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October 20, 2025BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, AUGUST 2025 Monthly (August 2025 vs July 2025, seasonally adjusted)
Investment in Nova Scotia building construction declined 0.7% in August 2025 to $582.4 million. Halifax monthly building construction was up 3.4% to $330.2 million while outside of Halifax building construction was down 5.7% to $252.2 million. Nationally, investment in building construction rose 0.1% with gains in four provinces. Saskatchewan and Manitoba reported the largest gains in building construction investment, while Prince Edward Island had the steepest decline.
Nova Scotia's August 2025 residential construction investment fell 2.0% to $454.5 million. Halifax residential construction was up 3.9% to $263.8 million. Outside of Halifax residential construction was down 9.2% to $190.7 million. National residential construction increased by 0.1%, with gains in four provinces. Manitoba and Saskatchewan had the largest gains while Prince Edward Island reported the steepest decline.
Nova Scotia's non-residential building construction grew 4.2% to $127.9 million, the fastest gain among provinces. In Halifax, non-residential construction was up 1.6% to $66.4 million. Outside of Halifax, non-residential construction was up 7.2% to $61.5 million. National non-residential building construction was up 0.3% in August 2025 with increases in six provinces. Manitoba reported the fastest decline.
Year-to-date (January-August 2025 vs January-August 2024)
Compared to January-August 2024, building construction investment was up 12.4% in Nova Scotia. Halifax construction activity was up 15.2% and outside of Halifax construction activity was up 8.9%. National building construction investment was up 8.4%, with gains in all provinces except Newfoundland and Labrador, led by Prince Edward Island.
Residential construction investment was up 10.3% in Nova Scotia compared to January-August 2024. Halifax's residential construction was up 15.9% and outside of Halifax residential construction was up 3.8%. National residential construction was up 10.8% with gains in eight provinces. Prince Edward Island reported the fastest gain, while Newfoundland and Labrador experienced the steepest decline.
Nova Scotia's non-residential construction was up 21.2% compared to January-August 2024, the fastest gain among provinces. Halifax's non-residential construction rose 12.8% while outside of Halifax, non-residential construction was up 33.4%. National non-residential construction investment increased 3.3% compared to January-August 2024, with gains in seven provinces. Québec reported the steepest decline.
Nova Scotia's total building construction investment increased from $4,102 million in January-August 2024 to $4,609 million in January-August 2025. Residential investment as well as non-residential investment was up across the province.
Nova Scotia residential building construction investment growth was driven by an increase in multiple dwelling building construction across the province as well as a slight gain in single dwelling building construction across the province.
Non-residential building construction investment was up in all categories. The largest increases were in institutional and government building construction investment.
All categories of building construction investment increased in Halifax, with the fastest increases in multiple dwelling units, industrial, and institutional/government investment. Outside of Halifax, building construction investment rose in all categories, with the fastest growth in institutional/government investment followed by commercial investment.
Trends
Building construction has trended up over recent years, particularly from rising residential investment. Residential investment (and therefore total investment) exhibits peaks and troughs around a rising trend. Non-residential investment has been on a more gradual increasing trend.
In Halifax, residential construction investment had trended up for multi-unit dwellings since late 2024 and a gradual rising trend in single unit dwelling investments in recent months. Outside the city, investment in single dwelling unit construction is typically higher than for multi-unit structures. In Halifax, multiple dwelling unit buildings are a larger share of investment than single dwelling units.
Non-residential building construction has lower values than residential construction.
Halifax commercial and institutional/government building construction have plateaued and declined in recent months, while industrial projects continue to grow. Outside the city, non-residential investment levels continue to grow on rising institutional/government and commercial building investments.
Statistics Canada. Table 34-10-0293-01 Investment in Building Construction
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