Investment in building construction, November 2021
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Released: 2022-01-13
$18.0 billion
November 2021
1.2% 
(monthly change)
Investment in building construction advanced 1.2% to $18.0 billion in November with increases in every component except for industrial construction.
On a constant dollar basis (2012=100), investment in building construction grew 0.5% to $12.3 billion.
Chart 1
Investment in building construction, seasonally adjusted
Multi-unit construction pushes residential investment up
Multi-unit construction investment rose 2.4% to $6.0 billion, with Ontario (+2.5%) and Quebec (+3.3%) behind much of the national gain in November 2021. Alberta and Saskatchewan also showed notable strength.
Investment in single-family homes increased 0.7% to $7.1 billion, led by Ontario (+1.7%).
Overall, residential construction investment rose 1.5% to $13.1 billion in November.
Infographic 1
Investment in residential building construction, November 2021
Chart 2
Investment in residential building construction, seasonally adjusted
Non-residential investment continues gradual advance
Non-residential construction investment edged up 0.6% in November to $4.9 billion.
Commercial investment posted its fifth consecutive monthly increase (+0.6% to $2.7 billion) driven by gains in Ontario (+1.1%). Prince Edward Island and Alberta were the only provinces to report decreases.
Investment in the institutional component was up 1.4% to $1.4 billion. Quebec (+4.9%) posted the largest gain, largely offsetting the declines reported in seven provinces.
Industrial construction declined 0.7% to $824 million, reflecting decreases in Ontario (-1.6%) and Manitoba (-6.8%). Conversely, Nova Scotia saw strong gains, up 14.8%.
Infographic 2
Investment in non-residential building construction, November 2021
For more information on housing, please visit the Housing Statistics Portal.
Note to readers
Unadjusted data for the current reference month are subject to revision based on late responses. Data for the previous month have been revised. Seasonally adjusted data for the previous two months have also been revised.
Data presented in this release are seasonally adjusted with current dollar values unless otherwise stated. Using seasonally adjusted data allows month-to-month and quarter-to-quarter comparisons by removing the effects of seasonal variations. For information on seasonal adjustment, see Seasonally adjusted data – Frequently asked questions.
Monthly estimates in constant dollars are calculated using quarterly deflators from the Building Construction Price Index (table 18-10-0135-01). Typically, the first two months of a quarter use the previous quarter's price level, and the data are revised when the new quarterly price index becomes available.
Detailed data on investment activity by type of building and type of work are now available in the unadjusted current dollar series.
Next release
Data on investment in building construction for December 2021 will be released on February 10, 2022.
Products
A study titled "Price trends and outlook in key Canadian housing markets" looks at where the housing market was at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, sheds light on what has happened since then and explores the challenges facing the Canadian market going forward.
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 automatically updated with new information from monthly releases, giving users access to the latest data.
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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