Does Rust Have Garbage Collection? How Does Memory Management Work?

No, Rust does not have garbage collection; it uses a system called Ownership to manage memory at compile time. The compiler enforces three rules: each value has a single owner, there can only be one owner at a time, and when the owner goes out of scope, the value is dropped. This approach ensures memory safety without the runtime overhead of a garbage collector.

fn main() {
    let s = String::from("hello"); // 's' is the owner
    // 's' is dropped here when it goes out of scope
}

Rust manages memory automatically without a background garbage collector. Instead, it uses strict rules checked by the compiler to ensure data is cleaned up exactly when it is no longer needed. Think of it like a library book: only one person can hold it at a time, and they must return it immediately when they are done, preventing lost books or clutter.