A color image processing apparatus which codes image data while suppressing image deterioration. A color character area discrimination unit divides an input color image into 16×16-pixel blocks, and determines whether or not each block expresses color characters. In accordance with the determination result, a sub-sampling ratio switching unit switches the sampling ratio for each of color components YCrCb composing the color image data so that the sample ratio is Y:Cr:Cb=4:2:2 or Y:Cr:Cb=4:1:1. Subsequently, sampling is performed in accordance with the switched sampling ratio, and DCT, linear quantization and entropy coding are then performed.