View source for Kouvola

{{expand Finnish|date=June 2023|topic=geo}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name = Kouvola
| official_name = {{lang|fi|Kouvolan kaupunki}}<br/>{{lang|sv|Kouvola stad}}<br />{{lang|en|City of Kouvola}}
| settlement_type = City
| motto = ''Näköisesi paikka'' (The place you look like)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Näköisesi paikka |url=https://www.kouvola.fi/nakoisesi-paikka/ |access-date=2024-12-27 |website=Kouvolan kaupunki |language=fi}}</ref>
| image_skyline = Kouvola_aerial_2.jpg
| image_caption = Aerial photo of [[Kuusankoski]] area of Kouvola
| image_shield = Kouvola.vaakuna.2009.svg
| shield_size = 120x80px
| image_map = Kouvola sijainti Suomi.svg
| map_caption = Location of Kouvola in Finland
|coordinates = {{coord|60|52|05|N|026|42|15|E|display=inline,title}}
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = {{flag|Finland}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[Regions of Finland|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Kymenlaakso]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Sub-regions of Finland|Sub-region]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Kouvola sub-region|Kouvola]]
| leader_title = City manager
| leader_name = Marita Toikka
| established_title = [[Charter]]
| established_date = 1922
| established_title2 = [[Town privileges|City rights]]
| established_date2 = 1960
|area_footnotes = {{Data Finland municipality|area_footnotes|Kouvola}}
|area_total_km2 = {{Data Finland municipality|area_total_km2|Kouvola}}
|area_land_km2 = {{Data Finland municipality|area_land_km2|Kouvola}}
|area_water_km2 = {{Data Finland municipality|area_water_km2|Kouvola}}
|area_rank = {{Data Finland municipality|area_rank|Kouvola}}
|population_as_of = {{Data Finland municipality|population_as_of|Kouvola}}
|population_footnotes = {{Data Finland municipality|population_footnotes|Kouvola}}
|population_total = {{Data Finland municipality|population_total|Kouvola}}
|population_density_km2 = {{Data Finland municipality|population_density_km2|Kouvola}}
| population_metro = 60,776
| population_density_metro_km2 = 267
| population_urban = 55,372
|population_rank = {{Data Finland municipality|population_rank|Kouvola}}
|demographics_type1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics_type1|Kouvola}}
|demographics1_footnotes = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_footnotes|Kouvola}}
|demographics1_title1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_title1|Kouvola}}
|demographics1_info1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_info1|Kouvola}}
|demographics1_title2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_title2|Kouvola}}
|demographics1_info2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_info2|Kouvola}}
|demographics1_title3 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_title3|Kouvola}}
|demographics1_info3 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_info3|Kouvola}}
|demographics1_title4 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_title4|Kouvola}}
|demographics1_info4 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_info4|Kouvola}}
|demographics_type2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics_type2|Kouvola}}
|demographics2_footnotes = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_footnotes|Kouvola}}
|demographics2_title1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_title1|Kouvola}}
|demographics2_info1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_info1|Kouvola}}
|demographics2_title2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_title2|Kouvola}}
|demographics2_info2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_info2|Kouvola}}
|demographics2_title3 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_title3|Kouvola}}
|demographics2_info3 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_info3|Kouvola}}
|blank_name = {{Data Finland municipality|blank_name|Kouvola}}
|blank_info = {{Data Finland municipality|blank_info|Kouvola}}
| blank3_name = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank3_info = [[Warm-summer humid continental climate|Dfb]]
|timezone = [[Eastern European Time|EET]]
|utc_offset = +02:00
|timezone_DST = [[Eastern European Summer Time|EEST]]
|utc_offset_DST = +03:00
| postal_code_type = Postal code
| postal_code = 45100
| website = {{Url|https://www.kouvola.fi/en/}}
}}
'''Kouvola''' ({{IPA|fi|ˈkou̯ʋolɑ}}) is a [[city]] in [[Finland]] and the administrative capital of [[Kymenlaakso]]. It is located in the southeastern interior of the country. The population of Kouvola is approximately {{formatnum:{{#expr:{{Data Finland municipality/population count|Kouvola}}round -3}}}}. It is the {{ordinal|{{Data Finland municipality/population count sequence|Kouvola}}}} most populous [[Municipalities of Finland|municipality]] in Finland, and the 17th most populous [[List of urban areas in Finland by population|urban area]] in the country. 

