Halifax experiencing record growth, population getting younger: data

Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) continues its steady increase in population, with a four per cent annual growth in 2023, a record for the city.

Statistics Canada data shows more than 492,000 residents live in Halifax, which accounts for 58 per cent of Nova Scotia’s growth.

“We’re getting younger,” said Halifax Partnership Chief Economist Ian Munro. “The share of youth — we’re defining that as age 20 to 30 arbitrarily — that share has hit a record high in records we have going back to about 2000…And the median age has gone down again. So, in that sense, Halifax is getting to be a younger city.”

Munro says records show lots of young adults moved to HRM over the past five years, and then began starting families.

“I think we’re starting to see, you know, another generation coming here,” he said.

The median age in Halifax has gone down from 40 to 39 over the past five years, and the city has hit its highest number of births in nearly a decade.

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With the bulk of growth from 2022 to 2023 coming from international migrants, efforts to promote movement to Halifax are proving fruitful.

“There was really widespread consensus across the province that we all needed to do things to bring more people here. Bring more immigrants here, make them feel welcome, and keep them here. Keep our kids here instead of getting a degree and heading off to Toronto or Calgary or Vancouver — keep them here or entice them to come back.”

Munro says those efforts have been successful and shows in the youth numbers reported.

“Hopefully the younger people are going to be the ones that will be able to take care of that older population,” said Halifax Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Patrick Sullivan. “When I say, ‘Take care of,’ I mean through jobs. Whether it’s in health care or supporting our seniors.”

While HRM hit a record high for its youth population growth, it also saw a record high for seniors.

In preparation for an aging population, systems will need to catch up.

“I think we were caught a little bit by surprise by our own success in the population growth,” said Munro. “And that puts pressures on these other systems.”

Halifax Harbour Bridges Communication Manager Steve Proctor says his team is seeing more people coming across the bridge.

“We’re definitely planning for the doubling of the population in 50 years,” said Proctor. “So, all of our plans take that into consideration.”

Planning for growth, Halifax Harbour Bridges will be introducing all-electronic tolling within the next five years to help with traffic flow as numbers continue to grow.

“We’re seeing increases in building permits, we’re seeing increases in construction at a greater rate than other provinces,” said Sullivan. “So, I think that bodes well for the longer term.”

Munro says he would assume that growth will continue at a fairly steady pace in the coming years.