Value of Canadian Building Permits Falls in May

On Friday, Statistics Canada (StatCan) reported that the total value of building permits issued in Canada fell 1.7% in May to CA$12.4 billion, a decrease of $215.0 million from April. Residential construction intentions rose 1.2%, while nonresidential intentions declined 6.1%.

On a constant dollar basis (2023=100), the total value fell 1.6% month-over-month and 7.0% year-over-year.

Residential Construction

Residential construction intentions rose 1.2% ($91.1 million) to $7.7 billion in May. The multifamily component increased $161.9 million to $5.1 billion, while single-family construction intentions declined $70.7 million to $2.6 billion.

Across Canada, 20,200 multifamily and 3,900 single-family dwellings were authorized in May, down 0.6% from the previous month. From June 2025 through May, 301,400 dwellings were authorized, down from 303,500 during the same period a year earlier.

Nonresidential Construction

The value of nonresidential building permits fell 6.1% ($306.1 million) to $4.7 billion in May.

The industrial component declined $341.0 million to $861.3 million, accounting for most of the monthly decrease. The commercial segment rose $81.4 million to $2.4 billion, tempering the overall decline.