Kouvola is located along the [[Kymijoki|Kymijoki River]] in the [[Regions of Finland|region]] of [[Kymenlaakso]], {{convert|62|km}} kilometers east of [[Lahti]], {{convert|87|km}} west of [[Lappeenranta]] and {{convert|134|km}} northeast of the capital, [[Helsinki]]. With [[Kotka]], Kouvola is one of the capital centers and is the largest city in the Kymenlaakso region.

The urban area of Kouvola in the [[downtown|city centre]] itself is home to about 47,000 people.<ref>[http://pxnet2.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/fi/StatFin/StatFin__vrm__vaerak/statfin_vaerak_pxt_11s8.px/table/tableViewLayout1/ Taajamat väkiluvun ja väestöntiheyden mukaan 31.12.2019]{{Dead link|date=May 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. – [[Statistics Finland]]. (in Finnish)</ref> The city covers an area of {{convert|{{Data Finland municipality/total area|Kouvola}}|km2}} of which {{convert|{{Data Finland municipality/waters area|Kouvola}}|km2|abbr=on}} is water.<ref name="total_area" /> The [[population density]] is {{convert|{{Data Finland municipality/population density|Kouvola|round=2}}|PD/km2}}. Kouvola is bordered by the municipalities of [[Hamina]], [[Heinola]], [[Iitti]], Kotka, [[Lapinjärvi (municipality)|Lapinjärvi]], [[Loviisa]], [[Luumäki]], [[Miehikkälä]], [[Mäntyharju]], [[Pyhtää]] and [[Savitaipale]]. Kouvola has over 450 lakes and, together with Mäntyharju, the Kouvola area includes the [[Repovesi National Park]].<ref name="helsinki-times">{{cite web|url=https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/themes/themes/travel/1928-kouvola-strategic-and-beautiful.html|title=Kouvola – strategic and beautiful|first=Katherine|last=Kruk|work=[[Helsinki Times]]|date=5 April 2012|access-date=2 November 2022}}</ref>

Kouvola, which had population growth as late as the 1980s, has suffered a loss of population due to migration since the 1990s. Over time, the loss has only deepened, so that at the end of the 2010s Kouvola had the highest rate of population loss by migration in Finland. Natural demographics have also trended downward; in 2017, more than 450 more people died in the city than new ones were born.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-10158131 | title = Kouvola suuren tuskan edessä |work = [[YLE]] | date = 17 April 2018 | access-date = October 13, 2021 | language = fi}}</ref><ref name="yle-kouvola-vakiluku"/><ref name="ylioppilaslehti"/> Currently, the population of Kouvola is decreasing annually by about 800 inhabitants.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://yle.fi/a/74-20119955|title=Kouvolassa väki vähenee, eikä kaupunki voi sitä pysäyttää – asukkaat toivovat Kouvolalle parempaa tulevaisuutta|last1=Sormunen|first1=Elli|last2=Kilpinen|first2=Emma|work=[[Yle]]|date=24 October 2024|access-date=26 November 2024|language=fi}}</ref> The reasons for the emigration are thought to be largely due to job losses in the region.<ref name="yle-kouvola-vakiluku">{{cite web | url = https://yle.fi/uutiset/3-12122177 | title = Kaakkois-Suomen suurin kaupunki vaihtuu, jos väestöennuste toteutuu – Kouvolan väkiluku vähenee tuhansilla |work = [[YLE]] | date = 30 September 2021 | access-date = October 13, 2021 | language = fi}}</ref><ref name="ylioppilaslehti">{{cite web|url=https://ylioppilaslehti.fi/2020/11/kouvolaan-piti-tulla-kaikkea-mahtavaa-mutta-rakennemuutos-kaupungistuminen-ja-globalisaatio-vesittavat-visioita-ylioppilaslehti-kavi-katsomassa-suomen-suurinta-muuttotappiota/|title=Älkää lähtekö!|first1=Sonia|last1=el Kamel|first2=Touko|last2=Hujanen|work=Ylioppilaslehti|date=November 27, 2020|access-date=October 13, 2021|language=fi}}</ref> The city has placed expectations for economic recovery on various projects, such as the [[TikTok]] data center planned for [[Koria|Koria village]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailyfinland.fi/business/43087/Kouvola-welcomes-TikTok-data-center-eyes-economic-boost|title=Kouvola welcomes TikTok data center, eyes economic boost|work=Daily Finland|date=7 May 2025|access-date=10 June 2025}}</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Kouvolan vanha vaakuna 01.jpg|thumb|left|110px|Coat of arms of Kouvola in 1952–2008.]]
In the Middle Ages, the Kouvola region were borderlands between the provinces of [[Uusimaa (historical province)|Uusimaa]], [[Häme]] and [[Karelia (historical province)|Karelia]]. The [[Kymijoki River]] served as the border river between [[Sweden]] and the [[Russian Empire]] from [[Treaty of Åbo|1743]] to [[Treaty of Fredrikshamn|1809]].

