Flow control device and blood pressure meter

In this flow control device, a correlation storage unit (251) stores the correlation, for a sample electromagnetic valve with substantially the same characteristics as an electromagnetic valve (233), between a flow starting voltage when a fluid starts to flow through the sample electromagnetic valve and the limit voltage at which the sample electromagnetic valve becomes fully open. When control of the flow of a fluid is started, a control unit (201) changes the drive voltage for the electromagnetic valve (233) and determines the drive voltage when a flow-detecting unit detects the beginning of flow of the fluid as the flow starting voltage. On the basis of the flow starting voltage for the electromagnetic valve (233), the limit voltage when the electromagnetic valve will be fully open is determined by conversion using the correlation for the sample electromagnetic valve. Then the drive voltage for the electromagnetic valve (233) is set in a range between the flow starting voltage and the limit voltage.