A polar code rate matching method and apparatus are provided. The method includes: performing bit reversal order interleaving on a polar code output by a polar code encoder, to obtain interleaved bits; and determining, based the interleaved bits, a rate-matched output sequence. By performing bit reversal order interleaving on a polar code, a rate-matched output sequence is obtained, which can reduce an FER, thereby improving HARQ performance and ensuring reliability of data transmission.