A discharge lamp includes a luminous tube and a pair of electrodes. At least one of the pair of electrodes includes a core material, a coil section in which a metal wire is wound on the core material in three or more layers, a distal end portion made of a conductor and provided, with respect to the coil section, at an end portion of the core material on a side where the other electrode is disposed, and a rear end portion made of a conductor and provided on the opposite side of the distal end portion with respect to the coil section. The rear end portion includes a first diameter section having a first diameter and a second diameter section having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter and present in a position farther from the coil section than the first diameter section.