PURPOSE: To offer a counter circuit having a function characteristic smoothing a counter output by small circuit structure.

CONSTITUTION: A variable frequency dividing circuit 20 divides the frequency of an input pulse CK based upon a frequency dividing ratio set up by a frequency dividing ratio code Ci outputted from an encoder 40. A counter 30 counts up the frequency dividing output of the circuit 20 and outputs its counted value as a function output result in each count. The encoder 40 converts the function output result into a prescribed binary code value and outputs the frequency dividing ratio code Ci to change the frequency dividing ratio of the circuit 20.