 Acadia: lists names, ages, and animals.


 * 1752 Ile Royal: lists names, ages, and places of origin.


 * 1752 Halifax: lists head of household.


 * 1770 Many counties: lists head of household. This census has been published in:


 * Richard, Bernice C., Nova Scotia 1770 Census, Some 1773 and 1787 . . . Chicago: Chicago Genealogical Society, 1972. (Family History Library  )


 * 1817 A few counties: lists head of household.


 * 1818 Part of Cape Brenton Island. 


 * 1827 Many counties: lists head of household. It has been published.


 * 1838 Most of the province: lists head of household.


 * 1851 Only Kings, Halifax, and Pictou counties: lists head of household. An index has been published for Kings, Halifax counties (Family History Library ; ). There is also an index for Pictou county (Family History Library ).


 * 1861 Whole province: lists head of household. See the online index, Nova Scotia Census 1861 Index - FamilySearch Historical Records


 * 1871,1881 Whole province: lists all household members. The census gives each person's name, sex, age, country or province of birth, religion, occupation, and marital status. (1871 is incomplete for Shelburne County.)


 * 1891 Whole province: Lists all household members. The census lists each person's name, sex, age, marital status, relation to head of family, country or province of birth, French-Canadian descendency, place of birth of father, place of birth of mother, religion, and occupation.


 * 1901 Whole province: Lists all household members. The census lists each person's name, sex, color, relation to head of family, marital status, date of birth, country or province of birth, age at census, year of immigration to Canada, year of naturalization, nationality, religion, occupation, and native language.


 * 1911 Whole province: Lists all household members. The census lists each person's name, sex, relation to head of family, marital status, month and year of birth, age at census, country or province of birth, year of immigration to Canada, year of naturalization, racial or tribal origin, nationality, religion, and occupation.


 * 1921-Present: Censuses from 1921 to the present are not available to the public.

A source for early census records is:


 * Trahan, Charles C., Acadian Census, 1671–1752. Rayne, La.: Hebert Publications, 1994. (Family History Library ) Acadia covered what is now Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.