Housing starts in Canada rose 3% in September 2026 from the previous month, reaching a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 248,896 units. This was up from a revised 242,223 units in August and exceeded market expectations of 232,500 units. Rural housing starts were estimated at 18,094 units.
On an actual (non-annualized) basis, housing starts in centres with populations of 10,000 or more declined 11% year-on-year, with 19,984 units recorded in September 2026.
Regionally, Montréal’s six-month moving average fell 8% from the previous month, driven by a drop in multi-unit starts. Vancouver, by contrast, recorded a 6% increase, supported by stronger multi-unit construction. The trend in Toronto was essentially flat.
Year-to-date, housing starts reached 170,964 units, a decrease of 4% compared with the same period in 2025. The national six-month trend measure was virtually unchanged at 250,411 units.