The village of Kouvola has been inhabited since the Middle Ages, and it has belonged alternately to the parishes of [[Hollola]], [[Iitti]] and [[Valkeala]]. However, the actual development did not start until the 1870s when the [[Riihimäki–Saint Petersburg railway|Riihimäki–Saint Petersburg railway line]] was built and Kouvola became a railway junction.<ref name="helsinki-times"/>  In the next decade, the [[Savonia railway]] was built from Kouvola to the north and the [[Kouvola-Kotka railway|Kotka]] line to the south, resulting in Kouvola becoming one of the busiest railway junctions in Finland. Over time, Kouvola developed into an important [[Pulp (paper)|pulp-producing]], [[Paper mill|paper-milling]] and printing centre and even had a leading [[industrial engineering]] sector.<ref name="helsinki-times"/>

In 1918, conflict between the Red and White factions raged heavily during the [[Finnish Civil War]]. More than 200 people were killed in the area during the fighting.

As a result of the railway, Kouvola was heavily built. In 1922 it was separated from the municipality of Valkeala and gained commercial rights immediately the following year. The city of Kouvola was established in 1960. Kouvola was annexed to [[Viipuri Province]] in 1922–1945 but in 1940 and 1944, most of Viipuri County was ceded to the [[Soviet Union]], and the remaining areas were formed into [[Kymi Province]] in 1945. Kouvola had also become an administrative center; As the capital of Kymen County, it operated from 1955 until the 1997 county reform.

In January 2009, the six municipalities of Kouvola, [[Kuusankoski]], [[Elimäki]], [[Anjalankoski]], [[Valkeala]] and [[Jaala]] were consolidated, forming the new municipality of Kouvola. Kouvola has also assumed the slogan ''Kymijoen kaupunki'' (the town of [[Kymijoki]]) previously used by Anjalankoski.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.kouvola.fi/ |title= Kouvolan kaupunki |access-date= 20 June 2010 |work= Website of Kouvola}}</ref>

== Culture ==
*The name itself derives from Old Finnish ''kouvo'', meaning [[brown bear|bear]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last=Jäntti|first=Pasi|title=Mikä on kouvo?|url=http://www.kaleva.fi/karhu/kysy-karhuista/mika-on-kouvo/23892/|access-date=September 17, 2021|work=[[Kaleva (newspaper)|Kaleva]]|language=fi|archive-date=May 17, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517123839/http://www.kaleva.fi/karhu/kysy-karhuista/mika-on-kouvo/23892/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The arms are ''Sable, an escarbuncle Or, base wavy Argent''.
* [[Verla]] factory, which is a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]], is located near Kouvola.<ref name="helsinki-times"/>
* The newspapers ''[[Kouvolan Sanomat]]'' and ''[[Keskilaakso]]'' are published in Kouvola.
* The third biggest [[Amusement park]] in Finland, called [[Tykkimäki]] is located in Kouvola.<ref name="helsinki-times"/>

=== Province History of Kouvola ===
* [[File:Viipurin lääni.vaakuna.svg|23px]] [[Viipuri Province]] (1922–1945)
* [[File:Kymen lääni.vaakuna.svg|23px]] [[Kymi Province]] (1945–1997)
* [[File:Etelä-Suomen läänin vaakuna.svg|23px]] [[Southern Finland Province]] (1997–2009)
* [[File:Kymenlaakson maakunnan vaakuna.svg|20px]] [[Kymenlaakso]] (2009–)

== Sports ==
Kouvola is the hometown of the [[Sudet]] sports club, which became Finnish champions in [[bandy]] six consecutive times, and they have a [[association football|football]] team which is playing at the fourth highest level, [[Kolmonen]], despite Sudet being one of the oldest football clubs in Finland. [[KooKoo (ice hockey club)|KooKoo]] is the most successful [[ice hockey]] team in [[Kymenlaakso]]. It plays in the Finnish top league, [[SM-liiga]]. [[Kouvolan Pallonlyöjät]] (KPL) is a baseball team based in Kouvola and known for [[Pesäpallo]]. KPL was won five Finnish championships and it plays in the Finnish top league, [[Superpesis]]. [[Kouvot]] is a [[basketball]] team based in Kouvola. the team plays in the highest level [[Korisliiga]] and has won four Finnish championships.

