Discloses is an adaptive method, applied to echo cancellation, of an active factor proportional sub band. The method comprises the steps: A, dividing an adaptive echo cancellation sub band filter input vector X(n) formed by a discrete value of a far-end signal into a sub band signal X(n), B, through N extraction, obtaining an input sub band signal X(k) after the extraction and a near-end sub band signal d(k), C, obtaining a filtering value y(k) of the input sub band signal X<i(k) after the extraction via an adaptive echo cancellation sub band filter, D, sending a sub band error signal e(k), obtained through calculation, after the echo cancellation to a far end, E, obtaining a sub band filter step length u(k) through calculation of an active factor f<l>(k) and a proportional matrix G(k) by utilizing a set membership filtering algorithm, and updating a weight coefficient vector W(k), and F, enabling k to meet an expression k=k+1, and repeating A-E steps until an end of a call. The method has the advantages of the high identification ability for a sparse system of call communication, the rapid convergence speed, the low steady-state error, the high tracking capability for a jump system and the good echo cancellation effect; and the method is easy to implement.