The invention relates to a Bayesian network (BN)-based rolling bearing fault diagnosis method. According to a common rolling bearing fault diagnosis method, a mathematical model is required to be established, and an initial diagnosis effect is unsatisfactory; problems of the selection of a wavelet base function are unsolved; and the interpretability of a deduction process is low. The method comprises the following steps of: sampling a vibration signal of a bearing, acquiring a sample, performing N-point rapid Fourier transformation processing to convert a time-domain signal into a frequency-domain signal, calculating a fault characteristic vector, discretizing the fault characteristic vector, establishing a fault diagnosis reasoning BN model, setting a fault sample to be diagnosed, acquiring an observational evidence of the bearing, finishing updating the reliability Theta of a fault diagnosis type node Bearing in the BN model, calculating a fault diagnosis type node, and outputting a result. A complex mathematical modeling process for the vibration signal is avoided, an obtained diagnosis reasoning model has the advantages of a few characteristic parameters, prominent fault characteristics, high interpretability and the like, and an effective way for solving the problems of the rolling bearing fault diagnosis is provided.