A method and apparatus for identifying a demand are provided. A specific embodiment of the method includes: acquiring a user's query sentence and access data corresponding to a search result obtained by searching the user's query sentence; querying network data corresponding to the user's query sentence in a pre-stored query sentence dictionary; identifying the target category of demand of the user's query sentence using a trained demand identification model based on the network data; counting the access data based on categories of demand, to obtain access data distribution of the user's query sentence on each of the categories of demand; and determining a demand intensity of the target category of demand of the user's query sentence based on an identification result of the target category of demand of the user's query sentence and the access data distribution. The embodiment improves the accuracy in identifying a demand.