Housing starts for May 2025

OTTAWA, ON, June 16, 2025 /CNW/ - The six-month trend in housing starts was flat (0.8%) in May (243,407 units), according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). The trend measure is a six-month moving average of the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of total housing starts for all areas in Canada.

The total monthly SAAR of housing starts for all areas in Canada was also flat (-0.2%) in May (279,510 units) compared to April (280,181 units).

Housing Starts in Canada - All Areas (CNW Group/Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC))

Actual housing starts were up 9% year-over-year in centres with a population of 10,000 or greater, with 23,745 units recorded in May, compared to 21,814 units in May 2024. The year-to-date total was 90,767 up 1% from the same period in 2024.

"Growth in actual starts activity in May was once again driven by increases of single-detached homes and purpose-built rentals in Québec and the Prairie provinces. By contrast, weak condominium market conditions in Toronto and Vancouver have contributed to significant declines in overall housing starts in these regions, in line with our recent analysis on these markets,'' said Tania Bourassa-Ochoa, CMHC's Deputy Chief Economist.

Key Facts:

• New housing starts revisions data: In Q3 2024, revisions totaled a net positive 87 units on an original total housing starts of 58,439 units. In Q4 2024, housing starts revisions totaled a net positive 17 units on an original total housing starts of 58,934 units. Housing starts revisions cover all urban centres of 10,000 population or more, reported at the Census Subdivision level on a quarterly basis.
• The monthly SAAR for Canada's centres with a population of 10,000 or greater was flat in May (259,804 units) compared to April (259,916 units).
• The rural starts monthly SAAR estimate was 19,706 units.
• Among Canada's big three cities, Montreal posted an 11% year-over-year increase in actual housing starts compared to May 2024, driven by more multi-unit starts. Vancouver recorded a 10% decrease in starts this month, driven primarily by lower multi-unit starts. A decrease in multi-unit starts also drove the 22% year-over-year decrease in Toronto's housing starts compared to May 2024.
• Monthly Housing Starts and Other Construction Data are accessible in English and French on our website and the CMHC Housing Market Information Portal.
• Housing starts data is available on the eleventh business day each month. We will release the June housing starts data on July 15 at 8:15 AM ET.
• CMHC uses the trend measure as a complement to the monthly SAAR of housing starts to account for considerable swings in monthly estimates and to obtain a clearer picture of upcoming new housing supply. In some situations, analyzing only SAAR data can be misleading, as the multi-unit segment largely drives the market and can vary significantly from one month to the next.
• Read about our definitions and methodology to better understand the foundations of the Starts and Completions and Market Absorption surveys.

Housing starts facilitate the analysis of monthly, quarterly, and year-over-year activity in the new home market. The data we collect as part of our Starts and Completions and Market Absorption surveys helps us obtain a clearer picture of upcoming new housing supply and is used as part of our various housing reports.

CMHC plays a critical role as a national convenor to promote stability and sustainability in Canada's housing finance system. Our mortgage insurance products support access to home ownership and the creation and maintenance of rental supply. We actively support the Government of Canada in delivering on its commitment to make housing more affordable. Our research and data help inform housing policy. By facilitating cooperation between all levels of government, private and non-profit sectors, we contribute to advancing housing affordability, equity, and climate compatibility. 

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Related Links:

• Housing starts for April 2025
• 2025 Housing Market Outlook
• Condominium Apartment Market Risks in Toronto and Vancouver
• Solving the housing crisis is a marathon not a sprint
• High housing costs making it harder to move for jobs many are seeking
• Canada's potential capacity for housing construction

