The Economics and Statistics Division maintains archives of previous publications for accountability purposes, but makes no updates to keep these documents current with the latest data revisions from Statistics Canada. As a result, information in older documents may not be accurate. Please exercise caution when referring to older documents. For the latest information and historical data, please contact the individual listed to the right.
<--- Return to Archive
For additional information relating to this article, please contact:
February 02, 2023BUILDING PERMITS, DECEMBER AND ANNUAL 2022 Month over month (seasonally adjusted, Dec 2022 vs. Nov 2022)
Changes in monthly building permit values are typically very volatile, with large swings from one month to the next.
Nova Scotia's total building permits (residential and non-residential) increased 9.0% to $210.9 million. Halifax permits increased 6.7% to $115.3 million. Outside the city, permit values increased 12.0% to $95.6 million. National permits decreased 7.3% to $10.29 billion. Building permit values were up in 7 of 10 provinces, led by Newfoundland and Labrador and Saskatchewan. Ontario and Quebec reported the largest declines.
Nova Scotia's residential building permits increased 17.0% to $170.1 million. Halifax residential permits increased 13.6% to $94.9 million. Outside the city, residential permit values increased 21.5% to $75.2 million. National residential building permit values decreased 8.4% to $6.50 billion. Residential permit values were up in 4 of 10 provinces, led by Newfoundland and Labrador and Saskatchewan. Quebec and Alberta reported the largest declines.
Nova Scotia's non-residential building permits decreased 15.0% to $40.9 million. Halifax permits decreased 16.9% to $20.4 million. Outside the city, non-residential permit values decreased 13.1% to $20.5 million. National non-residential building permit values decreased 5.3% to $3.79 billion. Non-residential permit values were up in 7 of 10 provinces, led by Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island. Ontario and Nova Scotia reported the largest declines.
Annual (2022 vs. 2021)
Nova Scotia's total building permits (residential and non-residential) increased 9.3% to $2,616.4 million. Halifax permits increased 16.2% to $1,603.5 million. Outside the city, permit values decreased 0.2% to $1,012.9 million. National permits increased 6.4% to $135.5 billion. Building permit values were up in 7 of 10 provinces, led by British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Prince Edward Island and Quebec reported the largest declines.
Nova Scotia's residential building permits increased 15.3% to $2,096.4 million. Halifax residential permits increased 22.9% to $1,282.7 million. Outside the city, residential permit values increased 5.0% to $813.7 million. National residential building permit values increased 2.1% to $89.2 billion. Residential permit values were up in 6 of 10 provinces, led by Newfoundland and Labrador and British Columbia. Manitoba and Quebec reported the largest declines.
Nova Scotia's non-residential building permits decreased 9.7% to $520.0 million. Halifax permits decreased 4.5% to $320.8 million. Outside the city, non-residential permit values decreased 16.9% to $199.3 million. National non-residential building permit values increased 15.9% to $46.3 billion. Non-residential permit values were up in 8 of 10 provinces, led by British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia reported the only declines.
Overall building permit values in Nova Scotia increased in 2022 compared with 2021. This reflects an increase in all residential permit types across the province, with the exception of multiple dwelling buildings outside Halifax. Non-residential permit values were down in 2022 on declines in institutional/government and industrial permit values, which offset the gains in commercial projects.
Trends
Overall building permit values have been on a rising trend since the middle of 2021, mostly driven by the rise in residential permit values (within Halifax as well as outside the city).
After rising sharply since 2020, residential permit values started to trend down near the end of 2022. Even so, residential permit values both in Halifax and outside the city are above pre-pandemic levels at the end of 2022.
After growing at the end of 2021, Nova Scotia's non-residential building permit values have trended down since the beginning of 2022. Non-residential permit values have trended down in Halifax as well as the rest of the province.
Trends in residential permit values reflect the differences in housing markets for Halifax and the rest of the province. In Halifax, growth in permit values for multi-unit dwellings has outpaced growth in single-dwelling unit permits. Outside the city the situation is reversed, with stronger growth in single dwelling unit permit values than in multi-unit structures.
Non-residential building permits have lower values than residential permits. After rising in late 2021, values for Halifax commercial and industrial building permits have declined. Outside the city, permits are trending down in 2022, particularly for industrial and government/institutional projects.
Source: Statistics Canada. Table 34-10-0066-01 Building permits, by type of structure and type of work (x 1,000)
<--- Return to Archive
