Multi-unit construction leads residential construction intentions

Month over month, the total value of building permits in Canada rose 13.5 percent in January to $10.8 billion, rebounding after a decrease of 11.5 percent in December, says Statistics Canada. The residential sector increased 12.6 percent to $6.5 billion, while the non-residential sector grew 14.8 percent to $4.2 billion.

Gains in the residential sector were led by a strong rebound in multi-unit construction intentions (+35.1 percent to $4 billion), and Ontario (+29.1 percent to $1.4 billion) led this increase. The overall residential growth in January was tempered by a decline in the total value of single-family dwelling permits (-10.3 percent to $2.6 billion), with declines occurring in nine provinces. Across Canada, 15,200 new dwellings in multi-unit buildings and 4,000 new single-family dwellings were authorized in January.

Growth in non-residential permits was attributed to the commercial component, which increased 34.5 percent to $2.3 billion, the highest monthly level recorded since April 2023.

For more information on construction, please visit Statistics Canada’s Construction Statistics portal.