Building Permits by Country
Latest released Building Permits value for every supported currency, with the previous reading, the change between releases, reference date, frequency, unit, and source.
/api/v1/announcements/{currency}/building_permits. Non-USD endpoints require an API key query parameter.| Country / Currency | Latest | Previous | Change | Reference | Frequency | Unit | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
United States
USD · US Dollar
|
1,372
31 Mar 2026
|
1,538
28 Feb 2026
|
▼ -166 | 31 Mar 2026 | Monthly | Thousands (SAAR) | FRED (BEA/BLS/Fed) |
|
Canada
CAD · Canadian Dollar
|
— | — | — | — | Monthly | CAD mn | Bank of Canada/StatCan |
What is Building Permits?
Building permits count new authorisations issued for residential construction. They are the earliest stage in the housing-build pipeline and a leading indicator for housing starts and construction activity.
Why it matters for FX
Permits lead starts by one to three months and starts lead construction employment and materials demand. As one of the cleanest, earliest signals on housing-cycle direction, permits are a useful input for currency views — particularly in housing-sensitive economies (Australia, Canada, NZ).
How to read this page
Read year-over-year change to filter seasonality. Single-family vs multi-family split matters — multi-family swings are typically more volatile and policy-sensitive.
What to watch for
- Year-over-year change as the trend signal
- Single-family vs multi-family divergence
- Sensitivity to mortgage-rate moves
- Regional concentration
- Lead time to housing_starts (1-3 months)