Non-residential construction declines in Calgary but Alberta still leads the country

Non-residential construction has declined across Alberta and even more sharply in Calgary but remains well above national levels, on a per-capita basis.

Investment in commercial, industrial, institutional and government construction in Alberta fell to$2.461 billion for the second quarter of 2017, according to data released Monday by Statistics Canada.

That's down 5.8 per cent from the same period a year earlier.

In Calgary, specifically, construction investment was down 15.6 per cent to $903 million.

The decreases were mainly the result of lower spending in the institutional and commercial construction sectors, according to Statistics Canada.

But even with the recent decline, Alberta still punches above its weight, on a per-capita basis.

The province accounts for 20 per cent of total non-residential construction across the country, despite having only 12 per cent of the population.

In absolute dollars, Alberta's $2.461 billion ranks second among the provinces,behind only Ontario, which saw $4.857 billion in non-residential construction last quarter.

Quebec, by comparison, recorded $2.204 billion while B.C. had $1.426 billion.