Housing under construction in Canada 2006-2023

In 2023, there were approximately 354,730 housing units under construction in population centers of over 10,000 people in Canada. Those numbers for 2023 were lower than the figures a year earlier. However, during most of the period considered the number of homes under construction generally increased, as there were less than 145,000 homes under construction in 2009.

Development of residential construction in Canada

The number of housing starts overall has developed similarly, but it was somewhat more volatile. Generally, the cities with the largest populations, like Toronto and Montreal experience the highest number of construction starts. The construction industry remains vital to Canada’s economy, providing employment to people across the country and billions in economic output.

Types of housing

Although many Canadians were living in single-detached houses, their cities have started to embrace multifamily starts quite early and are moving away from single family residential construction. The younger demographics in Canada, including new Canadians and young families are often striving towards homeownership but are also aware of climate change. High energy performance housing often comes with a higher price tag, but efforts are being made nationally in order to enshrine affordability as a core objective within national building codes.