A quarterly crane index report by surveyors Rider Levett Bucknall shows there were 23 cranes in Canberra at the end of September.

There were 24 cranes in operation at the same time in 2016, but the number has steadily declined since, dropping to 17 at the end of the April-June quarter this year.

Of the 23 cranes standing at the end of September, 19 were being used in residential developments.

Rider Levett Bucknall Canberra director Mark Chappe said that figure was forecast to continue increasing in the next six months.

"The industry is experiencing a period of sustained growth at the moment and it is unlikely to change in the next six months," Mr Chappe said.

"I would expect the number of cranes to be even higher in the next two quarters.

"There's been a lot of demand for inner-city living, which has pushed up the numbers of cranes."

The latest crane index report says of the 19 cranes being used in residential projects in Canberra, 12 were brought in during the third quarter of 2018.

They are being used in projects including Midnight and Tamaroshi in Braddon, The Capitol in Acton, Iskia in Campbell, Constitution Place in Civic, Ruby and The Valley Way in Gungahlin, Nest in Lawson, Banskii in Macquarie and Ivy in Phillip.

In other movements last year, the number of cranes at the Founders Lane development in Braddon increased from one to two.

The Australian National University student accommodation project in Acton and the Campbell 5 Project each had a crane removed in the July-September quarter, leaving them with one each.

There was no change for the education sector, with both of its cranes remaining at the Australian National University Union Court in Acton.

In the only change for the commercial sector in the July-September quarter, a crane was erected at Civic Quarter Canberra, in Braddon.

The mixed-use sector still has just one crane, with one removed from the ACT Supreme Court in Civic last quarter, but another erected at the National Capital Private Hospital.