Table 2
Housing Start Data in Centres 10,000 Population and Over
January - May 2024 - 2025
Area		Single-Detached			All Others			Total
Province
		2024	2025	%	2024	2025	%	2024	2025	%
N.L.		158	195	23	67	139	107	225	334	48
P.E.I.		66	97	47	414	393	-5	480	490	2
N.S.		514	427	-17	2,685	2,752	2	3,199	3,179	-1
N.B.		220	209	-5	1,262	1,167	-8	1,482	1,376	-7
Atlantic		958	928	-3	4,428	4,451	1	5,386	5,379	0
Que.		1,520	1,639	8	12,664	19,633	55	14,184	21,272	50
Ont.		4,358	3,308	-24	26,332	18,524	-30	30,690	21,832	-29
Man.		613	883	44	1,241	1,641	32	1,854	2,524	36
Sask.		370	639	73	775	1,750	126	1,145	2,389	109
Alta.		5,363	6,376	19	12,355	16,136	31	17,718	22,512	27
Prairies		6,346	7,898	24	14,371	19,527	36	20,717	27,425	32
B.C.		1,630	1,433	-12	17,314	13,426	-22	18,944	14,859	-22
Canada		14,812	15,206	3	75,109	75,561	1	89,921	90,767	1
Metropolitan Areas
Abbotsford-Mission		71	58	-18	442	902	104	513	960	87
Barrie		164	45	-73	89	121	36	253	166	-34
Belleville - Quinte West		68	43	-37	83	165	99	151	208	38
Brantford		87	104	20	13	933	##	100	1,037	##
Calgary		2,624	2,969	13	6,588	9,443	43	9,212	12,412	35
Chilliwack		58	54	-7	156	241	54	214	295	38
Drummondville		55	91	65	176	337	91	231	428	85
Edmonton		2,221	2,798	26	4,752	5,381	13	6,973	8,179	17
Fredericton		63	46	-27	71	234	230	134	280	109
Greater/Grand Sudbury		38	15	-61	24	74	208	62	89	44
Guelph		18	8	-56	134	25	-81	152	33	-78
Halifax		276	266	-4	2,455	2,555	4	2,731	2,821	3
Hamilton		128	74	-42	882	691	-22	1,010	765	-24
Kamloops		54	46	-15	104	110	6	158	156	-1
Kelowna		118	105	-11	1,986	1,047	-47	2,104	1,152	-45
Kingston		65	62	-5	59	218	269	124	280	126
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo		167	116	-31	889	1,055	19	1,056	1,171	11
Lethbridge		89	124	39	168	180	7	257	304	18
London		187	169	-10	1,328	251	-81	1,515	420	-72
Moncton		64	66	3	797	809	2	861	875	2
Montréal		397	468	18	6,014	9,495	58	6,411	9,963	55
Nanaimo		66	33	-50	566	123	-78	632	156	-75
Oshawa		190	105	-45	622	146	-77	812	251	-69
Ottawa-Gatineau		600	635	6	3,080	4,604	49	3,680	5,239	42
Gatineau		129	97	-25	1,246	1,015	-19	1,375	1,112	-19
Ottawa		471	538	14	1,834	3,589	96	2,305	4,127	79
Peterborough		36	22	-39	16	3	-81	52	25	-52
Québec		203	286	41	2,556	3,924	54	2,759	4,210	53
Red Deer		27	48	78	242	197	-19	269	245	-9
Regina		74	131	77	467	721	54	541	852	57
Saguenay		87	84	-3	88	201	128	175	285	63
St. Catharines-Niagara		328	160	-51	484	468	-3	812	628	-23
Saint John		48	54	13	244	77	-68	292	131	-55
St. John's		132	183	39	61	135	121	193	318	65
Saskatoon		269	471	75	304	968	218	573	1,439	151
Sherbrooke		106	91	-14	373	435	17	479	526	10
Thunder Bay		14	14	-	32	31	-3	46	45	-2
Toronto		1,465	1,105	-25	18,217	9,769	-46	19,682	10,874	-45
Trois-Rivières		54	71	31	406	539	33	460	610	33
Vancouver		757	754	0	11,754	8,938	-24	12,511	9,692	-23
Victoria		121	83	-31	1,451	1,296	-11	1,572	1,379	-12
Windsor		105	108	3	597	139	-77	702	247	-65
Winnipeg		520	794	53	1,171	1,481	26	1,691	2,275	35
Total		12,214	12,959	6	69,941	68,462	-2	82,155	81,421	-1
1Data for 2022 based on 2016 Census Definitions and data for 2023, 2024 and 2025 based on 2021 Census Definitions.
Source: CMHC Starts and Completion Survey, Market Absorption Survey

