Summary:

The paper attempts to assess the effect of standard living on municipal waste generation in Podlasie Province. Changes of waste quantity were analysed in all province's districts in eight-year period. Eight parameters (variables), which characterise standard living and which may differentiate waste generation in each region, were taken for analyse. Two variables connected with waste generation (waste quantity and waste generation index) were also taken into consideration.
As an investigation tool was used the Statistica packet. It allows to determine direction and strength of interaction between selected variables as well as to describe the interdependences and structure of them.
The obtained results have shown, that different variables influence in dif-ferent way on waste generation. As a results of this a regional diversity of waste has appeared. It was also observed reduction of correlation value between the average monthly salary and amount of generated waste. In the whole province it was observed a high correlation between the waste quantity and population using sewage-treatment plants as well as urbanisation level. It was assumed that such a correlations are appropriate for urban areas. Analyse of correlation coefficient in non-urban area has also indicated a positive correlation between waste generation index and number of unemployed persons as well as water consumption. In order to classify analysed area into typological groups - similar in terms of standard living and waste generation - a cluster analyse was used and its results were graphically illustrated.