Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. says housing starts in 2025 rose 5.6% compared with 2024, boosted by new rental housing construction.
The national housing agency says starts totalled 259,028 last year, up from 245,367 a year earlier.
The result came as the seasonally adjusted annual rate of starts in December amounted to 282,439 units, up 11% from 254,625 in November.
The annual pace of rural starts was estimated at 12,271 units in December.
Actual housing starts in December in centres with a population of 10,000 or greater totalled 20,716 units, up from 16,531 units in December 2024.
The six-month moving average of the seasonally adjusted annual rate of total housing starts in Canada was 264,428 units in December, down from 264,716 in November.