[[MyPa]] is one of the most successful football clubs in Finland and the 1990s was the golden era. MyPa is played 23 seasons in the Finnish top football league [[Veikkausliiga]]. MyPa are based in the industrial village of [[Myllykoski]], part of the city of Kouvola. The club became inactive in professional football after having ceased operations in 2015 due to financial difficulties. In 2017, MyPa returned and started again from the fourth highest tier but has quickly risen to the second highest level, [[Ykkönen]], where it is now playing.
Kouvola also has a [[Palomäki Ski Jump Center]], very close to the city, where young people and other sports enthusiasts can go to jump on a [[ski jump]].

== Local government ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+City Council of Kouvola
! Party
!Seats
|-
|[[Social Democratic Party of Finland|Social Democratic Party]]
|style="text-align:right;" |16
|-
|[[National Coalition Party]]
|style="text-align:right;" |13
|-
|[[Centre Party (Finland)|Centre Party]]
|style="text-align:right;" |9
|-
|[[Green League]]
|style="text-align:right;" |6
|-
|[[Finns Party]]
|style="text-align:right;" |5
|-
|[[Christian Democrats (Finland)|Christian Democrats]]
|style="text-align:right;" |4
|-
|[[Sitoutumattomat (Independent)]]
|style="text-align:right;" |2
|-
|[[Left Alliance (Finland)|Left Alliance]]
|style="text-align:right;" |2
|-
|[[Suur-Kouvolan sitoutumattomat]]
|style="text-align:right;" |2
|}

== Climate ==
Kouvola has  [[humid continental climate]] (''Dfb'').The city has four distinct seasons, the amount of precipitation is relatively uniform throughout the year. The driest season is spring. Summers are generally relatively warm as the city is considered to be one of the hottest cities in Finland as it has had the most days with "helle" (temperatures above {{Convert|25|°C|°F|disp=or}}) since 2000. Winters are cold and long, colder than cities located in the coastal areas of Finland because of its location further inland, meaning the marine effect doesn't affect the city as much than those nearer the sea and specially those nearer the southwestern coasts of the Finnish side of [[Gulf of Finland]]. This also means that the summers are warmer due to it being further inland as the sea effect is making the summer temperatures slightly cooler in coastal areas. The average annual temperature is {{Convert|5.4|C|F}}. The highest ever recorded temperature in the station was {{Convert|34.5|C|F}}, on July 28, 2010. The lowest ever recorded was {{Convert|-37.3|C|F}}. The city has a significant rainfall throughout the year and even in the driest month the precipitation stays over {{Convert|30|mm}} a month. The average duration of sunshine per year is 1,658 hours. 
Kouvola Utti airport weather station has on average somewhat lower average temperatures than in the city.

