This application provides a communication method and apparatus. An example method includes: A first core network device generates first information, and sends the first information to a first access network device, where the first information is used to indicate a service type and/or a service priority of a first service, the first service is a service of a first terminal device in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state, and the first access network device is an anchor access network device of the first terminal device. The first core network device sends the first access network device the first information used to indicate the service type and/or the service priority of the first service of the first terminal device, so that the service type and/or the service priority of the first service may be carried when the first access network device pages the first terminal device.