A rate matching method for polar codes includes: with respect to polar codes output by an encoder, determining a plurality of types of punching position sets to be selected, punching positions indicated by any two punching position sets being not completely identical to each other; for each type of punching position set, determining the sum of error probabilities of all bit channels for transmitting information bits of the Polar codes when the punching position set is applied, the sum of the error probabilities being called the upper limit of frame error ratios corresponding to the punching position set; and from the plurality of types of punching position sets to be selected, selecting a punching position set corresponding to the minimum upper limit of the frame error ratios as a selected punching position set, and according to p punching positions indicated in the selected punching position set, conducting rate matching,