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 07, 2017BUILDING PERMITS, DECEMBER 2016
The value of building permits issued in Nova Scotia decreased by 36.0 per cent in December, following an increase of 17.4 per cent in November. Non-residential permit values fell by 48.2 per cent while residential values decreased by 29.4 per cent. Compared with December 2015, NS building permits were down 15.3 per cent with a decrease in residential permit values of 9.2 per cent and a decrease in non-residential values of 27.6 per cent. Although monthly results for building permits are highly volatile, permit values have shown a generally flat trend in 2016 after declining through much of 2015.
The trend in Nova Scotia building permit values particularly reflects the trends in the Halifax market. The value of Halifax building permits fell 41.4 per cent in December with decreases in both residential and non-residential permits. Residential permits in Halifax continued a downward trend from 2015 through the first half of 2016 with a modest rise in recent months, while non-residential permits have been relatively flat through 2016.
Outside the Halifax market, residential building permit values fell 16.6 per cent in December, continuing a slightly downward trend through the second half of the year. Non-residential permit values decreased 45.7 per cent in December, although the trend has remains relatively flat.
On an annual basis, overall building permit values are down 7.0 per cent in Nova Scotia in 2016 compared to 2015. An increase in permit values outside Halifax were not enough to offset the decline in permit values in the city. The decline in building permits reflected lower residential (-7.6 per cent) and non-residential (-5.6 per cent) permit values.
The decline in residential permit values reflects a cooling of multiple-unit building permits in Halifax to more historically average levels after a surge in 2015. Of note was an increase in year-to-date building permits for single-unit starts in 2016.
Annually, building permit values (unadjusted) were up in the North Shore, Annapolis Valley and Southern economic regions, with the largest gains in the North Shore area. Building permit values declined in the Cape Breton and Halifax regions.
Nationally, residential building permit values have been on an upward trend since August, though they decline by 4.1 per cent in December. Non-residential building permit values have been slowly but steadily trending downward since mid-2014, declining by a further 11.5 per cent in December. On an annual basis, residential permits were up by 1.3 per cent nationally in 2016 but that was more than offset by a decline in non-residential permits of 4.4 per cent.
Comparing 2016 annual permits values to 2015, Nova Scotia's residential building permit values fell by 7.6 per cent, including a 20.1 per cent drop in Halifax. Prince Edward Island reported the largest gains in residential building permit values while Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Newfoundland and Labrador reported the steepest drop.
Nova Scotia's non-residential building permit values in 2016 were 5.6 per cent below their value in 2015. A decline in Halifax of 16.6 per cent has been partly offset in areas outside Halifax. Manitoba and New Brunswick non-residential permit values reported the strongest gains while the largest declines were observed in Newfoundland and Labrador and Saskatchewan.
Overall building permit values were down 7.0 per cent in Nova Scotia and 19.0 per cent in Halifax for the year. Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick reported the strongest gains in overall permit values while Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Newfoundland and Labrador reported the largest declines.
Sources: CANSIM 026-0006 and 026-0005
Statistics Canada Cat. No. 64-001-X
<--- Return to Archive