Provided is a radio communication device which can minimize degradation of the error ratio characteristic attributed to puncturing when an LDPC code is used as an error correction code. In this device, an LDPC encoding unit (101) performs LDPC encoding on a transmission bit string by using an inspection matrix and obtains an LDPC code word formed by a systematic bit and a parity bit. The LDPC code word is outputted to a puncturing unit (102). Moreover, the LDPC encoding unit (101) outputs the inspection matrix to the puncturing unit (102). The puncturing unit (102) performs puncturing on the parity bits in the LDPC code word in ascending order of the inspection matrix column weight and if there are a plurality of parity bits having the same column weight, in the descending order of the inspection matrix row weight of the check node connected to variable nodes corresponding to the parity bits and outputs the LDPC code word after the puncturing to a modulation unit (103).