The invention presents a method for balancing states of charge of N individual battery cells of a battery, which method first of all comprises the step of determining the individual cell capacities Capn of all n=1 to N cells (S1). This is followed by the determination of a k-th cell having the smallest cell capacity Capk (S2) and the determination of the individual states of charge SOCn (S3). The depth of discharge DODn is then determined (S4). In a further step, a target depth of discharge DODtarget,n is then determined, where D0Dtarget,n = Capn / 2+DODk-Capk / 2 (S5). The target depth of discharge is used to determine the target state of charge SOCtarget,n from SOCtarget,n = 1-DODtarget,n / Capn (S6). The deviation of the state of charge SOCn of a cell from the target state of charge SOCtarget,n thereof is then determined from [delta]SOCtarget,n=SOCn-SOCtarget,n (S7). In a further step, the minimum deviation [delta]SOCmin of the state of charge SOCn of a cell from the target state of charge SOCtarget,n thereof is determined from [delta]SOCmin = min ([delta]SOCtarget,n) (S8). At least one of the n=1 to N cells, to which [delta]SOCtarget,n-[delta]SOCmin > X applies, where X is a parameter with X>=0, is discharged (S9). If [delta]SOCtarget,n-[delta]SOCmin<=X now applies to all cells, the method is ended (S10 / S11). However, if this does not apply to all cells, the method returns to the step of determining the individual states of charge (S3) and the following steps are repeated (S4-S9).