Kouvola: population and statistics
Kouvola has a population of 77,625 (2025) across 2,558.7 km², or 30.3 people per km². It ranks 12 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −9.6% between 2015 and 2025.
- 77,625 residents
- 2,558.7 km²
- 30 people/km²
- 73 m
Kouvola in numbers
Key points
Among the 6 municipalities in Kymenlaakso, Kouvola ranks No. 1 by population.
Largest business sector: Health and social work, with 21.7% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 44° generates about 899 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Kymenlaakso for “Population”.
- Number 1 in Kymenlaakso for “Elevation”.
- “Total dwellings”: higher than in 97% of municipalities.
- “Business establishments”: higher than in 97% of municipalities.
- “Persons employed in the area (jobs)”: higher than in 95% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 358,354 football pitches.
- The nearest municipality is Iitti, 20.1 km away.
Population of Kouvola over time
Kouvola had 85,855 residents in 2015 and 77,625 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 81,187 |
| 2021 | 80,454 |
| 2022 | 79,429 |
| 2023 | 78,880 |
| 2024 | 78,386 |
| 2025 | 77,625 |
All indicators for Kouvola
Value for the municipality, then the regional average and the national median (for counts: regional and national totals). The gauge places the municipality between the lowest and highest value in the country.
Population
| Indicator | Kouvola | Kymenlaakso | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 11.7% | 11.6% | 13.3% | ranked 213 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 31.2% | 31.0% | 31.2% | ranked 152 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 48.8 years | 48.8 | 48.5 | ranked 139 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.4% | 0.7% | 0.3% | ranked 103 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 4.1% | 5.2% | 3.4% | ranked 113 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Kouvola | Kymenlaakso | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 48,216 no. | 97,135 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 11 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 6.2% | – | 8.2% | ranked 186 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 9.7% | – | 14.5% | ranked 238 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 45.7% | – | 64.5% | ranked 255 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 38.0% | – | 11.1% | ranked 41 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 12.7% | – | 16.9% | ranked 218 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 92.2 /1,000 inh. | 97.0 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 203 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Kouvola | Kymenlaakso | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 11.8% | – | 3.9% | ranked 47 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 40.9% | – | 39.8% | ranked 135 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat (2025) | 5.9% | – | 5.5% | ranked 134 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 23.8% | – | 17.1% | ranked 61 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 17.0% | – | 29.1% | ranked 229 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Kouvola | Kymenlaakso | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 7,491 no. | 14,497 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 11 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 95.6 /1,000 inh. | 92.0 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 260 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 29,628 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 116 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 1,088 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 114 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 3,344 per 1,000 inh. | 7,039 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 17 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 43.1 per 1,000 inh. | 45.1 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 252 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | 2.5 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 143 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Kouvola | Kymenlaakso | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 29,040 no. | 58,589 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 17 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 14.1% | 14.7% | 10.8% | ranked 42 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 70.9% | 70.2% | 75.4% | ranked 250 of 302 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Kouvola | Kymenlaakso | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 16.6 /1,000 inh. | 19.0 /1,000 inh. | 36.4 /1,000 inh. | ranked 104 of 136 |
Transport
| Indicator | Kouvola | Kymenlaakso | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 569 /1,000 inh. | 552 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 173 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Kouvola | Kymenlaakso | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 14.9% | 15.5% | 14.3% | ranked 137 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Kouvola | Kymenlaakso | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 27.7% | 27.9% | 24.1% | ranked 87 of 302 |
Business sectors: Kouvola
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Health and social work21.7% ×1.1
- Manufacturing11.7% ×0.9
- Wholesale and retail trade10.5% ×1.0
- Public administration and defence8.6% ×1.7
- Administrative and support services7.6% ×1.0
- Construction7.1% ×1.1
- Transport and storage6.3% ×1.2
- Education6.1% ×0.8
Sunshine and temperatures: Kouvola
Where is Kouvola?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Kouvola?
Kouvola has 77,625 residents (2025), ranking 12 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Kouvola?
Kouvola covers 2,558.7 km², with a density of 30 people per km².
Is the population of Kouvola growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Kouvola went from 85,855 to 77,625, a change of −9.6%.
Where is Kouvola?
Kouvola is in Kymenlaakso. Latitude 60.868, longitude 26.704.
Total dwellings: what is the figure for Kouvola?
In Kouvola, “Total dwellings” stands at 48,216 no. (2025), ranking 11 of 308 municipalities; the national median is 3,342 no..
Business establishments: what is the figure for Kouvola?
In Kouvola, “Business establishments” stands at 7,491 no. (2024), ranking 11 of 308 municipalities; the national median is 818 no..
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Kouvola?
In Kouvola, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 44° produces about 899 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Kouvola?
The nearest to Kouvola are Iitti (20 km), Lapinjärvi (39 km), Pyhtää (42 km), Hamina (43 km), Kotka (47 km).
Coat of arms: Care. Original design by Tapani Talari., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons. Coats of arms and flags are shown for identification only; this site is not affiliated with any public authority.
