A method for predicting information propagation in a social network includes acquiring target information to be predicted, and acquiring influences of K clusters, where the target information is posted or forwarded by a first user at a first moment, and K is a positive integer; determining a role probability distribution of the first user, and determining a second user who has not propagated the target information, where the role probability distribution of the first user is used to indicate probabilities that the first user belongs separately to the K clusters; and determining, according to the influences of the K clusters and the role probability distribution of the first user, a probability that the second user forwards the target information from the first user. In the embodiments of the present application, propagation of target information in a social network can be predicted by using influences of K clusters.