An LED lighting device includes a converter for converting a power source voltage into a DC voltage and outputting it to an LED unit; and a controller for controlling an output of the converter. The converter has a chopper circuit including a series circuit of an inductance element and a capacitor; a switching element connected to the inductance element in series and turned on/off by the controller; and a diode as discharging path of the inductance element during an OFF state of the switching element. The controller controls an on/off time of the switching element such that a current supplied to the LED unit during a specific time period after a lighting operation is started becomes smaller than a current supplied to the LED unit in a steady state by using a voltage generated in a secondary coil of the inductance coil as an operating voltage thereof.