Multiple Single INSERTs vs. Single Multiple-Row INSERT in MySQL: Which is Faster for Bulk Data Insertion?

Multiple Single INSERTs vs. Single Multiple-Row INSERT: Which is Faster?

In an effort to enhance the performance of data insertion into MySQL, a common dilemma arises—should developers chain multiple individual INSERTs into a single large multiple-row INSERT or execute separate INSERTs for each row? To shed light on this question, this article explores the comparative efficiency of these approaches.

According to MySQL's documentation, the insertion speed of a row is largely influenced by various factors, including:

• Establishing a connection (3/10)
• Sending the query to the server (2/10)
• Query parsing (2/10)
• Row insertion (1/10 * row size)
• Index insertion (1/10 * number of indexes)
• Closing the connection (1/10)

From this breakdown, it becomes evident that employing a single large INSERT statement can save a significant overhead of 7/10 per individual insertion.

Consequently, the MySQL documentation advises: "If you are inserting many rows from the same client at the same time, use INSERT statements with multiple VALUES lists to insert several rows at a time. This is considerably faster (many times faster in some cases) than using separate single-row INSERT statements."

Therefore, for bulk data insertion into MySQL, a single multiple-row INSERT is significantly faster than multiple separate INSERTs due to the reduced overhead associated with connection establishment, query parsing, and closing actions.

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