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New Housing Price Index

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March 2009 (Previous release)

Contractors selling prices decreased 0.5% in March compared with a 0.7% decline in February. This resulted in a New Housing Price Index of 154.6 (1997=100).

Between February and March, prices declined by 1.2% in Calgary and Edmonton, followed by Vancouver (-1.1%) and Victoria (-0.9%). In Calgary and Edmonton, declines were attributed to lower material and labour costs and lower lot prices from developers. In Vancouver and Victoria, builders reported lower prices due to competition and slow market conditions.

Prices also declined in St. Catharines–Niagara (-0.9%), Saskatoon (-0.7%), Charlottetown (-0.4%), Toronto (-0.3%) and Hamilton (-0.2%).

In St. John's, new housing prices increased by 0.4% compared with February, followed by Montréal (+0.3%) and Québec (+0.1%).

Percentage change from the same month of the previous year (cities with the largest positive change)

The New Housing Price Index decreased by 2.4% in March compared with the same month a year earlier. This was the third consecutive year-over-year decline at the Canada level as a result of lower prices in most surveyed cities.

On the Prairies, 12-month declines were recorded in Edmonton (-12.3%), Saskatoon (-11.2%) and Calgary (-8.7%).

On the West Coast, Vancouver (-7.8%) and Victoria (-6.6%) each posted year-over-year declines.

Percentage change from the same month of the previous year (cities with the smallest or negative change)

Among surveyed cities, the largest year-over-year increases were in St. John's (+20.8%) and Regina (+12.8%).

In Québec, the 12-month growth rate was 8.1%, while in Montréal prices increased 3.5%.

Compared with March 2008, contractors' selling prices were 4.1% higher in Winnipeg and 3.9% higher in Saint John, Fredericton and Moncton.

Available on CANSIM: table 327-0005.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2310.

The first quarter 2009 issue of Capital Expenditure Price Statistics (62-007-X, free) will be available in July.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Client Services (613-951-9606; toll-free 1-866-230-2248; fax: 613-951-3117; prices-prix@statcan.gc.ca), Producer Prices Division.

Table 1

New housing price indexes
  March 2009 March 2008 to March 2009 February to March 2009
  (1997=100) % change
Canada total 154.6 -2.4 -0.5
House only 162.3 -3.6 -0.5
Land only 138.7 -0.4 -0.5
St. John's 179.8 20.8 0.4
Halifax 150.5 1.6 0.0
Charlottetown 120.5 1.0 -0.4
Saint John, Fredericton and Moncton 120.3 3.9 0.0
Québec 164.8 8.1 0.1
Montréal 164.9 3.5 0.3
Ottawa–Gatineau 169.6 2.0 0.0
Toronto and Oshawa 145.9 0.1 -0.3
Hamilton 151.9 -0.8 -0.2
St. Catharines–Niagara 154.5 -1.1 -0.9
Kitchener 143.2 0.9 0.0
London 144.4 2.6 0.0
Windsor 103.7 0.3 0.0
Greater Sudbury and Thunder Bay 112.7 1.7 0.0
Winnipeg 181.4 4.1 0.0
Regina 250.9 12.8 0.0
Saskatoon 213.8 -11.2 -0.7
Calgary 230.9 -8.7 -1.2
Edmonton 213.1 -12.3 -1.2
Vancouver 114.9 -7.8 -1.1
Victoria 111.4 -6.6 -0.9
Note(s):
View the census subdivisions that comprise the metropolitan areas online.