Housing Start Data in Centres 10,000 Population and Over
	Single-Detached			All Others			Total
	May 2024	May 2025	%	May 2024	May 2025	%	May 2024	May 2025	%
Provinces (10,000+)
N.-L.	52	68	31	14	33	136	66	101	53
P.E.I.	34	30	-12	100	8	-92	134	38	-72
N.S.	116	103	-11	546	580	6	662	683	3
N.B.	104	92	-12	534	439	-18	638	531	-17
Atlantic	306	293	-4	1,194	1,060	-11	1,500	1,353	-10
Qc	470	478	2	4,328	6,244	44	4,798	6,722	40
Ont.	1,165	901	-23	6,091	4,816	-21	7,256	5,717	-21
Man.	134	193	44	94	512	445	228	705	##
Sask.	113	185	64	39	280	##	152	465	##
Alta.	1,328	1,503	13	2,820	4,260	51	4,148	5,763	39
Prairies	1,575	1,881	19	2,953	5,052	71	4,528	6,933	53
B.C.	396	336	-15	3,336	2,684	-20	3,732	3,020	-19
Canada (10,000+)	3,912	3,889	-1	17,902	19,856	11	21,814	23,745	9
Metropolitan Areas
Abbotsford-Mission	16	18	13	125	45	-64	141	63	-55
Barrie	27	24	-11	60	23	-62	87	47	-46
Belleville - Quinte West	18	11	-39	4	0	###	22	11	-50
Brantford	26	16	-38	0	353	##	26	369	##
Calgary	617	641	4	1,379	2,398	74	1,996	3,039	52
Chilliwack	13	16	23	13	4	-69	26	20	-23
Drummondville	13	19	46	61	83	36	74	102	38
Edmonton	577	706	22	1,253	1,517	21	1,830	2,223	21
Fredericton	32	21	-34	64	109	70	96	130	35
Greater/Grand Sudbury	6	7	17	22	69	214	28	76	##
Guelph	8	1	-88	0	18	##	8	19	##
Halifax	60	56	-7	466	488	5	526	544	3
Hamilton	21	19	-10	429	66	-85	450	85	-81
Kamloops	21	5	-76	87	4	-95	108	9	-92
Kelowna	32	33	3	1,020	379	-63	1,052	412	-61
Kingston	10	15	50	20	2	-90	30	17	-43
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo	37	20	-46	30	37	23	67	57	-15
Lethbridge	39	42	8	19	38	100	58	80	38
London	58	27	-53	99	26	-74	157	53	-66
Moncton	28	36	29	367	262	-29	395	298	-25
Montréal	143	121	-15	2,259	2,556	13	2,402	2,677	11
Nanaimo	15	4	-73	12	18	50	27	22	-19
Oshawa	87	41	-53	82	44	-46	169	85	-50
Ottawa-Gatineau	194	113	-42	1,344	933	-31	1,538	1,046	-32
Gatineau	44	30	-32	776	389	-50	820	419	-49
Ottawa	150	83	-45	568	544	-4	718	627	-13
Peterborough	7	4	-43	2	0	###	9	4	-56
Québec	54	93	72	587	1,952	233	641	2,045	##
Red Deer	7	8	14	5	180	##	12	188	##
Regina	21	32	52	17	28	65	38	60	58
Saguenay	25	26	4	11	50	355	36	76	##
St. Catharines-Niagara	117	60	-49	186	78	-58	303	138	-54
Saint John	23	20	-13	26	50	92	49	70	43
St. John's	43	62	44	11	30	173	54	92	70
Saskatoon	86	145	69	22	249	##	108	394	##
Sherbrooke	32	21	-34	90	55	-39	122	76	-38
Thunder Bay	11	9	-18	2	11	450	13	20	54
Toronto	290	310	7	4,190	3,202	-24	4,480	3,512	-22
Trois-Rivières	29	21	-28	129	313	143	158	334	##
Vancouver	182	180	-1	1,789	1,593	-11	1,971	1,773	-10
Victoria	28	14	-50	122	362	197	150	376	##
Windsor	31	33	6	86	31	-64	117	64	-45
Winnipeg	106	174	64	81	499	##	187	673	##
Total	3,190	3,224	1	16,571	18,155	10	19,761	21,379	8
Data for 2022 based on 2016 Census Definitions and data for 2023, 2024 and 2025 based on 2021 Census Definitions.
Source: CMHC Starts and Completion Survey, Market Absorption Survey
## not calculable / extreme value