{{Weather box
| location = Kouvola Utti airport, normals 1991–2020, extremes 1960–present
| source = FMI climatologial normals for Finland 1991-2020
| Jan mean C = -6.1
| metric first = y <!-- always, except UK or US cities -->
| single line = y
| Sep high C = 14.9
| Oct high C = 7.5
| Nov high C = 2.1
| Dec high C = -1.1
| Jan record high C = 7.6
| Feb record high C = 8.7
| Mar record high C = 15.6
| Apr record high C = 24.9
| May record high C = 30.2
| Jun record high C = 32.2
| Jul record high C = 34.1
| Aug record high C = 33.0
| Sep record high C = 28.7
| Oct record high C = 17.7
| Nov record high C = 12.7
| Dec record high C = 9.7
| May high C = 15.9
| Jul high C = 22.9
| Aug high C = 20.8
| Aug mean C = 16.1
| Feb mean C = -6.4
| Mar mean C = -2.3
| Apr mean C = 3.7
| May mean C = 10.6
| Jun mean C = 15.2
| Jul mean C = 18.0
| Sep mean C = 10.8
| Jun high C = 20.2
| Oct mean C = 4.7
| Nov mean C = 0.1
| Dec mean C = -3.5
| Jan high C = -3.4
| Feb high C = -3.4
| Mar high C = 1.3
| Apr high C = 8.3
| Jun record low C = -0.5
| Mar record low C = -29.3
| Apr record low C = -17.5
| May record low C = -6.4
| Sep record low C = -5.4
| Jul record low C = 3.0
| Aug record low C = -0.1
| Jan record low C = -37.3
| Oct record low C = -14.9
| Nov record low C = -22.3
| Feb record low C = -34.9
| Sep low C = 7.1
| Dec low C = -6.0
| Nov low C = -2.2
| Oct low C = 2.0
| Aug low C = 11.6
| Jul low C = 13.0
| Jun low C = 10.0
| May low C = 4.7
| Apr low C = -0.8
| Mar low C = -6.3
| Feb low C = -9.7
| Jan low C = -9.1
| Dec record low C = -35.0
| precipitation colour = green
| Nov precipitation days = 12
| Jan precipitation days = 12
| Oct precipitation days = 12
| Sep precipitation days = 10
| Jul precipitation days = 9
| Jun precipitation days = 9
| May precipitation days = 8
| Apr precipitation days = 7
| Mar precipitation days = 9
| Feb precipitation days = 10
| Mar precipitation mm = 42
| Dec precipitation mm = 64
| Nov precipitation mm = 66
| Oct precipitation mm = 72
| Sep precipitation mm = 63
| Aug precipitation mm = 71
| Jul precipitation mm = 69
| Jun precipitation mm = 63
| May precipitation mm = 41
| Apr precipitation mm = 31
| Feb precipitation mm = 45
| Jan precipitation mm = 54
| Aug precipitation days = 10
| Dec precipitation days = 13
}}

{{Weather box
| location = Kouvola Anjala (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1959–present)
| collapsed = Yes
| metric first = Yes
| single line = Yes
| Jan record high C = 7.6
| Feb record high C = 8.8
| Mar record high C = 16.1
| Apr record high C = 23.8
| May record high C = 29.8
| Jun record high C = 32.4
| Jul record high C = 33.5
| Aug record high C = 31.9
| Sep record high C = 27.9
| Oct record high C = 19.2
| Nov record high C = 13.4
| Dec record high C = 9.7
| year record high C = 33.5
| Jan high C = -2.7
| Feb high C = -2.6
| Mar high C = 2.1
| Apr high C = 8.9
| May high C = 16.2
| Jun high C = 20.5
| Jul high C = 23.2
| Aug high C = 21.3
| Sep high C = 15.4
| Oct high C = 8.2
| Nov high C = 2.8
| Dec high C = -0.5
| year high C = 9.4
| Jan mean C = -5.3
| Feb mean C = -5.7
| Mar mean C = -2.0
| Apr mean C = 4.0
| May mean C = 10.4
| Jun mean C = 15.0
| Jul mean C = 17.9
| Aug mean C = 16.0
| Sep mean C = 10.9
| Oct mean C = 5.1
| Nov mean C = 0.7
| Dec mean C = -2.7
| year mean C = 5.4
| Jan low C = -8.4
| Feb low C = -9.1
| Mar low C = -6.0
| Apr low C = -0.6
| May low C = 4.2
| Jun low C = 9.4
| Jul low C = 12.3
| Aug low C = 11.1
| Sep low C = 6.8
| Oct low C = 2.2
| Nov low C = -1.6
| Dec low C = -5.3
| year low C = 1.3
| Jan record low C = -37.3
| Feb record low C = -36.0
| Mar record low C = -33.5
| Apr record low C = -22.5
| May record low C = -8.2
| Jun record low C = -3.0
| Jul record low C = 1.4
| Aug record low C = -3.1
| Sep record low C = -7.9
| Oct record low C = -16.3
| Nov record low C = -23.3
| Dec record low C = -36.6
| year record low C = -37.3
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 52
| Feb precipitation mm = 45
| Mar precipitation mm = 40
| Apr precipitation mm = 32
| May precipitation mm = 38
| Jun precipitation mm = 64
| Jul precipitation mm = 66
| Aug precipitation mm = 76
| Sep precipitation mm = 61
| Oct precipitation mm = 72
| Nov precipitation mm = 67
| Dec precipitation mm = 64
| year precipitation mm = 677
| Jan precipitation days = 12.0
| Feb precipitation days = 10
| Mar precipitation days = 8
| Apr precipitation days = 7
| May precipitation days = 7
| Jun precipitation days = 10
| Jul precipitation days = 9
| Aug precipitation days = 10
| Sep precipitation days = 9
| Oct precipitation days = 11
| Nov precipitation days = 12
| Dec precipitation days = 13
| year precipitation days = 118
| source 1 = https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/336063
| source 2 = https://kilotavu.com/asema-taulukko.php?asema=101194
| source = 
| Jan avg record high C = 3.7
| Feb avg record high C = 3.8
| Mar avg record high C = 8.9
| Apr avg record high C = 18.1
| May avg record high C = 24.5
| Jun avg record high C = 27.2
| Jul avg record high C = 28.8
| Aug avg record high C = 27.2
| Sep avg record high C = 21.7
| Oct avg record high C = 14.4
| Nov avg record high C = 8.8
| Dec avg record high C = 4.8
| year avg record high C = 29.9
| Jul avg record low C = 6.5
| Aug avg record low C = 4.0
| Jun avg record low C = 2.3
| Sep avg record low C = -0.8
| May avg record low C = -3.1
| Oct avg record low C = -6.3
| Apr avg record low C = -7.7
| Nov avg record low C = -11.1
| Mar avg record low C = -17.4
| Dec avg record low C = -17.1
| Feb avg record low C = -22.2
| Jan avg record low C = -22.2
| year avg record low C = -25.8
}}

