Name: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, absorptions and unabsorbed inventory, newly completed dwellings, by type of dwelling unit in census metropolitan areas
Creator: Statistics Canada
License: https://open.canada.ca/en/open-government-licence-canada

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, absorptions and unabsorbed inventory, newly completed dwellings, by type of dwelling unit in census metropolitan areas — AI AnalysisStatistics Canada's Table 34100149 tracks nearly 38 years of monthly housing absorption data across 37 Canadian Census Metropolitan Areas, revealing multiple boom-bust cycles from June 1988 through February 2026. The market peaked at 20,253 total absorption units in August 2002 but has declined sharKey Findings

The all-time peak in total housing absorptions occurred in August 2002 at 20,253 units, while February 2026 recorded the lowest value of 5,097 units, indicating a potential sustained market downturn.

Unabsorbed inventory peaked at 8,831 units in October 1990, coinciding with the early 1990s recession, demonstrating the dataset's sensitivity to broader macroeconomic cycles including the COVID-19 dip in 2020.

The value distribution is strongly right-skewed with a mean of 206.38 and a median of just 41.00 (IQR: 11–120), reflecting that large CMAs disproportionately drive national totals.

Single detached units show the highest mean absorption volume (254.90) with the widest variability (std=759.94), making them the most dominant and volatile dwelling type in the dataset.

Two statistically significant outliers were identified using rolling z-scores: July 1997 (17,146 units, z=2.72) and June 2023 (8,129 units, z=2.72), both representing unusual spikes in market activity.

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