The daily newspaper "Rzeczpospolita" printed on 3 October 2001 an article by Wisła Surażska titled Warszawa ucieka prowincji (Warsaw overtakes the provinces) - presenting the results of another ranking of poviats 2001 prepared by Centrum Badań Regionalnych w Warszawie (Regional Research Centre in Warsaw) (cbr@warman.com.pl). The previous rankings of poviats by CBR were printed in "Rzeczpospolita" on 10 September 1999 and 6 September 2000.

The ranking included in its analysis 65 town poviats (large towns with poviats rights - 46 of them had the status of voivodship capitals until the end of 1998) and 308 landed poviats (created on 1 January 1999). A synthetic index of development potential has been specified for each poviat, calculated by means of factor analysis on the basis of the following features of a poviat/town:
# general economic situation - enterprises' and inhabitants' income, relative size of the service trade and business environment,
# economic activity of the inhabitants - number of private firms, unemployment rate,
# civic activity - number of non-profit organizations, voter turnout, reading,
# quality of the local infrastructure - density of water-pipe and sewerage network, density and quality of roads, sewage treatment, self-government investments in favour of the local infrastructure,
# attractiveness of a poviat/town as a place to live - balance of migration and housing industry.

From among the total number of poviats, the index of development potential classified 72 poviats (39 town poviats and 33 landed ones) to Extra, I or II ranking class (the index of development potential from 9.18 to 2.50).

The first ten constitute 7 town poviats and 3 landed poviats (the index of development potential and achieved ranking class follow each poviat's name):

1. Warszawski (Mazowieckie Voivodship) - 9.18 (Ex), 2. Sopot (Pomorskie Voivodship) - 6.04 (Ex), 3. Poznań (Wielkopolskie Voivodship) - 5.08 (Ex), 4. Kraków (Małopolskie Voivodship) - 4.76 (I), 5. Piaseczyński (Mazowieckie Voivodship) - 4.73 (I), 6. Wrocław (Dolnośląskie Voivodship) - 4.50 (I), 7. Gdańsk (Pomorskie Voivodship) - 4.40 (I), 8. Warszawski zachodni (Mazowieckie Voivodship) - 4.38 (I), 9. Gdynia (Pomorskie Voivodship) - 4.15 (I), 10. Szczecin (Zachodniopomorskie Voivodship) - 4.13 (I).

The development potential of each voivodship has been specified as a total of indices of development potential of all poviats in this voivodship (the total index of potential and the last year ranking place, in brackets, follow each voivodship's name):

1. Mazowieckie Voivodship - 74.58 (4), 2. Śląskie Voivodship - 66.20 (8), 3. Wielkopolskie Voivodship - 52.13 (2), 4. Dolnośląskie Voivodship - 50.71 (5), 5. Pomorskie Voivodship - 47.71 (1), 6. Zachodniopomorskie Voivodship - 43.65 (3), 7. Małopolskie Voivodship - 43.10 (7), 8. Łódzkie Voivodship - 38.19 (11), 9. Podkarpackie Voivodship - 37.32 (10), 10. Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodship - 34.84 (14), 11. Lubelskie Voivodship - 33.13 (16), 12. Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodship - 31.59 (13), 13. Lubuskie Voivodship - 30.51 (6), 14. Podlaskie Voivodship - 26.71 (12), 15. Opolskie Voivodship - 23.56 (15), 16. Świętokrzyskie Voivodship - 21.56 (15).

Poviats with Extra, I and II classes. Within individual voivodships, the ranking of poviats with the index of development potential of at least 2.50 is as follows (the index of development potential and achieved ranking class follow each poviat's name):

Dolnośląskie Voivodship: 1. Wrocław - 4,50 (I), 2. Jelenia Góra - 3,25 (II), 3. Polkowicki - 3,17 (II), 4. Lubiński - 3,10 (II), 5. Zgorzelecki - 2,77 (II), 6. Legnica - 2,72 (II), 7. Głogowski - 2,65 (II), 8. Jeleniogórski - 2,59 (II), 9. Wrocławski - 2,54 (II), 10. Kłodzki - 2,52 (II).
Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodship: 1. Toruń - 3,28 (II), 2. Bydgoszcz - 2,99 (II).
Lubelskie Voivodship: 1. Lublin - 3,12 (II), 2. Zamość - 2,65 (II).
Lubuskie Voivodship: 1. Zielona Góra - 3,90 (II), 2. Gorzów Wielkopolski - 3,21 (II).
Łódzkie Voivodship: 1. Łódź - 2,95 (II), 2. Skierniewice - 2,63 (II).
Małopolskie Voivodship: 1. Kraków - 4,76 (II), 2. Nowy Sącz - 2,90 (II), 3. Tatrzański - 3,45 (II), 4. Wielicki - 2,52 (II).
Mazowieckie Voivodship: 1. Warszawski - 9,18 (Ex), 2. Piaseczyński - 4,73 (I), 3. Warszawski zachodni - 4,38 (I), 4. Pruszkowski - 3,99 (I), 5. Grodziski - 3,51 (I), 6. Legionowski - 3,50 (I), 7. Płock - 3,22 (II), 8. Wołomiński - 3,09 (II), 9. ex equo: Otwocki - 2,90 (II) and Siedlce - 2,90 (II).
Opolskie Voivodship: 1. Opole - 3,91 (I).
Podkarpackie Voivodship: 1. Rzeszów - 3,40 (II), 2. Krosno - 2,58 (II).
Podlaskie Voivodship: 1. Białystok - 3,33 (II).
Pomorskie Voivodship: 1. Sopot - 6,04 (Ex), 2. Gdańsk - 4,40 (I), 3. Gdynia - 4,15 (I), 4. Słupsk - 3,03 (II), 5. Pucki - 2,97 (II), 6. Gdański - 2,85 (II), 7. Wejherowski - 2,56 (II).
Śląskie Voivodship: 1. Katowice - 4,11 (I), 2. Bielsko-Biała - 3,51 (I), 3. Cieszyński - 2,94 (II), 4. Gliwice - 2,92 (II), 5. Tychy - 2,78 (II), 6. Bielski - 2,65 (II), 7. Częstochowa - 2,65 (II), 8. Mikołowski - 2,62 (II), 9. Pszczyński - 2,51 (II).
Świętokrzyskie Voivodship: 1. Kielce - 3,09 (II).
Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodship: 1. Olsztyn - 3,65 (I), 2. Elbląg - 2,68 (II).
Wielkopolskie Voivodship: 1. Poznań - 5,08 (Ex), 2. Poznański - 3,60 (I), 3. Leszno - 3,20 (II), 4. Kalisz - 2,90 (II), 5. Pilski - 2,60 (II).
Zachodniopomorskie Voivodship: 1. Szczecin - 4,13 (I), 2. Świnoujście - 3,30 (II), 3. Koszalin - 3,26 (II), 4. Policki - 3,22 (II), 5. Kołobrzeski - 3,06 (II), 6. Kamieński - 2,75 (II).

Several statements regarding the relations between the results of the rankings 2001 and 2000: the only town whose potential increased is Warsaw; the last year's three voivodships which did not have poviats with I class (Lubelskie, Łódzkie, Świętokrzyskie Voivodships), were joined by another two (Kujawsko-Pomorskie and Podkarpackie Voivodships); from among large towns, Katowice improved its ranking place (from II to I class), and the following deteriorated: Białystok, Gorzów Wielkopolski, Jelenia Góra, Toruń (from I to II class); the highest number of landed poviats which fell from II to III class were in Lubuskie and Wielkopolskie Voivodships.