==Demographics==

===Population===

The city of Kouvola has {{formatnum: {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Kouvola }}}} inhabitants, making it the {{ordinal|{{Data Finland municipality/population count sequence|Kouvola}}}} most populous municipality in Finland.<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final"/>

{{Bar chart
| title   = Population size of Kouvola (and merged municipalities) 1990–2020<ref name="Stat-finland-population-38,000-persons">{{Cite web | url=https://stat.fi/en/publication/cl8lprraorrr20dut5a0tywm5 | title=Number of foreign-language speakers grew by nearly 38,000 persons | date=31 May 2023 | publisher=Statistics Finland | access-date=12 September 2023 | language=en }}</ref>
| label_type  = Year
| data_type   = Population
| bar_width = 47
| width_units = em
| label3  = 1990
| label4  = 1995
| label5  = 2000
| label6  = 2005
| label7  = 2010
| label8  = 2015
| label9  = 2020 
| data_max = 96000
| data3  = 94352
| data4  = 94138
| data5  = 91550
| data6  = 89924
| data7  = 88072
| data8  = 85855
| data9  = 81187
}}

=== Languages ===

{{Pie chart
|thumb = left
|direction=row
|caption = Population by<br/>mother tongue (2024)<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final">{{cite web |url= https://stat.fi/en/publication/cm1jg8tr20lco07vwvoif9s6i |title= Number of foreign-language speakers exceeded 600,000 during 2024  |date= 2025-04-04 |series= Population structure |publisher= Statistics Finland |issn= 1797-5395  |access-date=2025-04-10 }}</ref>
|label1 = Finnish
|value1 = 93.7
|color1 = #002F6C
|label2 = Russian
|value2 = 2.0
|color2 = #D52B1E
|label3 = Ukrainian
|value3 = 0.5
|color3 = #0056B9
|label4 = Estonian
|value4 = 0.5
|color4 = #0072CE
|label5 = Swedish
|value5 = 0.4
|color5 = #FFCD00
|label6 = Arabic
|value6 = 0.3
|color6 = #165D31
|label7 = Thai
|value7 = 0.2
|color7 = #A51931
|label8 = Other
|value8 = 2.4
|color8 = #C5C5C5
}}
Kouvola is a monolingual [[Finnish language|Finnish-speaking]] municipality. {{As of|2024}}, the majority of the population, {{formatnum: {{Data Finland municipality/native language Finnish|Kouvola}}}} persons ({{Percentage|sigfig = 3|{{Data Finland municipality/native language Finnish|Kouvola}}|{{Data Finland municipality/native language total|Kouvola}}}}), spoke Finnish as their first language. In addition, the number of [[Swedish-speaking population of Finland|Swedish speakers]] was {{formatnum: {{Data Finland municipality/native language Swedish|Kouvola }}}} persons ({{Percentage|sigfig = 1|{{Data Finland municipality/native language Swedish|Kouvola}}|{{Data Finland municipality/native language total|Kouvola}}}}) of the population. Foreign languages were spoken by {{Formatnum: {{pct|{{Data Finland municipality/native language other|Kouvola}}|{{Data Finland municipality/native language total|Kouvola}}|1}}}} of the population.<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final"/> As [[English language|English]] and [[Swedish language|Swedish]] are compulsory school subjects, functional bilingualism or trilingualism acquired through language studies is not uncommon.

