It is an object of this invention to realize high-speed database retrieval. More specifically, it is an object of this invention to increase a retrieval speed when data corresponding to an input character string are retrieved from a database having a trie structure. In order to achieve the above object, a database retrieval apparatus according to the invention can retrieve data corresponding to an input character string from a database having a trie structure, and includes a plurality of child node search units for searching for a child node corresponding to the input character string at each node of the trie structure, and a setting unit for setting, in advance for each node, one of the plurality of child node search unit which is to be used at each node. Data held in the database is retrieved by searching for a child node using the child node search unit set for each node by the setting unit.