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

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
-
UNIONautomatically 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
UNIONslower on large datasets.
Keeps all rows
-
UNION ALLincludes 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 ALLis generally faster and more efficient thanUNION.
Requirements for both
Both UNION and UNION ALL require:
- The same number of columns in each
SELECTstatement. - 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
UNIONwhen you want to combine results but avoid duplicates and don't know if the data overlaps. - Use
UNION ALLwhen 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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