Canada’s building permits continued to decline in May 2026, but at a much slower pace than a month earlier, signaling a potential stabilization in construction activity.
According to data updated on 10 July 2026, building permits fell 1.7% month-over-month in May, following a sharper 6.6% drop in April 2026. On a month-over-month comparison basis, this means that while permit issuance is still contracting, the rate of decline has eased noticeably.
The moderation from April’s steep fall to May’s smaller decline may indicate that the worst of the pullback in permitting is passing, though activity remains softer than in previous months. Market participants will be watching upcoming releases to see whether May’s figures mark the beginning of a plateau or merely a temporary pause in a broader downturn.
