BEIJING, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Income inequality continued to rise in the United States, according to the Human Rights Record of the United States in 2018 released by China on Thursday.

The report was published by the Information Office of the State Council.

The United States had the highest rate of income inequality among Western countries and almost half of American households lived in financial difficulties, said the report.

It also said low-income populations lacked health insurance and the number of homeless people stayed high.

Drug overdose deaths and suicides continued to rise, it said.