A data processing method, comprising: performing, by a transmit end device, mapping processing on L layers of information bits, to generate L layers of modulation symbol sequences, wherein each layer of modulation symbol sequences comprises U modulation symbols, the L layers of modulation symbol sequences correspond to a same time-frequency resource, the U modulation symbols comprise at least one non-zero modulation symbol and at least one zero modulation symbol, L≥2, and U≥2; characterized by further comprising: performing precoding processing on each layer of modulation symbol sequences according to a precoding matrix that corresponds to each layer of modulation symbol sequences and that is in L precoding matrixes, to generate L layers of modulation symbol sequence matrixes, wherein the L precoding matrixes are in a one-to-one correspondence to the L layers of modulation symbol sequences, the precoding matrix comprises T element sequences in a first dimension, T is a quantity of space domain resources used to transmit the L layers of information bits, and T≥2; and performing superposition processing on the L layers of modulation symbol sequence matrixes, to generate a to-be-sent symbol sequence matrix, wherein the to-be-sent symbol sequence matrix comprises T element sequences in the first dimension, and the to-be-sent symbol sequence matrix comprises U element sequences in a second dimension. performing, by a transmit end device, mapping processing on L layers of information bits, to generate L layers of modulation symbol sequences, wherein each layer of modulation symbol sequences comprises U modulation symbols, the L layers of modulation symbol sequences correspond to a same time-frequency resource, the U modulation symbols comprise at least one non-zero modulation symbol and at least one zero modulation symbol, L≥2, and U≥2; characterized by further comprising: performing precoding processing on each layer of modulation symbol sequences according to a precoding matrix that corresponds to each layer of modulation symbol sequences and that is in L precoding matrixes, to generate L layers of modulation symbol sequence matrixes, wherein the L precoding matrixes are in a one-to-one correspondence to the L layers of modulation symbol sequences, the precoding matrix comprises T element sequences in a first dimension, T is a quantity of space domain resources used to transmit the L layers of information bits, and T≥2; and performing superposition processing on the L layers of modulation symbol sequence matrixes, to generate a to-be-sent symbol sequence matrix, wherein the to-be-sent symbol sequence matrix comprises T element sequences in the first dimension, and the to-be-sent symbol sequence matrix comprises U element sequences in a second dimension. performing precoding processing on each layer of modulation symbol sequences according to a precoding matrix that corresponds to each layer of modulation symbol sequences and that is in L precoding matrixes, to generate L layers of modulation symbol sequence matrixes, wherein the L precoding matrixes are in a one-to-one correspondence to the L layers of modulation symbol sequences, the precoding matrix comprises T element sequences in a first dimension, T is a quantity of space domain resources used to transmit the L layers of information bits, and T≥2; and performing superposition processing on the L layers of modulation symbol sequence matrixes, to generate a to-be-sent symbol sequence matrix, wherein the to-be-sent symbol sequence matrix comprises T element sequences in the first dimension, and the to-be-sent symbol sequence matrix comprises U element sequences in a second dimension.