A method of driving a plasma display panel is disclosed in which background light emission is reduced so that display contrast is improved. The method comprises the steps of resetting for equalizing wall charge in cells constituting a screen, addressing for controlling potentials of address electrodes crossing display electrodes in accordance with display data, and sustaining for applying a sustaining voltage to the cells so as to generate display discharges. The address electrodes are grouped in accordance with discharge characteristics of cells corresponding to each address electrode. In the resetting step, potential control that is unique to each group is performed so that luminance of the discharge light emission in the reset becomes uniform among cells having different discharge characteristics.