Business Economy · Historical report

Canada Building Construction Investment Fell 1.3% in March

Statistics Canada reported that total investment in building construction decreased to $22.6 billion in March 2026, as residential investment declined and non-residential investment edged higher.

By Grant Sullivan · Source dated May 25, 2026 · Published July 22, 2026

Key takeaways

Total investment in building construction decreased $304.6 million, or 1.3%, to $22.6 billion in March.
Residential building-construction investment declined $345.4 million to $15.5 billion, with decreases in both multi-unit and single-family construction.
Non-residential investment increased $40.8 million to $7.0 billion, supported by industrial and commercial gains while institutional investment declined slightly.
In the first quarter, total investment decreased 0.7% to $68.8 billion in current dollars; in 2023 constant dollars, it declined 1.5% to $62.9 billion.

Residential investment declined in March

Investment in residential building construction decreased $345.4 million to $15.5 billion in March. Multi-unit investment fell 2.3%, while single-family investment declined 2.1%.

Multi-unit construction investment decreased $195.5 million to $8.4 billion, its third consecutive monthly decrease. Ontario led the decline, with decreases also reported in Alberta and British Columbia; gains in three provinces and two territories moderated the result.

Single-family construction investment fell $149.9 million to $7.2 billion. Ontario led the decrease, which was accompanied by declines across seven other provinces and one territory.

Non-residential investment edged higher

Non-residential building-construction investment increased $40.8 million to $7.0 billion in March. Industrial investment rose 3.3% and commercial investment increased 0.1%, while institutional investment declined 0.3%.

Industrial construction investment increased $42.5 million to $1.3 billion. British Columbia recorded an increase of $52.2 million, while broad declines across seven provinces and one territory moderated the national gain.

Commercial investment rose $4.4 million to $3.6 billion, with Alberta and British Columbia the primary contributors. Institutional investment decreased $6.1 million to $2.1 billion; declines in Quebec and Ontario were tempered by an increase in Alberta.

First-quarter investment decreased in constant dollars

The total value of investment in building construction decreased 0.7%, or $512.2 million, to $68.8 billion in the first quarter. On a 2023 constant-dollar basis, total investment declined 1.5% to $62.9 billion.

Statistics Canada reported that residential construction investment declined $1.3 billion to $43.7 billion in the first quarter, following two consecutive quarterly increases. The multi-unit component decreased $947.9 million, or 3.8%, and the single-family component decreased $341.6 million, or 1.7%.

Non-residential construction investment increased $327.1 million to $19.2 billion in the first quarter. Commercial and institutional gains were moderated by a $21.5 million decline in industrial investment. Statistics Canada noted that the data are subject to revisions.