Housing Start Data - Seasonally Adjusted at Annual Rates (SAAR)
	Single-Detached			All Others			Total
	April 2025	May 2025	%	April 2025	May 2025	%	April 2025	May 2025	%
Provinces (10,000+)
N.L.	808	773	-4	703	367	-48	1,511	1,140	-25
P.E.I.	314	230	-27	1,656	96	-94	1,970	326	-83
N.S.	1,435	1,407	-2	10,771	6,916	-36	12,206	8,323	-32
N.B.	811	980	21	1,592	5,031	216	2,403	6,011	150
Qc	4,706	4,538	-4	46,937	56,759	21	51,643	61,297	19
Ont.	10,275	10,066	-2	54,112	56,115	4	64,387	66,181	3
Man.	2,789	2,332	-16	2,712	6,144	127	5,501	8,476	54
Sask.	1,699	1,960	15	5,760	3,360	-42	7,459	5,320	-29
Alta.	18,208	16,575	-9	43,503	50,511	16	61,711	67,086	9
B.C.	3,595	3,657	2	47,530	31,987	-33	51,125	35,644	-30
Canada (10,000+)	44,640	42,518	-5	215,276	217,286	1	259,916	259,804	0
Canada (All Areas)	58,609	55,161	-6	221,572	224,350	1	280,181	279,510	0
Metropolitan Areas
Abbotsford-Mission	51	138	##	2,424	540	-78	2,475	678	-73
Barrie	47	269	##	408	276	-32	455	545	20
Belleville - Quinte West	157	97	-38	0	0	-	157	97	-38
Brantford	384	0	##	3,228	4,236	31	3,612	4,236	17
Calgary	9,215	7,185	-22	27,372	28,776	5	36,587	35,961	-2
Chilliwack	70	181	##	70	48	-31	1,522	229	-85
Drummondville	261	210	-20	684	996	46	945	1,206	28
Edmonton	7,275	7,385	2	15,084	18,204	21	22,359	25,589	14
Fredericton	221	242	10	0	1,308	##	221	1,550	##
Greater/Grand Sudbury	56	87	55	0	828	##	56	915	##
Guelph	51	2	-96	72	216	200	123	218	77
Halifax	698	797	14	10,320	5,856	-43	11,018	6,653	-40
Hamilton	359	217	-40	2,148	792	-63	2,507	1,009	-60
Kamloops	55	46	-16	48	48	-	103	94	-9
Kelowna	232	366	58	2,124	4,548	114	2,356	4,914	109
Kingston	233	226	-3	396	24	-94	629	250	-60
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo	343	238	-31	2,748	444	-84	3,091	682	-78
Lethbridge	280	496	77	240	456	90	520	952	83
London	646	276	-57	360	312	-13	1,006	588	-42
Moncton	229	290	27	1,512	3,144	108	1,741	3,434	97
Montréal	1,311	1,241	-5	21,593	30,375	41	22,904	31,616	38
Nanaimo	84	41	-51	216	216	-	300	257	-14
Oshawa	387	356	-8	420	528	26	807	884	10
Ottawa-Gatineau	2,117	1,155	-45	16,968	11,196	-34	19,085	12,351	-35
Gatineau	369	341	-8	1,476	4,668	216	1,845	5,009	171
Ottawa	1,748	814	-53	15,492	6,528	-58	17,240	7,342	-57
Peterborough	15	74	##	0	0	-	15	74	393
Québec	659	952	44	7,452	23,424	214	8,111	24,376	201
Red Deer	147	95	-35	0	2,160	##	147	2,255	##
Regina	278	390	40	3,144	336	-89	3,422	726	-79
Saguenay	284	249	-12	156	600	285	440	849	93
St. Catharines-Niagara	286	407	42	672	936	39	958	1,343	40
Saint John	168	196	17	12	600	##	180	796	342
St. John's	721	663	-8	648	360	-44	1,369	1,023	-25
Saskatoon	1,231	1,462	19	2,580	2,988	16	3,811	4,450	17
Sherbrooke	357	225	-37	1,944	660	-66	2,301	885	-62
Thunder Bay	108	108	-	0	132	##	108	240	122
Toronto	3,565	4,478	26	24,492	38,424	57	28,057	42,902	53
Trois-Rivières	188	141	-25	804	3,756	367	992	3,897	293
Vancouver	1,838	1,978	8	34,968	19,116	-45	36,806	21,094	-43
Victoria	211	170	-19	4,452	4,344	-2	4,663	4,514	-3
Windsor	352	404	15	420	372	-11	772	776	1
Winnipeg	2,527	2,026	-20	2,388	5,988	151	4,915	8,014	63
Data for 2022 based on 2016 Census Definitions and data for 2023, 2024 and 2025 based on 2021 Census Definitions.
Source: CMHC Starts and Completion Survey, Market Absorption Survey
## not calculable / extreme value

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)

Information on this release: To request an interview with a CMHC economist, contact: Media Relations, CMHC, [email protected]