Canada’s building construction investment rose to $22.1 billion in January 2025, reflecting a solid 1.8% increase month-over-month, amounting to a $393.7 million jump.
The residential construction sector experienced a robust 2.3% increase, reaching $15.4 billion in January. The growth was largely driven by a surge in multi-unit residential projects, which saw an impressive $497.5 million rise to $8.2 billion. Ontario emerged as the key player in this growth, contributing $421.0 million, or a 6.3% increase, in the multi-unit category. However, the single-family home market showed signs of slowing down, with investment declining by $155.5 million to $7.2 billion.
Ontario, in particular, stood out for its impressive performance, boosting overall residential investment by $354.8 million, or 6.3%. Despite this, Manitoba faced a setback, as investment in residential construction in the province fell by $61.6 million, a decline of 12.3%.
The non-residential construction sector also saw a notable increase, with overall investment growing by $51.7 million to $6.7 billion. This marks the sixth consecutive monthly rise, underscoring the ongoing strength in institutional and industrial construction.
The institutional construction segment experienced a steady rise, climbing $38.8 million to $2.0 billion. Ontario and British Columbia were the main contributors to this growth, with Ontario adding $18.3 million and B.C. $11.5 million. However, Quebec experienced a minor setback, posting a $6.1 million decline, marking its 10th consecutive month of decreases in this category.
Meanwhile, the industrial component of non-residential construction increased by $22.5 million to $1.5 billion, with Ontario and Alberta leading the way. Ontario contributed a notable $15.2 million, while Alberta added $5.1 million to the national total.
On the flip side, the commercial construction sector saw a slight dip, with investment falling by $9.5 million to $3.3 billion. This marked the first decline in the commercial segment after five consecutive months of growth. While Ontario recorded a gain of $16.3 million, other provinces and territories contributed to the overall decline in this area.
On a year-over-year basis, the Canadian building construction sector remains on an upward trajectory, with investment up 5.7% compared to January 2024.