A copper catalyst for producing ethylene glycol by hydrogenation of an oxalate. The catalyst includes a carrier, an additive, and an active component. The carrier is ceramic or metallic honeycomb. The additive is Al, Si, Ba, Ca, Ti, Zr, Fe, Zn, Mn, V, La, Ce, an oxide thereof, or a mixture thereof. The active component is copper, and the active component and the additive are coated on the carrier to form a coating layer. The additive accounts for 5-90 wt. % of the carrier, the active component accounts for 1-40 wt. % of the carrier, and the copper accounts for 5-50 wt. % of the coating layer.