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EU's Fastest Growth Rate Masks Deepest Level of Deprivation

Around half of Romanians say they have problems such as affording heat or food
The Romanian national flag is seen hanging from a window of a residential apartment in the center of Bucharest, Romania, on Wednesday, July 2, 2014. Romania's economy grew 3.8 percent from a year earlier in the first quarter, boosted by industry and exports.Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe
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Romania may have the European Union’s fastest-growing economy, but it’s also unrivaled in a less flattering indicator: social deprivation.

One in two Romanians cited problems including an inability to keep their homes warm or afford a meal with meat or fish every other day, according to a Eurostat report this week. That’s more than three times the EU average. Romania’s economy grew 8.8 percent in the third quarter, the most in almost a decade.