Process for the preparation of ethylene glycol

The invention relates to a process for the preparation of ethylene glycol, comprising: (a) converting a stream comprising ethylene oxide in the presence of a catalyst and carbon dioxide in two or more reactors to a stream comprising ethylene carbonate; and (b) converting ethylene carbonate from the stream comprising ethylene carbonate obtained in step (a) in the presence of a catalyst in one or more reactors to a stream comprising ethylene glycol and a stream comprising carbon dioxide, wherein the inlet stream or inlet streams to the last reactor of the two or more reactors used in step (a) is or are not heated; and wherein an outlet stream comprising ethylene carbonate from the last reactor of the two or more reactors used in step (a) is sent, without recycling a portion thereof to the last reactor used in step (a), to the first reactor of the one or more reactors wherein step (b) is carried out.