According to the latest data from Statistics Canada, the total value of investment in building construction in Canada increased slightly by 0.1% to reach $22.8 billion in August 2025. This growth was primarily driven by modest gains in both the residential and non-residential construction sectors. Year-over-year, the sector saw a significant boost, with total building investment up 8.7% compared to August 2024.

On a constant dollar basis (2023=100), which accounts for inflation, the total value actually declined 0.1% month-over-month to $21.2 billion, though it remained 5.0% higher year-over-year.

Investment in non-residential construction rose by $22.9 million in August, totaling $6.8 billion. Within this category:

• Commercial construction rose 0.8% (+$25.3 million) to $3.3 billion, with Ontario leading the growth (+$26.9 million).
• Institutional construction also grew 0.8% (+$16.7 million) to $2.1 billion, mainly due to increases in Alberta (+$15.1 million).
• Industrial construction, however, declined 1.4% (-$19.0 million) to $1.3 billion, with decreases across six provinces and two territories. The largest drops came from Quebec (-$8.7M), British Columbia (-$6.3M), and Alberta (-$4.7M).

In August, residential investment edged up by $10.5 million to reach $16.0 billion. The modest increase was fueled by a rise in single-family home construction, while multi-unit residential projects saw a notable decline.

• Single-family investment increased by 2.8% (+$202.1 million) to $7.4 billion. Growth was widespread, with Ontario (+$65.4M), New Brunswick (+$28.0M), and Saskatchewan (+$27.8M) leading the way.
• Multi-unit residential investment fell 2.2% (-$191.6 million) to $8.7 billion, driven by significant declines in Ontario (-$111.5M), Alberta (-$54.8M), and Quebec (-$53.2M).

Despite the mixed performance across sub-sectors and regions, the overall data reflects a resilient construction sector navigating ongoing economic headwinds, including supply chain pressures and labour shortages.

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