Housing construction in Canada grew thanks to multi-unit buildings
Toronto showed a 151 percent increase in December, with rental housing making up more than half of all new construction.
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has released housing construction data that shows significant changes in the country's largest cities.
Construction Growth Leaders
The capital of Ontario showed impressive growth in new construction in December — the figure increased by 151 percent year-over-year. Montreal came in second with a 123 percent increase. Notably, unlike Toronto, where growth was concentrated in specific segments, Montreal's construction spanned all housing categories.
Vancouver took third place with a more modest 17 percent increase, with most of the activity focused on multi-unit buildings.
The National Picture
Across Canada in 2025, construction began on 259,028 housing units in all areas of the country, marking the fifth-largest annual result in history. Compared to 2024 (245,367 units), this represents a 5.6 percent increase.
In communities with populations of 10,000 or more, 241,171 new housing units were recorded, representing a six percent increase.
Rental Housing and Regional Differences
Rental housing construction in 2025 accounted for just over half of all projects started in the country's urban centers.
The six largest census metropolitan areas showed a combined increase of 3.9 percent compared to 2024. The main contributors to this growth were Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, and Ottawa-Gatineau.
This positive trend offset the decline in annual housing starts in Toronto (down 31 percent) and Vancouver (down 3 percent) in 2025 compared to the previous year.
