Data comprise sample site information, dose rate, radionuclide (zirconium-95, niobium-95, ruthenium-106, caesium-134, caesium-137 and cerium-144) deposition, and exchangeable caesium-134 and 137 in soils collected from within a 60 km radius of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant (ChNPP) in 1987 following the Chernobyl nuclear accident on 26th April 1986. The work was carried out by the Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology (UIAR), a division of National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine. Funding for preparing this data set was provided by the TREE project (funded by NERC, the Environment Agency and Radioactive Waste Management Ltd under the RATE programme) and associated iCLEAR projects (funded by NERC).