Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia in 2020

  • Smoking prevalence: 13.7% (114 000 smokers), compared to 15.3% in 2019.
    • Males: estimate suppressed.
    • Females: estimate suppressed.
  • Average daily cigarette consumption: 18.6 cigarettes per day, compared to 10.9 in 2019.
  • Average price per pack (20 cigarettes): $14.56.

Smoking prevalence

In 2020, smoking prevalence in Nova Scotia was 13.7%, well above the national average of 10.3%.

Figure 2.24 shows smoking prevalence, overall and among males and females, in Nova Scotia from 1999-2020. Prevalence decreased steeply for the first five years before reaching a plateau and then continuing to decline, though with more variability in the most recent years. Prevalence estimates were greater among males than females in most survey years with available data.

Line graph showing current smoking prevalence among males and females in Nova Scotia from 1999 to 2020. Trends described in text. Data table below with 95% confidence intervals.

Figure 2.24 data table with 95% confidence intervals
Figure 2.24: Current smoking prevalence* (%) among males and females, Nova Scotia, 1999-2020
  NS Males Females
1999 28.9 31.5 26.5
2000 29.8 31.1 28.5
2001 24.9 [22.6-27.1] 26.3 [23.0-29.5] 23.5 [20.5-26.5]
2002 25.3 [22.7-28.0] 25.7 [21.7-29.7] 24.9 [20.6-29.3]
2003 22.1 [19.8-24.4] 24.9 [21.4-28.4] 19.4 [16.5-22.4]
2004 20.2 [18.1-22.3] 21.8 [18.3-25.3] 18.7 [15.8-21.6]
2005 21.0 [18.7-23.3] 24.4 [20.5-28.2] 17.8 [14.7-20.9]
2006 21.8 [19.5-24.1] 23.4 [20.1-26.7] 20.3 [17.4-23.2]
2007 20.4 [18.3-22.4] 22.0 [18.7-25.4] 18.8 [16.0-21.6]
2008 19.7 [17.6-21.8] 22.9 [19.9-26.0] 16.7 [14.1-19.3]
2009 19.8 [17.5-22.0] 22.2 [18.6-25.7] 17.5 [14.8-20.2]
2010 20.8 [18.6-23.1] 23.4 [19.7-27.0] 18.4 [15.5-21.4]
2011 18.1 [16.0-20.2] 18.8 [15.9-21.7] 17.4 [14.3-20.4]
2012 15.6 [13.7-17.5] 17.4 [14.3-20.4] 14.0 [11.6-16.4]
2013 19.4 [17.0-21.7] 22.8 [19.0-26.6] 16.1 [13.1-19.2]
2015 17.8 [14.9-20.6] 20.9 [16.4-25.5] 14.8 [11.4-18.1]
2017 18.5 [14.1-22.8] 25.3 [18.3-32.4] 12.0 [7.3-16.6]
2019 15.3 [11.0-19.7] 15.0 [8.9-21.1] !
2020 13.7 [9.7-17.7] ! !

* Includes daily and non-daily smokers.
! Estimates for females in 2019, 2020 and males in 2020 suppressed due to unacceptable quality.
Data sources: Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey, 1999-2012; Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2013, 2015, 2017; Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey, 2019, 2020.

Figure 2.25 shows smoking prevalence by age group in Nova Scotia, from 1999-2020. While data for the most recent years is not reportable for most age groups, the available data indicate that smoking prevalence decreased substantially in all age groups in the early 2000s, with little change observed since. The largest decrease observed was among youth aged 15-19, for whom smoking was reduced to one-third of the 1999 estimate. Smaller decreases were observed among older age groups.

