Ok so maybe this has been discussed, but I couldn't really find any info on this exact topic. Also I'm not super far in the storyline so maybe this is elaborated on more later, in which case I apologize!

What is life like for civilians in Ishgard? I know there is a huge military busy with the dragons, and can imagine how they might live. I know about the religious rulers, and the high houses, and imagine they must have a comparatively pleasant existence. But what is life like for the average Ishgardian?

Things are obviously bleak, they clearly have food shortages (touched on at Whitebrim), loads of them are dying in the conflict with Dravania, and being ruled over by a theocracy can't be too fun. So how is this effecting them? Are the average people treated as basically nothing more than servants to higher class citizens? How are they recruited into the military? I'm assuming it's not a choice, right? What level of freedom do they have?

Which leads me to my next question: Why don't we see/hear of Ishgardian refugees? Why wouldn't people be leaving? The chef at Costa del Sol is Ishgardian, and the Ishgardian elezen in the bar in Revenant's Toll explains that she originally only left for some kind of business trip but decided not to go back. So it seems like it's possible to leave? If things are so bad why isn't their a wave of refugees?