A discharge tube lighting apparatus includes a converter that converts a voltage received from an alternating-current or direct-current power supply into a predetermined direct-current voltage and an inverter that converts an output voltage of the converter into an alternating-current voltage having a predetermined frequency. The inverter performs burst control based on an externally input dimming signal. The converter operates regardless of the active or inactive period of the burst control of the inverter and performs negative feedback control in response to a detection signal of a tube current in the active period of the inverter.