This application provides a data processing method and apparatus. The method includes: receiving, by a first VNFC a first data packet and a flow label of the first data packet that are sent by a second VNFC, where the flow label is generated by the second VNFC according to flow information of the first data packet or is received by the second VNFC from a third VNFC; and selecting, by the first VNFC according to the flow label, a first processing node configured to process the first data packet, where the first processing node is a processing node in the first VNFC. By means of the method in this application, system consumption can be reduced, and processing efficiency of a data packet can be improved.