A polar code rate matching method for a communication system applying polar mother codes and supporting target code lengths including a maximum target code length corresponding to a maximum polar mother code length N max, the method comprising: determining a polar mother code length N based on an output target code length M according to N = 2 log 2 M − 1 + 1, the symbol └┘ represents a rounding-down operation, M is not equal to a positive integer power of 2, wherein a quantity of to-be-encoded bits is N, wherein the N to-be-encoded bits comprise N1 information bits, and both N1 and N are positive integers; encoding the N to-be-encoded bits using a polar mother code with the determined polar mother code length N to obtain N encoded bits; obtaining a first puncturing sequence based on an information bit length N1, the quantity N of the encoded bits, and a quantity Q of to-be-punctured bits is N-M; and performing puncturing on the N encoded bits based on the first puncturing sequence to implement rate matching; and wherein the obtaining a first puncturing sequence based on an information bit length N1, the quantity N of the encoded bits, and a quantity Q of to-be-punctured bits comprises: obtaining (S331b) a third puncturing sequence corresponding to the information bit length N1 and the maximum mother code length N max; wherein a length of the third puncturing sequence is N max -1, and the third puncturing sequence is a maximum puncturing sequence corresponding to the maximum mother code length N max; wherein a plurality of third puncturing sequences corresponding to different values of the information bit length N1 and different values of the maximum mother code length N max are stored in the communication system; wherein the third puncturing sequence is obtained through query a third puncturing sequence in said plurality of third puncturing sequences stored in the communication system; and determining (S332b) the first puncturing sequence from the third puncturing sequence based on the quantity N of the encoded bits and the quantity Q of to-be-punctured bits. determining a polar mother code length N based on an output target code length M according to N = 2 log 2 M − 1 + 1, the symbol └┘ represents a rounding-down operation, M is not equal to a positive integer power of 2, wherein a quantity of to-be-encoded bits is N, wherein the N to-be-encoded bits comprise N1 information bits, and both N1 and N are positive integers; encoding the N to-be-encoded bits using a polar mother code with the determined polar mother code length N to obtain N encoded bits; obtaining a first puncturing sequence based on an information bit length N1, the quantity N of the encoded bits, and a quantity Q of to-be-punctured bits is N-M; and performing puncturing on the N encoded bits based on the first puncturing sequence to implement rate matching; and wherein the obtaining a first puncturing sequence based on an information bit length N1, the quantity N of the encoded bits, and a quantity Q of to-be-punctured bits comprises: obtaining (S331b) a third puncturing sequence corresponding to the information bit length N1 and the maximum mother code length N max; wherein a length of the third puncturing sequence is N max -1, and the third puncturing sequence is a maximum puncturing sequence corresponding to the maximum mother code length N max; wherein a plurality of third puncturing sequences corresponding to different values of the information bit length N1 and different values of the maximum mother code length N max are stored in the communication system; wherein the third puncturing sequence is obtained through query a third puncturing sequence in said plurality of third puncturing sequences stored in the communication system; and determining (S332b) the first puncturing sequence from the third puncturing sequence based on the quantity N of the encoded bits and the quantity Q of to-be-punctured bits. obtaining (S331b) a third puncturing sequence corresponding to the information bit length N1 and the maximum mother code length N max; wherein a length of the third puncturing sequence is N max -1, and the third puncturing sequence is a maximum puncturing sequence corresponding to the maximum mother code length N max; wherein a plurality of third puncturing sequences corresponding to different values of the information bit length N1 and different values of the maximum mother code length N max are stored in the communication system; wherein the third puncturing sequence is obtained through query a third puncturing sequence in said plurality of third puncturing sequences stored in the communication system; and determining (S332b) the first puncturing sequence from the third puncturing sequence based on the quantity N of the encoded bits and the quantity Q of to-be-punctured bits.