A method for driving a gas discharge display panel consists of the steps of applying a writing pulse on a specific display electrode line selected from display electrode lines arranged side by side in the panel, applying a scanning pulse on a specific scanning electrode line selected from scanning electrode lines which are arranged side by side and cross the display electrode lines to produce writing gas discharge in cooperation with the writing pulse in a specific discharge cell arranged at an intersection space between the specific display electrode and the specific scanning electrode line, and applying a series of maintaining pulses subsequent to the scanning pulse on the specific scanning electrode during only a maintaining period to produce maintaining gas discharge subsequent to the writing gas discharge in the specific discharge cell, the maintaining gas discharge being intermittently produced in synchronism with the maintaining pulses. The scanning pulse is applied in synchronism with the writing pulse. The maintaining gas discharge is stopped without applying any pulse after the maintaining period passes.