Chapter Thirteen Migrant Remittances and Household Survival in Zimbabwe Daniel Tevera, Jonathan Crush and Abel Chikanda While there is a general consensus that remittance flows to and within Africa are increas- ing, little attention has been paid to the impact of these transfers on poverty alleviation, primarily because of data deficiencies at the household level. Despite their obvious magnitude, accurate data on remittance flows to Zimbabwe is unavailable or inaccessi- ble. 1 Data on remittances sent through formal channels is extremely difficult to obtain. In addition, massive flows of remittances through informal channels go unrecorded. In an attempt to address these data deficiencies, SAMP devised the household-level Migration and Remittances Survey (MARS) which was administered in several SADC countries, including Zimbabwe. 2 The data generated by MARS is critical in at least three ways: First, it quantifies the largely hidden economic value of labour migration from Zimbabwe. Secondly, it provides information on the significance of remittances to economic survival in a state undergoing massive economic contraction.Thirdly, it provides information on the relationship between remittances and poverty alleviation at the household level. Systematic sampling was used to randomly identify over 700 migrant-sending Zim- babwean households. The households provided information on some 3,536 members, including over 800 migrants. Using the MARS data, this chapter examines the vol- ume of flows into Zimbabwe from a variety of migrant destinations. The limited use of the formal banking system for remitting and the predominance of informal remittance