Archived Content

Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please contact us to request a format other than those available.

Focus on Geography Series, 2011 Census

Census agglomeration of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

Map of Cape Breton

Interactive version of map

Population, 2011 and 2006 censuses

Chart A description: Cape Breton, CA - Population, 2011 and 2006 censuses

Prov. rank

Nat. rank

In 2011, the population of Cape Breton census agglomeration (CA) was 101,619, representing a percentage change of -4.1% from 2006. This compares to the national growth of 5.9% and to the average growth among all CAs of 4.2%.

In Cape Breton, the land area is 2,470.60 square kilometres with a population density of 41.1 persons per square kilometre. This compares to the national land area of 8,965,121.42 square kilometres with a population density of 3.7 persons per square kilometre. The land area of all CAs is 232,264.62 square kilometres with 18.56 persons per square kilometre.

In total, there were 42,325 private dwellings occupied by usual residents in Cape Breton in 2011. The change in private dwellings occupied by usual residents from 2006 was -1.8%. For Canada as a whole, the number of private dwellings occupied by usual residents increased 7.1%.

Population and dwelling counts

Census subdivisions in the Cape Breton CA

Table 1 Cape Breton CA – Census subdivisions, population change, 2006 to 2011
Census subdivision (CSD) name	Type	Population
Census subdivision (CSD) name	Type	2011	2006	% change
Cape Breton	RGM	97,398	102,250	-4.7
Eskasoni 3	IRI	3,309	2,952	12.1
Membertou 28B	IRI	912	726	25.6

Census metropolitan areas (CMAs) or census agglomerations (CAs) in Nova Scotia

Table 2 Nova Scotia – Metropolitan areas, population rank and population change, 2006 to 2011
CMA or CA name	Type	Population			Rank
CMA or CA name	Type	2011	2006	% change	Nat.	Prov.
Halifax	CMA	390,328	372,858	4.7	13	1
Cape Breton	CA	101,619	105,928	-4.1	36	2
Truro	CA	45,888	45,077	1.8	67	3
New Glasgow	CA	35,809	36,288	-1.3	78	4
Kentville	CA	26,359	25,969	1.5	97	5

Age and sex

Cape Breton – Age distribution

Chart C: Cape Breton - Population by broad age groups

Chart C description: Cape Breton - Population by broad age groups

Table 3 Cape Breton – Age distributions by broad age groups and sex, 2011 Census
Age groups	Both sexes	Males	Females
0 to 14	14.5%	15.6%	13.5%
15 to 64	66.2%	67.0%	65.5%
65 and over	19.3%	17.4%	21.1%

In 2011, the percentage of the population aged 65 and over in Cape Breton was 19.3%, compared with a national percentage of 14.8%. The percentage of the working age population (15 to 64) was 66.2% and the percentage of children aged 0 to 14 was 14.5%. In comparison, the national percentages were 68.5% for the population aged 15 to 64 and 16.7% for the population aged 0 to 14.

Cape Breton – Population by broad age groups and sex

Table 4 Cape Breton – Population by broad age groups and sex, and population change between 2006 and 2011, 2006 to 2011 censuses
Broad age groups by sex	Population
Broad age groups by sex	2011	2006	change	% change
Both sexes
Total	101,620	105,925	-4,305	-4.1
0 to 14	14,720	16,650	-1,930	-11.6
15 to 64	67,250	70,490	-3,240	-4.6
65 and over	19,650	18,785	865	4.6
Males
Total	48,130	49,905	-1,775	-3.6
0 to 14	7,510	8,500	-990	-11.6
15 to 64	32,225	33,725	-1,500	-4.4
65 and over	8,395	7,685	710	9.2
Females
Total	53,490	56,025	-2,535	-4.5
0 to 14	7,210	8,155	-945	-11.6
15 to 64	35,025	36,770	-1,745	-4.7
65 and over	11,260	11,105	155	1.4

