A display device includes an image display panel whose display is controlled by an image signal, a backlight which includes light sources and lights the image display panel from behind, and a display control section which calculates, based on the image signal, the required luminance value of the backlight for each divided area of the image display panel, calculates a tentative lighting level of each light source based on luminance distribution information for the backlight stored previously and the required luminance values, sets the lighting level of a first light source whose tentative lighting level exceeds an upper limit to the upper limit, determines the lighting level of a second light source whose tentative lighting level does not exceed the upper limit, based on the lighting level of the first light source, luminance distribution information, and required luminance value, and controls the backlight by the lighting levels.