The cost to a society of not having children is also quite high, so pick your poison.
I'm reminded of societies in which families have more children than they want because there is no social safety net. Children are the safety net. Talk about harvesting human beings. Children suffer immense pressure and even abuse in such places.
Which will lead to a more stable society: social safety net, or no social safety net?
In my experience and observation, societies that have protections from poverty seem to be far more stable as compared to societies that do not have them.