Table bloat from suboptimal autovacuum settings slows query performance

Default autovacuum settings don't clean up dead rows frequently enough, leading to table bloat that degrades query performance. Bloated tables require more disk reads and slower sequential scans.

Optimize autovacuum settings in postgresql.conf: autovacuum_vacuum_threshold = 50, autovacuum_analyze_threshold = 50, autovacuum_vacuum_cost_limit = 1000, autovacuum_vacuum_cost_delay = 20ms. Monitor effectiveness with: SELECT * FROM pg_stat_user_tables WHERE autovacuum_count > 0;