At least 40 different languages are spoken in Kouvola. The most commonly spoken foreign languages are [[Russian language|Russian]] (2.0%), [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]] (0.5%), [[Estonian language|Estonian]] (0.5%) and [[Arabic]] (0.3%).<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final"/>

The language spoken in the Kouvola area is based on the Southeast Häme dialect, which belongs to the [[Tavastian dialects]].

=== Immigration ===

{|class="wikitable" style="float:right; text-align:right;" 
|colspan="3"|'''Population by country of birth (2024)'''<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final"/>
|-\
! Nationality || Population || %
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |{{flag|Finland}} || 73,778 || 94.1
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |{{flag|Soviet Union}} || 1,339 || 1.7
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |{{flag|Estonia}} || 350 || 0.4
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |{{flag|Russia}} || 254 || 0.3
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |{{flag|Ukraine}} || 231 || 0.3
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |{{flag|Sweden}} || 218 || 0.3
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |{{flag|Thailand}} || 201 || 0.3
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |{{flag|Turkey}} || 172 || 0.2
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |{{flag|China}} || 122 || 0.2
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |{{flag|Somalia}} || 110 || 0.1
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |{{flag|Philippines}} || 107 || 0.1
|- 
|style="text-align:left;" |Other || 1,504 || 1.9
|- 
|}
{{As of|2024}}, there were 4,731 persons with a foreign background living in Kouvola, or 6% of the population.{{refn|Statistics Finland classifies a person as having a "foreign background" if both parents or the only known parent were born abroad.<ref name="statistics-finland-persons-with-foreign-background">{{cite web |access-date=18 September 2023 |title=Persons with foreign background |publisher=Statistics Finland |url=https://www.stat.fi/tup/maahanmuutto/maahanmuuttajat-vaestossa/ulkomaalaistaustaiset_en.html |archive-date=5 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210105084300/https://www.stat.fi/tup/maahanmuutto/maahanmuuttajat-vaestossa/ulkomaalaistaustaiset_en.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>|group=note}} The number of residents who were born abroad was 4,608, or 6% of the population. The number of persons with foreign citizenship living in Kouvola was 3,008.<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final"/> Most foreign-born citizens came from the former [[Soviet Union]], [[Estonia]], [[Russia]] and [[Ukraine]].<ref name="statistics-finland-population-2024-final"/>

The relative share of immigrants in Kouvola's population is below to the national average. However, the city's new residents are increasingly of foreign origin. This will increase the proportion of foreign residents in the coming years.

=== Religion ===

In 2023, the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland|Evangelical Lutheran Church]] was the largest religious group with 69.2% of the population of Kouvola. Other religious groups accounted for 2.0% of the population. 28.8% of the population had no religious affiliation.<ref>[https://pxdata.stat.fi/PXWeb/pxweb/en/StatFin/StatFin__vaerak/statfin_vaerak_pxt_11ra.px Key figures on population by region, 1990-2023] Statistics Finland</ref>

==International relations==
{{Main|List of twin towns and sister cities in Finland}}

===Twin towns and sister cities===
Kouvola is [[Twin town|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Kansainvälinen Kouvola |publisher=City of Kouvola |date=20 May 2019 |access-date=21 August 2019 |url= https://www.kouvola.fi/kouvolankaupunki/kouvola-tietoa/kansainvalinenkouvola/ |language=fi }}</ref>
*[[Balatonfüred]], [[File:Coa Hungary County Veszprém.svg|20px]] [[Veszprém County]], {{flag|Hungary}}
*[[Vologda]], [[File:Coat of arms of Vologda oblast.svg|20px]] [[Vologda Oblast]], {{flag|Russia}}
*[[Mülheim an der Ruhr]], [[File:Coat of arms of North Rhine-Westfalia.svg|20px]] [[North Rhine-Westphalia]], {{flag|Germany}}
*[[Poltava]], [[File:Coat of Arms of Poltava Oblast.svg|20px]] [[Poltava Oblast]], {{flag|Ukraine}}

