Nivala is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of 10,950 (30 November 2014) and covers an area of 536.87 square kilometres (207.29 sq mi) of which 8.92 km² (3.44 sq mi) is water. The population density is 20.74 inhabitants per square kilometre (53.7/sq mi). Neighbouring municipalities are Haapajärvi, Haapavesi, Sievi, and Ylivieska.