Building permits, May 2026
Released: 2026-07-10
$12.4 billion
May 2026
-1.7% 
(monthly change)
$0.1 billion
May 2026
90.0% 
(monthly change)
$0.1 billion
May 2026
67.1%
(monthly change)
$0.2 billion
May 2026
-25.0%
(monthly change)
$0.2 billion
May 2026
-8.8%
(monthly change)
$2.4 billion
May 2026
-21.1%
(monthly change)
$4.6 billion
May 2026
-3.3%
(monthly change)
$0.4 billion
May 2026
3.5%
(monthly change)
$0.2 billion
May 2026
-8.1%
(monthly change)
$1.6 billion
May 2026
-3.7%
(monthly change)
$2.5 billion
May 2026
36.7%
(monthly change)
In May, the total value of building permits issued in Canada decreased $215.0 million (-1.7%) to reach $12.4 billion. The decline in construction intentions was due to the non-residential sector (-6.1%) and tempered by the residential sector (+1.2%).
On a constant dollar basis (2023=100), the total value of building permits issued in May decreased 1.6% from the previous month and was down 7.0% on a year-over-year basis.
Chart 1
Total value of building permits, seasonally adjusted
Infographic 1
Building permits, May 2026
Industrial component leads non-residential decline
The value of non-residential building permits fell by $306.1 million to $4.7 billion in May. The industrial component (-$341.0 million to $861.3 million) accounted for most of the decrease. Meanwhile, the commercial component (+$81.4 million to $2.4 billion) tempered the overall decline.
In May, losses in the industrial component were driven by Ontario (-$236.2 million), followed by Quebec (-$52.3 million) and Alberta (-$50.7 million). Overall, eight provinces and one territory contributed to the decrease.
The reduction in institutional construction intentions in May was driven by Ontario (-$240.2 million) and, to a lesser extent, Quebec (-$74.1 million). British Columbia (+$183.6 million) helped moderate the decline.
The growth in the commercial component in May was primarily attributable to British Columbia (+$183.1 million), followed by Ontario (+$62.9 million) and Newfoundland and Labrador (+$33.5 million). Quebec (-$183.0 million) tempered the increase.
Chart 2
Number of units authorized for the residential sector and for the single-family and multi-family components
Chart 3
Value of building permits for the residential and non-residential sectors
Chart 4
Value of building permits for the single-family and multi-family components
Chart 5
Value of building permits for the industrial, commercial and institutional components
Multi-unit component leads residential increase
Residential construction intentions rose $91.1 million to $7.7 billion in May. The increase in the multi-unit component (+$161.9 million to $5.1 billion) was partially offset by a decline in the single-family component (-$70.7 million to $2.6 billion).
In May, the growth in the multi-unit component was led by British Columbia (+$304.4 million) and supported by Ontario (+$235.0 million). The largest increases were recorded in the Vancouver (+$216.0 million) and Toronto (+$129.0 million) census metropolitan areas. Declines in Quebec (-$272.6 million) and Nova Scotia (-$79.2 million) moderated the gains.
The decrease in the single-family component in May was primarily attributable to Quebec (-$65.7 million), followed by Manitoba (-$19.5 million) and Alberta (-$13.8 million).
Across Canada, 20,200 multi-unit dwellings and 3,900 single-family dwellings (not seasonally adjusted) were authorized in May, down 0.6% from the previous month. From June 2025 to May 2026, the total number of multi-unit and single-family dwellings authorized was 301,400, down from 303,500 during the same period one year earlier.
To explore data using an interactive user interface, visit the Building permits: Interactive Dashboard.
For more information on construction, please visit the Construction statistics portal.
For more information on housing, please visit the Housing statistics portal.
Note to readers
This content was created with the assistance of a generative artificial intelligence (AI) tool and refined and verified by Statistics Canada experts. To learn more about how we use AI responsibly, please visit the Trust Centre.
Unless otherwise stated, this release presents seasonally adjusted data with current dollar values, which facilitate month-to-month and quarter-to-quarter comparisons by removing the effects of seasonal variations. For information on seasonal adjustment, see the page Seasonal adjustment: Concepts and interpretation, 2026.
For information on trend-cycle data, see the page Trend-cycle estimation: Concepts, interpretation, and calculation, 2026.
Data may not add up to totals as a result of rounding.
Building components
- Single-family dwellings: Residential buildings containing only one dwelling unit (e.g., single-detached house, bungalow, linked home [linked at the foundation]).
- Multi-family dwellings: Residential buildings containing multiple dwelling units (e.g., apartment, apartment condominium, row house, semi-detached house).
- Industrial buildings: Buildings used in the processing or production of goods or related to transportation and communication.
- Commercial buildings: Buildings used in the trade or distribution of goods and services, including office buildings.
- Institutional and government buildings: Buildings used to house public and semi-public services, such as those related to health and welfare, education or public administration, and buildings used for religious services.
Revision
Data are subject to revisions based on late responses, methodological changes and classification updates. Unadjusted data in current dollars have been revised for the previous month; unadjusted data in constant dollars have been revised for the previous two months. Seasonally adjusted data in current dollars have been revised for the previous two months; seasonally adjusted data in constant dollars have been revised for the previous three months.
Next release
Data on building permits for June will be released on August 12.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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