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Value of building permits falls in January: StatsCan

The total value of building permits decreased 8.8% to $10.1 billion in January. The residential sector fell 11.6% to $6.7 billion, while the non-residential sector declined 2.7% to $3.4 billion.

On a constant dollar basis (2012=100) the total value of building permits declined 8.2%.

Residential sector pulled down by multi-family building intentions

The majority of the drop in the residential sector was in the multi-family component (-18.5%), while intentions for single family homes decreased by 3.8%. Most of the declines for January were in Ontario and British Columbia.

Non-residential sector pulled down by commercial component

The commercial component decreased by 10.2% in January, pulling the non-residential sector lower. Ontario and British Columbia reported the largest declines in this sector. In British Columbia, the decline signified a return to more normal levels following a strong December.

Nationally, the decline in commercial construction intentions was partially offset by a 15.2% increase in the industrial component.

Construction intentions in the institutional component (-2.6%) were slightly lower in January compared with the value in December. Declines in six provinces were mostly offset by strong growth in Ontario (+68.4%), reflecting a $102 million nursing home permit issued in North Bay.

Nationally, the non-residential sector was down 2.7%.

To explore data using an interactive user interface, visit the Building permits: Interactive Dashboard.

To explore the impact of COVID-19 on the socioeconomic landscape, please consult the Canadian Economic Dashboard and COVID-19.

For more information on housing, please visit the Housing statistics portal.

Statistics Canada has a Housing Market Indicators dashboard. This web application provides access to key housing market indicators for Canada, by province and by census metropolitan area. These indicators are updated automatically with new information from monthly releases, giving users access to the latest data.