# Neo4j Version 5 Slower with Data Import

**URL:** https://community.neo4j.com/t/neo4j-version-5-slower-with-data-import/58412
**Category:** General
**Tags:** migrated
**Created:** [January 18, 2023, 5:14pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/neo4j-version-5-slower-with-data-import/58412 "2023-01-18T17:14:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![carib](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/carib/32/21301_2.png) [@carib](https://community.neo4j.com/u/carib)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2023, 5:14pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/neo4j-version-5-slower-with-data-import/58412/1 "2023-01-18T17:14:57Z")

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Hello,

I'm writing this post to see if people out there have similar thoughts or comments.

It seems like the processing time has increased in importing data in Neo4j version 5.3.x. With Neo4j version 4.4.x, it only a couple of minutes in creating graph databases while taking into account all the necessary precautions with node constraints and efficient MATCH/MERGE queries.

I rewrote the deprecated queries in version 4.4.x to import data so that they use the updated syntax and everything seems to be running slower in version 5.3.x. This change in particular with uploading data seems to running a lot slower (dataset that took minutes to upload now takes 30 minutes):

![carib_0-1674061907608.png](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/uploads/neo4jcommunity/original/3X/b/0/b00d7fb2ffc1cfe769f2ec0400d8bb9bc14f9468.png "carib\_0-1674061907608.png")

Here's a list of the changes in syntax:

[https://neo4j.com/docs/cypher-manual/current/deprecations-additions-removals-compatibility/](https://neo4j.com/docs/cypher-manual/current/deprecations-additions-removals-compatibility/)

Anyone else out there with a similar experience?

Thanks

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<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![carib](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex021/user_avatar/community.neo4j.com/carib/32/21301_2.png) [@carib](https://community.neo4j.com/u/carib)
#### Post date: [January 18, 2023, 7:50pm UTC](https://community.neo4j.com/t/neo4j-version-5-slower-with-data-import/58412/2 "2023-01-18T19:50:40Z")

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Note to self. This solved my probelm.

[https://neo4j.com/developer/kb/post-union-processing/#\_post\_union\_processing\_enhancements\_in\_4\_1](https://neo4j.com/developer/kb/post-union-processing/#_post_union_processing_enhancements_in_4_1)

This piece from the article improved the import query:

"You can get around all of these restrictions by simply introducing an additional `WITH` clause after the importing `WITH`, like so:"

The change from :auto PERIODIC COMMIT etc to the Call {} query format is making me implement a bunch of changes to the legagcy cypher from version 4.

Just out of curiosity, why were there such a large number of syntax changes from version 4 to version 5? I've been having to rewrite a lot of cypher.

I don't recall such large number of changes like these when working on SQL databases.