This application discloses a method for determining a pilot arrangement and a base station. The method includes the following steps. S1. Select a first optimized pilot arrangement P1 from an available subcarrier set G as a pilot arrangement of the first transmit antenna, and set G1=G−P1; S2. Perform a cyclic shift on the P1; if a Pi obtained after the shift is a subset of the G1, use the Pi as a pilot arrangement of the ith transmit antenna; or if a Pi obtained after the shift is not a subset of the G1, select a Pi from the G1 as a pilot arrangement of the ith transmit antenna; and set G1=G1−Pi and i=i+1, and repeatedly perform S2 until i is equal to a quantity of transmit antennas.