The invention relates to a per-survivor processing based iterative equalization method applied to direct-sequence spread-spectrum communication, belongs to a joint equalization and decoding method adaptable to quick time-varying channels and can effectively track the time-varying channels without insertion of extra training data. Compared with the conventional direct-sequence spread-spectrum communication signal processing method, the method can realize flexible regulation of the spread spectrum ratio and can track varying of the channels adaptively without extra training data overhead. In the method, direct-sequence spread-spectrum symbols are taken as processing units of a receiver, a 'per-survivor channel estimation method' is utilized in an iterative equalization detector, and the channel estimation is updated adaptively according to size of the 'channel estimation matching index'; the detector adopts a soft-input and soft-output detection algorithm, a subsequent decoder adopts a soft-input and soft-output iterative decoding algorithm, and soft information is exchanged between the detector and the decoder, thus, the optional solution is approached by means iteration.