A power control method and apparatus for an uplink control channel are provided. The method includes: determining, by user equipment, to send first uplink control information on a first PUCCH and in a subframe i; determining transmit power for sending the first uplink control information on the first PUCCH and in the subframe i. In the embodiments of the present invention, the transmit power is determined by using a sum of a base power adjustment value and any one of a first power adjustment value determined according to a quantity of bits of the first uplink control information.