A photoacoustic method with a measuring light having a predetermined wavelength range for the determination of properties of an inhomogeneous sample, wherein the sample has an average absorption length μ from the interval 1-100 micrometres for the predetermined wavelength range, comprising the steps: a) irradiating a measurement area of the area F with F ≫ μ in the surface of the inhomogeneous sample with at least one measuring light pulse with a predetermined pulse duration and a predetermined intensity; b) detecting at least one pressure transient at the measurement area, wherein the pressure transient results from the absorption of the at least one measuring light pulse in the inhomogeneous sample which generates a pressure wave propagating to the measurement area; c) calculating a value for the energy density absorbed by the sample during the pulse duration from the curve of the at least one pressure transient at the beginning and at the end of the at least one measuring light pulse; characterized by d) repeating steps a) to c) for different angles of incidence of the measuring light with respect to the normal of the measurement area, wherein the energy density values determined in c) are respectively indexed with the angle of incidence; e) modelling the inhomogeneous sample as a stack of layers, wherein at least a layer thickness and an absorption coefficient are assigned to each layer, wherein at least one absorption coefficient of a layer is a fit parameter; f) performing a fitting procedure for the fit parameters of the stack of layers, wherein the division of the energy density values indexed with the angle of incidence into contributions of the individual layers is varied by variation of the fit parameters until a predetermined consistency criterion is satisfied; g) reading out the fitted fit parameters as values at least for the depth-resolved absorption coefficient of the inhomogeneous sample. a) irradiating a measurement area of the area F with F ≫ μ in the surface of the inhomogeneous sample with at least one measuring light pulse with a predetermined pulse duration and a predetermined intensity; b) detecting at least one pressure transient at the measurement area, wherein the pressure transient results from the absorption of the at least one measuring light pulse in the inhomogeneous sample which generates a pressure wave propagating to the measurement area; c) calculating a value for the energy density absorbed by the sample during the pulse duration from the curve of the at least one pressure transient at the beginning and at the end of the at least one measuring light pulse; characterized by d) repeating steps a) to c) for different angles of incidence of the measuring light with respect to the normal of the measurement area, wherein the energy density values determined in c) are respectively indexed with the angle of incidence; e) modelling the inhomogeneous sample as a stack of layers, wherein at least a layer thickness and an absorption coefficient are assigned to each layer, wherein at least one absorption coefficient of a layer is a fit parameter; f) performing a fitting procedure for the fit parameters of the stack of layers, wherein the division of the energy density values indexed with the angle of incidence into contributions of the individual layers is varied by variation of the fit parameters until a predetermined consistency criterion is satisfied; g) reading out the fitted fit parameters as values at least for the depth-resolved absorption coefficient of the inhomogeneous sample. <EOS>