Figure 2.25 data table with 95% confidence intervals
Figure 2.25: Current smoking prevalence* (%) by age group, Nova Scotia, 1999-2020
  15-19 20-24 25-44 45+ Overall
1999 30.1 36.6 35.7 21.5 28.9
2000 25.1 37.2 38.2 22.2 29.8
2001 26.8 [23.0-30.6] 31.4 [26.6-36.2] 30.9 [26.9-34.9] 18.5 [15.3-21.6] 24.9 [22.6-27.1]
2002 20.2 [16.5-23.8] 33.8 [28.1-39.5] 30.7 [25.9-35.6] 20.6 [17.0-24.2] 25.3 [22.7-28.0]
2003 18.3 [14.2-22.4] 35.4 [30.1-40.7] 26.0 [21.9-31.2] 17.6 [14.3-20.9] 22.1 [19.8-24.4]
2004 20.3 [16.5-24.1] 32.7 [27.8-37.7] 25.5 [20.9-30.1] 14.3 [11.3-17.3] 20.2 [18.1-22.3]
2005 12.9 [9.7-16.2] 26.6 [21.7-31.5] 30.0 [24.9-35.1] 15.3 [12.4-18.3] 21.0 [18.7-23.3]
2006 14.8 [11.7-17.9] 32.6 [27.5-37.6] 29.3 [24.7-33.9] 16.4 [13.6-19.1] 21.8 [19.5-24.1]
2007 13.4 [10.3-16.4] 29.3 [24.2-34.5] 23.8 [19.6-28.0] 17.9 [15.0-20.8] 20.4 [18.3-22.4]
2008 14.4 [11.1-17.7] 26.3 [21.3-31.4] 23.8 [19.4-28.3] 17.1 [14.3-19.8] 19.7 [17.6-21.8]
2009 14.2 [11.2-17.2] 30.0 [24.6-35.5] 23.9 [18.9-28.9] 16.7 [14.0-19.3] 19.8 [17.5-22.0]
2010 15.8 [12.4-19.2] 23.5 [18.9-28.3] 27.7 [22.8-32.5] 17.3 [14.5-20.2] 20.8 [18.6-23.1]
2011 11.8 [8.4-15.2] 29.4 [24.6-34.1] 20.9 [15.9-25.8] 15.8 [13.2-18.3] 18.1 [16.0-20.2]
2012 10.7 [7.7-13.6] 21.4 [17.1-25.8] 22.1 [17.1-27.1] 12.1 [9.8-14.3] 15.6 [13.7-17.5]
2013 9.7 [6.9-12.5] 21 [16.2-25.8] 27.1 [21.1-33.1] 16.4 [13.4-19.4] 19.4 [17.0-21.7]
2015 ! 19.8 [14.5-25.1] 23.7 [16.7-30.7] 15.8 [12.6-18.9] 17.8 [14.9-20.6]
2017 9.7 [4.7-14.6] 19.7 [12.0-27.5] 25.8 [14.3-37.2] 15.6 [11.3-19.9] 18.5 [14.1-22.8]
2019 ! ! ! 16.0 [10.3-21.6] 15.3 [11.0-19.7]
2020 ! ! ! 15.1 [9.6-20.5] 13.7 [9.7-17.7]

* Includes daily and non-daily smokers.
! Estimate suppressed du to unacceptable quality.
Data sources: Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey, 1999-2012; Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2013, 2015, 2017; Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey, 2019, 2020.

Cigarette consumption

Between 1999 and 2020, average daily cigarette consumption in Nova Scotia appears to have decreased overall until 2015, before varying widely in the most recent survey years (Figure 2.26). Male smokers consumed more cigarettes per day than female smokers in all years with available data.

Figure 2.26 data table with 95% confidence intervals
Figure 2.26: Average daily cigarette consumption* (mean cigarettes per day) among males and females, Nova Scotia, 1999-2020
  NS Males Females
1999 18.1 19.2 16.8
2000 17.7 20.2 15.2
2001 17.1 [15.8-18.5] 18.8 [16.8-20.8] 15.4 [13.6-17.2]
2002 17.4 [15.6-19.1] 18.9 [16.2-21.6] 15.9 [14.6-17.1]
2003 15.1 [14.1-16.1] 15.9 [14.5-17.4] 14.0 [12.7-15.2]
2004 14.9 [14.0-15.8] 16.5 [15.1-17.8] 13.4 [12.2-14.6]
2005 15.5 [14.5-16.6] 16.9 [15.3-18.5] 13.7 [12.1-15.2]
2006 16.4 [14.7-18.1] 19.6 [16.9-22.2] 12.8 [11.5-14.0]
2007 15.2 [14.0-16.5] 17.1 [15.3-18.9] 13.0 [11.7-14.3]
2008 15.5 [14.2-16.7] 17.1 [15.3-18.9] 13.2 [11.8-14.6]
2009 15.1 [14.0-16.2] 17.7 [16.0-19.4] 12.0 [10.9-13.0]
2010 16.7 [15.4-18.0] 19.3 [17.5-21.1] 13.3 [11.5-15.2]
2011 15.3 [14.2-14.5] 16.5 [14.8-18.2] 14.2 [12.7-15.7]
2012 13.8 [12.8-14.8] 15.1 [13.7-16.6] 12.2 [10.9-13.6]
2013 14 [12.8-15.1] 15.7 [14.0-17.4] 12 [10.7-13.3]
2015 12.9 [11.3-14.6] 13.3 [10.6-15.9] 12.4 [10.8-14.1]
2017 16.3 [13.1-19.5] 19.3 [15.2-23.5] 10.2 [7.2-13.2]
2019 10.9 [8.3-13.4] ! !
2020 18.6 [8.7-28.6] ! !

*Among daily smokers.
! Estimates for males and females in 2019 and 2020 suppressed due to unacceptable quality.
Data sources: Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey,1999-2012; Canadian Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey, 2013, 2015, 2017; Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey, 2019, 2020.