Cape Breton – Population by five-year age groups and sex

Chart D description: Cape Breton - Population by five-year age groups and sex

Table 5 Cape Breton – Population by five-year age groups and sex, 2011 Census
Age groups	Both sexes	Males	Females
Total - Age groups	101,620	48,130	53,490
0 to 4 years	4,560	2,345	2,215
5 to 9 years	4,755	2,435	2,320
10 to 14 years	5,405	2,730	2,670
15 to 19 years	6,675	3,370	3,305
20 to 24 years	6,270	3,235	3,040
25 to 29 years	4,775	2,295	2,485
30 to 34 years	4,690	2,140	2,550
35 to 39 years	5,320	2,395	2,930
40 to 44 years	6,035	2,855	3,175
45 to 49 years	7,830	3,590	4,240
50 to 54 years	8,915	4,190	4,720
55 to 59 years	8,775	4,290	4,485
60 to 64 years	7,970	3,875	4,095
65 to 69 years	6,000	2,860	3,140
70 to 74 years	4,750	2,215	2,535
75 to 79 years	3,640	1,540	2,095
80 to 84 years	2,600	1,000	1,595
85 to 89 years	1,645	530	1,110
90 to 94 years	775	200	580
95 to 99 years	210	35	175
100 years and over	35	5	30
Median age	46.6	45.4	47.5

Cape Breton – Median age¹ of the population

Chart E: Canada, Nova Scotia and Cape Breton - Median age, 2006 and 2011 censuses

Chart E description: Canada, Nova Scotia and Cape Breton - Median age, 2006 and 2011 censuses

The median age in Cape Breton was 46.6 years. In comparison, the median age of Nova Scotia was 43.7 years.

Table 6 Canada, Nova Scotia and Cape Breton – Median age, 2006 and 2011 censuses
	Median age
	2006	2011
Canada	39.5	40.6
Nova Scotia	41.8	43.7
Cape Breton	44.3	46.6

Families and households

In 2011, the number of census families² in Cape Breton was 29,840, which represents a change of -4.4% from 2006. This compares to a growth rate for Canada of 5.5% over the same period.

In Cape Breton, 64.1% of census families were married couples in 2011, while 10.3% were common-law-couples and 25.6% were lone-parent families.

Chart F: Cape Breton - Census families by family structure

Chart F description: Cape Breton - Census families by family structure

Cape Breton – Family structure

Table 7 Canada, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton – Distribution of census families by family structure, 2011 Census
Geographic name	Total families	Married-couple families		Common-law-couple families		Lone-parent families		% change, census families, 2006 to 2011
Geographic name	Total families	number	%	number	%	number	%	% change, census families, 2006 to 2011
Canada †	9,389,695	6,293,950	67.0	1,567,905	16.7	1,527,840	16.3	5.5
Nova Scotia	270,065	184,870	68.5	38,460	14.2	46,735	17.3	1.0
Cape Breton	29,840	19,125	64.1	3,065	10.3	7,650	25.6	-4.4

Cape Breton – Presence of children within couple families

Married couples		Common-law-couples
with children	without children	with children	without children
7,200 (32.5%)	11,920 (53.7%)	1,395 ( 6.3%)	1,665 ( 7.5%)

Chart G description: Cape Breton - Presence of children within couple families

Among couples (married and common-law) in the census agglomeration of Cape Breton, 38.7% were couples with children aged 24 and under at home. In comparison, as a whole, 46.9% of couples in Canada had children aged 24 and under at home.

Among couples with children aged 24 and under at home in the census agglomeration of Cape Breton, 84.9% were intact families, that is, in which all children were the biological or adopted children of both parents, while 15.1% were stepfamilies, in which there was at least one child was the biological or adopted child of only one married spouse or common-law partner. For Canada as a whole in 2011, 12.6% of couples with children aged 24 and under were stepfamilies.

Cape Breton – Marital status

Chart H description: Cape Breton - Marital status

In Cape Breton, 51.8% of the total population aged 15 and over were either married (44.7%) or living with a common-law partner (7.1%).

The remaining 48.2% were not married and not living with a common-law partner, including those who were single (never-married), separated, divorced or widowed.

Note: Percentages may not total 100 percent due to random rounding.

Table 8 Canada, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton – Population 15 years and older by marital status, 2011 Census
Marital status	Cape Breton		Nova Scotia		Canada
Marital status	number	%	number	%	number	%
Total - Population 15 years and over	86,900	100.0	783,510	100.0	27,869,345	100.0
Married or living with a common-law partner	45,025	51.8	453,095	57.8	16,084,490	57.7
Married (and not separated)	38,880	44.7	376,020	48.0	12,941,965	46.4
Living common-law	6,150	7.1	77,075	9.8	3,142,525	11.3
Not married and not living with a common-law partner	41,875	48.2	330,420	42.2	11,784,855	42.3
Single (never legally married)	25,805	29.7	209,180	26.7	7,816,045	28.0
Separated	3,245	3.7	23,545	3.0	698,245	2.5
Divorced	5,330	6.1	46,060	5.9	1,686,035	6.0
Widowed	7,495	8.6	51,625	6.6	1,584,525	5.7

Cape Breton – Types of private households

There were 42,325 private households³ in Cape Breton in 2011, a change of -1.8% from 2006. Of these, 19.7% of households were comprised of couples with children aged 24 and under at home, a change of -16.4% compared with five years earlier.

