A system and method, including determining, by a processor, a data type for each column of a database table; determining, by the processor and based on the determined data type for each column of the database table, an indication of a size of the database table; calculating, by the processor and based on the determined indication of the size of the database table, a start nbit size for a nbit compression process to be used on the database table; specifying, by the processor, the calculated start nbit size for the nbit compression process; and compressing the database table by executing the nbit data compression process using the specified start nbit size.