The MERGE statement is a powerful SQL construct that combines UPDATE and INSERT operations into a single statement. It's particularly useful when you need to update rows in a target table based on matching rows in a source table or when inserting new rows if no match is found. This approach simplifies complex update logic, making your code more readable and maintainable. Imagine you have a customer table and a new customer data source. Using MERGE, you can efficiently update existing customers or insert new ones without writing separate UPDATE and INSERT statements. This single statement ensures data consistency and reduces the risk of errors compared to separate update and insert statements. The MERGE statement is supported by many database systems, including Oracle, SQL Server, and PostgreSQL, making it a valuable tool for data manipulation across various platforms.