A multicast forwarding method applied to a BIER multicast network includes establishing, by a head node device, a first tunnel; generating a first entry; obtaining bit string information of a first multicast stream, where the bit string information includes an identifier of a tail node device that the first multicast stream is expected to reach; determining whether first bit string map information includes the identifier, in the bit string information, of the tail node device that the first multicast stream is expected to reach; and forwarding, by the head node device, the first multicast stream to a first intermediate node device through the first tunnel when the head node device determines that the first bit string map information includes the identifier in the bit string information, of the tail node device that the first multicast stream is expected to reach.