A gas discharge lamp ballast comprises a load circuit including circuitry for connection to a gas discharge lamp. A circuit supplies d.c. power from an a.c. voltage. A d.c.-to-a.c. converter circuit is coupled to the load circuit for inducing a.c. current therein. The converter circuit comprises first and second converter switches serially connected in the foregoing order between a bus node at a d.c. voltage and a reference node, and being connected together at a common node through which the a.c. load current flows. The first and second converter switches each have a control node and a reference node, the voltage between such nodes determining the conduction state of the associated switch. The respective control nodes of the first and second converter switches are interconnected. The respective reference nodes of the first and second converter switches are connected together at the common node. A boost converter comprises a boost capacitor connected between the bus and reference nodes and whose level of charge determines the bus voltage on the bus conductor. A boost inductor stores energy from the circuit that supplies d.c. power, the boost inductor being connected by at least one diode to the boost capacitor, for discharging its energy into the boost capacitor. A boost switch periodically connects the boost inductor through a low impedance path to the bus node to thereby charge the boost inductor. The boost switch comprises the first switch of the converter circuit. The ballast achieves a high degree of power factor correction.