According to Statistics Canada, total investment in new housing construction rose 9.1 percent year over year to $4.3 billion in December, reflecting higher investment in all dwelling types.
Over 80 percent of the national advance was attributable to higher spending on the construction of single-family dwellings, which rose 14.9 percent year over year to $2.3 billion. Investment in row house construction increased 9.9 percent to $383 million, while spending on apartment and apartment-condominium buildings went up 1.4 percent to $1.4 billion. Investment in semi-detached dwellings increased 3.6 percent to $187 million.
In Ontario, new residential construction investment rose 15.6 percent to $1.8 billion. All dwelling types saw higher spending, led by single-family dwellings, which rose 21.3 percent from the same month one year earlier.
In British Columbia, investment increased 30.7 percent year over year to $933 million, with all dwelling types registering higher spending. The advance was led by apartment and apartment-condominium buildings (+46.2 percent) and single-family homes (+19.8 percent).
In Quebec, investment rose 6.4 percent to $650 million. The gain was driven by single-family dwellings (+29.0 percent), but was moderated by lower spending on apartment and apartment-condominium buildings (-10.2 percent).
In contrast, Alberta registered the largest decrease in spending on new residential construction, down 21.0 percent to $575 million. The decline was led by apartment and apartment-condominium buildings (-42.8 percent), followed by single-family homes (-9.4 percent) and row houses (-35.6 percent).