Table 9 Canada, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton – Distribution of households by household type, 2011 Census
Household type⁴	Cape Breton		Nova Scotia		Canada
Household type⁴	number	%	number	%	number	%
Total - Private households	42,325	100.0	390,280	100.0	13,320,615	100.0
Couple-family households with children aged 24 and under at home⁵	8,330	19.7	88,450	22.7	3,524,915	26.5
Couple-family households without children aged 24 and under at home⁶	12,930	30.5	128,065	32.8	3,935,540	29.5
Lone-parent family households⁷	6,765	16.0	42,445	10.9	1,375,450	10.3
One-person households	12,070	28.5	108,795	27.9	3,673,310	27.6
Multiple-family households⁸	895	2.1	5,495	1.4	268,060	2.0
Other households⁹	1,340	3.2	17,030	4.4	543,340	4.1

Cape Breton – Structural type of dwelling

In Cape Breton, 74.4% of private households lived in single-detached houses and 0.5% lived in apartments in buildings that have five or more storeys. The rest lived in other types of dwelling structures.

Table 10 Canada, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton – Distribution of private households by structural type of dwelling, 2011 Census
Structural type of dwelling	Cape Breton		Nova Scotia		Canada
Structural type of dwelling	number	%	number	%	number	%
Total - Structural type of dwelling	42,325	100.0	390,280	100.0	13,320,615	100.0
Single-detached house	31,485	74.4	260,435	66.7	7,329,150	55.0
Semi-detached house	2,680	6.3	19,450	5.0	646,240	4.9
Row house	665	1.6	9,175	2.4	791,600	5.9
Apartment, building that has five or more storeys	210	0.5	17,880	4.6	1,234,770	9.3
Apartment, building that has fewer than five storeys	4,285	10.1	56,485	14.5	2,397,555	18.0
Apartment, duplex	1,720	4.1	11,970	3.1	704,485	5.3
Other single-attached house¹⁰	75	0.2	705	0.2	33,310	0.3
Movable dwelling¹¹	1,210	2.9	14,175	3.6	183,510	1.4

Language

Cape Breton – Mother tongue

Chart J description: Cape Breton - Mother tongue and language spoken most often at home

Note: Counts for mother tongue as well as those for language spoken most often at home include single responses only.

In Cape Breton, 94.4% of the population reported English only as mother tongue, 0.9% reported French only, and 4.3% reported only a non-official language, in 2011. In comparison, the provincial / territorial percentages were 91.8% for English only, 3.4% for French only and 4.1% for only non-official languages.

In 2011, 96.7% of the population spoke only English most often at home, 0.3% spoke only French and 2.6% spoke only a non-official language. In comparison, the provincial / territorial percentages were 97.3% for English only, 0.0% for French only and 0.9% for only a non-official language.

Table 11 Cape Breton – Mother tongue and language spoken most often at home, 2011 Census
Selected languages	Mother tongue		Language spoken most often at home
Selected languages	number	%	number	%
Total	100,105	100.0	100,100	100.0
English	94,535	94.4	96,820	96.7
French	925	0.9	255	0.3
Non-official language	4,280	4.3	2,625	2.6
Multiple responses	370	0.4	405	0.4

Table 12 Cape Breton – Mother-tongue retention, 2011 Census
Mother tongue	Mother-tongue retention¹² (in percentage)
Mother tongue	Total retention; language spoken at home at least on a regular basis	Complete retention; language spoken most often at home	Partial retention; language spoken at home on a regular basis
Note: Counts for mother tongue and home language include single response of a language as well as multiple responses of a language with English and/or French.
English	99.9	99.8	0.1
French	42.5	22.4	20.1
Non-official language	83.6	60.7	22.9

Cape Breton – Non-official languages

In Cape Breton, the three most common mother tongues were Mi'kmaq (2.9%), Arabic (0.3%) and Chinese, n.o.s. (0.2%), in 2011. In comparison, the most common mother tongues at the provincial / territorial level were Arabic (0.7%), Mi'kmaq (0.5%) and German (0.4%).

