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Asked: 2026-05-21T08:50:51+00:00

A really quick one – is it more efficient to store data which might

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A really quick one – is it more efficient to store data which might be one or two characters as CHAR(2) or VARCHAR(2) in MySql?

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  1. Editorial Team

    In terms of storage space required, you’re better off with CHAR(2) because the VARCHAR(2) type will require one extra byte to store the length:

    Value   CHAR(2)  Storage Required  VARCHAR(2)  Storage Required
''      '  '     2 bytes           ''          1 byte          
'a'     'a '     2 bytes           'a'         2 bytes         
'ab'    'ab'     2 bytes           'ab'        3 bytes

    See 10.4.1. The CHAR and VARCHAR Types for more details.

    More Information: What's the difference between VARCHAR and CHAR?

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