Farmers' livelihood strategies and perceived constraints from poor and non-poor households: A dataset from a field survey in Nghe An, Vietnam

The first Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of The United Nations aims to "end poverty in all its forms everywhere". Its seven associated targets aim, among others, to eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere. In Vietnam, poverty eradication in ethnic minorities and mountainous areas are among the top priorities. This study aims to learn about farmers' livelihoods associated with perceived difficulties in Chau Thai Commune, Nghe An Province, a rural mountainous area in Vietnam. A random sampling technique and a face-to-face interview method were employed to conduct a field survey in the region in 2018. The dataset collected from 215 households shows that Chau Thai Commune's livelihood largely depends on agriculture and forestry. Plantation forest and livestock are major sources of farmers' income while forestland accounts for over 90% of households' land. Besides, the disparity in livelihood in areas such as forestland, labor and income between the poor and non-poor households is reported. This primary data could be useful for scholars who want to conduct a further in-depth study and or experts, policymakers who work in Vietnam's 'New Rural Development' program to devise a better rural livelihood -improvement policy for farmers, particularly the poor in the uplands of Vietnam and beyond.