Table of Contents
Removes duplicates
Keeps all rows
Requirements for both
Example
When to use which?
Home Database Mysql Tutorial What is the difference between UNION and UNION ALL in MySQL?

What is the difference between UNION and UNION ALL in MySQL?

Aug 14, 2025 pm 05:25 PM
mysql union

UNION removes duplicates while UNION ALL keeps all rows including duplicates; 1. UNION performs deduplication by sorting and comparing rows, returning only unique results, which makes it slower on large datasets; 2. UNION ALL includes every row from each query without checking for duplicates, resulting in faster execution; 3. Both require the same number of columns, compatible data types, and matching column order; 4. Use UNION when duplicate rows may exist and you want to eliminate them; 5. Use UNION ALL when data is already distinct, duplicates are acceptable, or performance is a priority; in practice, UNION ALL is preferred when deduplication is not needed because it is more efficient and avoids processing overhead.

What is the difference between UNION and UNION ALL in MySQL?

The main difference between UNION and UNION ALL in MySQL lies in how they handle duplicate rows when combining the results of two or more SELECT queries.

Removes duplicates

  • UNION automatically removes duplicate rows from the final result set.
  • It performs a distinct operation, meaning only unique rows across all queries are returned.
  • This deduplication requires additional processing (sorting and comparison), which can make UNION slower on large datasets.

Keeps all rows

  • UNION ALL includes all rows, including duplicates.
  • If the same row appears in multiple queries, it will appear multiple times in the output.
  • Since no deduplication is done, UNION ALL is generally faster and more efficient than UNION.

Requirements for both

Both UNION and UNION ALL require:

  • The same number of columns in each SELECT statement.
  • Compatible data types in corresponding columns.
  • Columns in the same order (by position, not name).

Example

Suppose you have two queries:

SELECT 1 AS id, 'Alice' AS name
UNION
SELECT 1, 'Alice';
  • Result: One row (duplicates removed).
SELECT 1 AS id, 'Alice' AS name
UNION ALL
SELECT 1, 'Alice';
  • Result: Two identical rows (both kept).

When to use which?

  • Use UNION when you want to combine results but avoid duplicates and don't know if the data overlaps.
  • Use UNION ALL when you know the data is already distinct, or when you want to keep duplicates (e.g., logging, aggregating records over time, or performance is critical).

In practice, UNION ALL is often preferred when duplicates aren't a concern because it's faster and doesn't add overhead.

Basically, if you don’t need deduplication, go with UNION ALL.

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