A method for operating an internal combustion engine and the internal combustion engine are described. In order to recognize and correct the drift in the amount of fuel injected over the service life of the injectors of the injection system of the internal combustion engine, multiple different corrective functions are used to establish corrected individual characteristics relative to nominal characteristics. Each offset of the corrected individual characteristic from the nominal characteristics is determined, offset curves being created, and the sections of the individual offset curves representing a minimal offset are used as control data for the amount of fuel to be injected, thus making it possible to always achieve overall optimal control with a minimal difference in the amount of injected fuel.