What is the memory usage of dictionaries in Python?

What is the memory usage of dictionaries in Python?

Dictionaries in Python use a hash table for storage, which can lead to significant memory overhead.

How does the size of the dictionary affect its memory usage?

As the size of the dictionary increases, the memory usage grows, but not linearly due to the underlying hash table structure.

Are there ways to optimize memory usage for large dictionaries?

Yes, you can use techniques like using __slots__ in custom classes or employing specialized libraries like collections.defaultdict.

What is the difference in memory usage between a dictionary and a list?

Dictionaries generally use more memory than lists because they store key-value pairs and require additional space for hashing.