To provide a lighting device capable of quickly start up light output of a lamp, protecting a circuit element from excessive current, and reducing the cost, and provide an electric apparatus.

The lighting device 1 has a DC power source 2; a chopper circuit 3 connected to the DC power source 2; a lamp 4 connected to the output of the chopper circuit 3; a current detecting element R1 for detecting a current flowing to the output side of the chopper circuit 3; a current detecting means 5 which switches a current detecting level in starting up of a lamp 4 to that after starting, and outputs an abnormal signal when the current is larger than the current detecting level; and a control circuit 6 which controls the chopper circuit 3 so that the lamp 4 is energized at the specified lamp voltage, and stops the operation of the chopper circuit 3 according to the abnormal signal from the current detecting means 5.