PostgreSQL 18, which is scheduled to be released in late 2025, brings several under-the-hood improvements. One particularly impactful change is a performance enhancement to pg_dump, the PostgreSQL utility used to back up the database. In version 18, pg_dump will now retrieve attributes in batches rather than one at a time.

This micro-optimization may not catch headlines, but for those managing complex databases with tens of thousands of objects, the difference is noticeable and measurable.

Benchmarking the Improvement

To test this change, I ran a quick comparison on my local machine (i.e., my laptop) with a database containing 20,000 schema objects. I used the -s flag to dump the schema only, avoiding data content for clarity. Here are the results:

v17: pg_dump -s, 0.75 seconds

v18: pg-dump -s, 0.54 seconds

That's a 28% reduction in time just from this internal optimization. This result was repeatable across multiple runs.

While a difference of 0.21 seconds might seem small in isolation, the real impact emerges at scale. In production environments, database schemas can include hundreds of thousands of tables, views, functions, and other objects. When multiple backups or schema comparisons are running in parallel under load, even marginal gains in pg_dump efficiency can contribute to better throughput and system responsiveness.

Why This Matters

For DevOps teams, DBAs, and developers who rely on pg_dump for CI/CD pipelines, nightly backups, or version-controlled schema exports, faster execution means:

• Shorter downtime or maintenance windows
• Faster build/test cycles in automated environments
• Improved responsiveness in administrative tools that depend on pg_dump internally

It’s also worth noting that this improvement enhances usability in multi-tenant systems or complex microservice architectures where database sprawl is common. The more objects you have, the greater the benefit.

Conclusion

PostgreSQL’s development team of committers and contributors continues to make thoughtful, impactful changes — even to core utilities that many of us take for granted. This small change to how pg_dump collects metadata demonstrates that performance tuning doesn’t always require sweeping architectural shifts. Sometimes, just batching the right operations can make all the difference.

If you’re already testing PostgreSQL 18 in your environment, let us know what kind of performance improvements you’re seeing with this and other new features.

Don't Sleep on Upgrades

This is just one example of why staying current with PostgreSQL releases is critical, even when it feels like a release only includes minor version bumps or under-the-hood changes. Performance gains like the pg_dump optimization in version 18 may seem small, but they add up, especially at scale.

More importantly, upgrading ensures you benefit from critical security patches and stability fixes that may not be as visible as new features but are essential for long-term resilience. As highlighted in this article regarding a critical minor release addressing a pg_dump issue, older PostgreSQL versions can leave your systems exposed to vulnerabilities. You also miss out on years of performance tuning and bug fixes.

Whether you're a small shop or managing enterprise-scale deployments, routine version upgrades should be part of your PostgreSQL lifecycle strategy — not just to chase new features, but to ensure stability, security, and efficiency over time.

Don't wait until it's too late— contact us today to discuss how we can help you upgrade your PostgreSQL version and secure your database infrastructure for the future.