A data transmission and reception method and apparatus in a Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) system. The transmission method includes selecting at least one antenna for use in transmission among a plurality of antennas based on transmission data and transmitting the transmission data through the selected antenna. The data transmission and reception method and apparatus are advantageous in increasing the throughput of the MIMO communication system. Also, the data transmission and reception method and apparatus are capable of making it possible to design a superior transceiver in complexity and performance. Also, the data transmission and reception method and apparatus are capable of acquiring extra Degree of Freedom (DOF) and thus increasing the number of symbols that can be transmitted at a time. Furthermore, the data transmission and reception method and apparatus are applicable to conventional MIMO communication systems to obtain extra performance gain without being restricted to certain conditions.