This application provides a flow control method and apparatus, and relates to the field of communications technologies. A relay device indicates flow control to an upper-level node to avoid spectrum resources waste because of excessively small amount of data transmission or an excessively large amount of data transmission from an upper-level node. The method includes: A first node determines to indicate a second node to perform flow control; and the first node sends a first flow control indication to the second node. The first flow control indication is carried in adaptation layer control signaling, an RLC control message, or a MAC CE. The first flow control indication includes identifiers of one or more bearers and flow control information. The second node is a relay node or a donor base station.