Table 13 Cape Breton – The most common non-official-language mother tongues, 2011 Census
Mother tongue	Number	Percentage of non-official language mother-tongue population	Percentage of total population
Note: Counts for mother tongue and home language include single response of a language as well as multiple responses of a language with English and/or French.
Mi'kmaq	2,945	65.2	2.9
Arabic	330	7.3	0.3
Chinese, n.o.s.	180	4.0	0.2
German	85	1.9	0.1
Italian	85	1.9	0.1

Cape Breton – Bilingualism

Table 14 Cape Breton – Rate of English-French bilingualism by mother tongue and age groups, 2011 Census
Age groups	Mother tongue
Age groups	Total	English	French	Non-official language
Note: Counts for mother tongue include single responses only. Consequently, the total excludes multiple responses.
Total	4.0	3.4	79.5	2.6
0 to 19	6.6	6.6	73.3	1.9
20 to 44	5.2	4.8	89.2	2.2
45 to 64	2.4	1.6	83.6	4.2
65 and over	2.3	0.9	71.2	4.0

Table 15 Cape Breton – Knowledge of official languages, 2011 Census
Knowledge of official languages	Number	Percentage
Total	100,105	100.0
English only	95,870	95.8
French only	25	0.0
English and French	4,120	4.1
Neither English nor French	95	0.1

Symbols:

···: not applicable
†: excludes census data for one or more incompletely enumerated Indian reserves or Indian settlements. For further information, refer to Notes.
¶: incompletely enumerated Indian reserve or Indian settlement. For further information, refer to Notes.
A: adjusted figure due to boundary change. For further information, refer to Content considerations.
E: use with caution. For further information, refer to Cautionary note.

Footnotes

Footnote 1

Median age: Age 'x' that divides a population in two groups of the same population size, one group being older than age 'x' and the other group being younger than age 'x'.

Return to footnote 1 referrer

Footnote 2

Census family: Refers to a married couple (with or without children), a common-law couple (with or without children) or a lone parent family.

Return to footnote 2 referrer

Footnote 3

Household, private: Refers to a person or a group of persons (other than foreign residents) who occupy a private dwelling and do not have a usual place of residence elsewhere in Canada.

Return to footnote 3 referrer

Footnote 4

Household type: Refers to the basic division of private households into family and non-family households. Family household refers to a household that contains at least one census family, that is, a married couple with or without children, or a couple living in common-law with or without children or a lone parent living with one or more children.

Return to footnote 4 referrer

Footnote 5

Couple-family households with children: Refers to couple households with at least one child aged 24 and under.

Return to footnote 5 referrer

Footnote 6

Couple-family households without children: Refers to couple households without children aged 24 and under. Includes couple households with all children aged 25 and over.

Return to footnote 6 referrer

Footnote 7

Lone-parent-family households: Refers to all lone-parent family households regardless of age of children.

Return to footnote 7 referrer

Footnote 8

Multiple-family households: Refers to a household in which two or more census families (with or without additional persons) occupy the same private dwelling.

Return to footnote 8 referrer

Footnote 9

Other households: Refers to two or more people who share a private dwelling, but who do not constitute a census family.

Return to footnote 9 referrer

Footnote 10

Other single-attached house: A single dwelling that is attached to another building and that does not fall into any of the other categories, such as a single dwelling attached to a non-residential structure (e.g., a store or a church) or occasionally to another residential structure (e.g., an apartment building).

Return to footnote 10 referrer

Footnote 11

Movable dwelling includes mobile homes and other movable dwellings such as houseboats and railroad cars.

Return to footnote 11 referrer

Footnote 12

Mother-tongue retention: Retention refers to the situation where people speak their mother tongue at home. Retention is defined as 'complete' when the mother tongue is the language spoken most often and 'partial' when it is spoken on a regular basis but not most often. The (complete or partial) retention rate refers to the proportion of the population with a given mother tongue that speaks that language at home most often or on a regular basis. The retention rate provides an indication of a group's linguistic vitality, particularly the importance of transmitting languages between generations.

Return to footnote 12 referrer

Source:

Statistics Canada. 2012. Focus on Geography Series, 2011 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-310-XWE2011004. Ottawa, Ontario. Analytical products, 2011 Census. Last updated October 24, 2012.

Related data:

2011 Census Topic-based tabulations – Census agglomeration of Cape Breton
2011 Census Highlight tables – Census agglomeration of Cape Breton
2011 NHS Focus on Geography Series – Census agglomeration of Cape Breton

Date modified:: 2019-03-27

Language selection

Search and menus

Search

Archived Content

Focus on Geography Series, 2011 Census