The dataset contains the data and R code to reproduce the plots and tables in a paper about survival costs and benefits of reproduction in early 20th century Estonia.The paper delves into the concept of cost of reproduction, a core concept in life-history evolution, which suggests a trade-off between increased investment in reproduction and reduced longevity or future reproductive capacity. However, this trade-off may not be easily observable due to individual variation in resource allocation, referred to as the "big car - big house effect". The study also discusses the non-linear association between offspring number and parental survival, often resulting in a J-shaped curve. This indicates that adults with two or three children have the lowest mortality risk, which increases with further increases in parity. The mechanisms behind these survival costs and benefits can be traced back to evolutionary genetics, suggesting a heritable component in human life history that involves a trade-off between fertility and longevity. This is rooted in the concept of antagonistic pleiotropy, where alleles beneficial for one set of fitness components may have detrimental effects on others. The study aims to provide a deeper understanding of these complex relationships and their implications on human lifespan and senescence.