An air-fuel ratio imbalance state determination method of determining, in an internal combustion engine system including a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, in which fuel injection is performed for each of cylinders, and an air-fuel ratio detection device that detects an air-fuel ratio and that is provided in an exhaust pipe, at which flows of exhaust gas from the cylinders of the internal combustion engine are combined, whether the internal combustion engine is in an air-fuel ratio imbalance state, in which there is an imbalance in air-fuel ratio between the cylinders of the internal combustion engine of the internal combustion engine system, the method comprising
- determining by an air-fuel ratio state determination section that the internal combustion engine is in the air-fuel ratio imbalance state when the internal combustion engine is in a predetermined steady operating state and an amount of change per unit time in the detected air-fuel ratio is not within a predetermined range;
- and,
- when it is determined that the internal combustion engine is in the air-fuel ratio imbalance state, controlling the internal combustion engine so that an amount of fuel injected into the internal combustion engine becomes greater than that when it is determined that the internal combustion engine is not in the air-fuel ratio imbalance state.