A communication technique for combining a fifth generation (5G) communication system that supports higher data transmission rates after fourth generation (4G) systems with Internet of things (IoT) technology and to the system therefor are provided. The disclosure relates to a multiple cores-based data processing method and apparatus, the method including determining whether a condition for a first packet flow among one or more packet flows for data communication is met, if the condition is met, selecting cores to distribute packets of the first packet flow from among the multiple cores, allocating packets received through the first packet flow to the selected cores, and operating the selected cores in parallel to process the packets allocated from the first packet flow.