The invention relates to a pedestrian detection method based on foreground analysis and pattern recognition, relating to the technical field of image processing. The method comprises the following steps: adopting a Gaussian mixed model to carry out background modeling on a video image and using threshold operation and morphology after-treatment to extract the foreground of the video image; using a contour characteristic and a pedestrian height prior model to analyze the foreground and obtain a preliminary pedestrian detection result; sampling nearby the position of the preliminary pedestrian detection result, using a pedestrian pattern recognition classifier to further judge a sampling area and removing an inaccurate preliminary pedestrian detection result so as to obtain a final pedestrian detection result. The pedestrian detection method not only can improve the degree of accuracy of pedestrian detection, but also can increase the processing speed of pedestrian detection in a video and can be applied to dynamically variable complex occasions.