==Regionalization==
[[File:Kouvola.aluetoimikunnat.svg|thumb|right|150px|Kouvola regional councils.]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"
|-
!Region Committee
!Population
!Area km<sup>2</sup>
!Population Density
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |Kouvola central (1)
|30,185
|44.88
|672.57
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Kuusankoski]] (2)
|20,647
|692.07
|29.83
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Anjalankoski]] (3)
|15,000
|752.92
|19.92
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Valkeala]] (4)
|11,433
|1003.72
|11.39
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |[[Elimäki]] (5)
|7,900
|391.74
|20.17
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |'''5 region Committee'''
|'''85,165'''
|'''2,885.33'''
|'''29.52'''
|}
''[[Jaala]] is only one does not form its own regional committee, but is part of the Kuusankoski regional committee.''

==Notable people==
[[File:Kouvola ja Kuusankoski alueliitokset.svg|thumb|right|150px|Map of territorial changes of Kouvola and Kuusankoski. Most of the area of old Kouvola was separated from Valkeala, except for the western parts of the city, which were separated from Kuusankoski.]]
*[[Aleksanteri Hakaniemi]] (Singer and YouTuber)
*[[Ari Koivunen]] (Heavy metal singer)
*[[Arto Bryggare]] (Former [[hurdling]] [[athletics (sport)|athlete]])
*[[Atso Askonen]] (Former ice hockey player)
*[[Hannu Salama]] (Finnish author)
*[[Jari Lindström]] (Finnish politician)
*[[Jarkko Immonen (ice hockey, born 1984)|Jarkko A. Immonen]] (Current ice hockey player)
*[[Juhani Aaltonen]] (Jazz saxophonist and flautist)
*[[Jukka Lemmetty]] (Author and illustrator)
*[[Kaarle Viikate]] (Finnish musician and metal band Founder of the Viikate)
*[[Niilo Halonen]] (Former [[ski jumping|ski jumper]])
*[[Roope Tonteri]] (Finnish snowboarder)
*[[Timo Lahti]] ([[Motorcycle speedway|Speedway rider]])
*[[Timo Susi]] (Former [[ice hockey]] player)
*[[Toni Gardemeister]] (Professional [[rallying|rally]] driver)
*[[Ville Nousiainen]] ([[Cross-country skiing (sport)|Cross-country skier]])

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Kouvolan matkakeskus 2023.jpg|[[Kouvola railway station]]
File:Kouvolan kaupungintalo.JPG|Kouvola's [[City Hall]]
File:Ratamokeskus Kouvola.jpg|Ratamokeskus, [[Health facility]]
File:Pohjolatalo Kouvola 001.jpg|Pohjolatalo, an office building in the center of Kouvola
File:Kymijoki 1.jpg|[[Kymi River]]
File:China Center Kouvola.jpg|A ''[[paifang]]'' in Kouvola
File:Kauppakeskus Veturi 1.JPG|Veturi, [[Shopping center]] 
File:Lumon Areena 2015.jpg|[[Lumon arena]]
File:Kouvola. Kouvolan keskuskirkko.jpg|Kouvola Central Church
File:Tornionmäen vesitorni 001.jpg|Tornionmäki Water Tower
</gallery>

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=note}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
*[https://www.kouvola.fi/en/ The official website of Kouvola]
*[https://visitkouvola.fi/en Kouvola Tourist Office]
*{{Wikivoyage-inline|Kouvola}}
*[https://h2g2.com/edited_entry/A1048727 h2g2.com on Kouvola]

{{Geographic location
 | Centre = Kouvola
 | N  = [[Mäntyharju]] ([[South Savo]])
 | NE = [[Savitaipale]] ([[South Karelia]])
 | E  = [[Luumäki]] ([[South Karelia]])
 | S  = [[Pyhtää]], [[Kotka]], [[Hamina]]
 | SW = [[Lapinjärvi (municipality)|Lapinjärvi]] ([[Uusimaa]])<br/>[[Loviisa]] ([[Uusimaa]])
 | W  = [[Iitti]] ([[Päijät-Häme]])
 | NW = [[Heinola]] ([[Päijät-Häme]])
}}
{{kymenlaakso}}
{{50 most populous Finnish municipalities}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Kouvola| ]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1922]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in Finland]]
[[Category:Climate|Climate]]
[[Category:Municipalities of Kymenlaakso]]
[[Category:1922 establishments in Finland]]