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

This article presents a dataset on trends and difficulties in forest land use 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 survey 215 households in the region in 2018. Overall, the dataset presents that economic growth in Chau Thai Commune largely depends on agriculture and forestry, and the main source of income derives from forest land that covers 90% of the region’s land area. It also shows that the government's growth-stimulating policies, in addition to the natural and human factors, play a key role in socio-economic development.