Why is redundancy considered a problem in database management?

Redundancy in database management refers to the unnecessary duplication of data within a database. This duplication can lead to inconsistencies, as different copies of the same data may be updated independently. For instance, if a customer's address is stored in multiple places within a database and is changed in one location but not in others, the database becomes inconsistent. This inconsistency undermines the reliability of the data, making it difficult for users to trust the information retrieved.

Effective database design aims to minimize redundancy through normalization practices, which helps maintain data integrity and ensures that any updates to data occur uniformly across the database. Therefore, identifying redundancy as a cause of potential data inconsistency highlights its significance as a problem in database management.