The Runstats utility helps in generating ________ which helps the DB2 optimizer to create efficient query execution plans.

Runstats utility in DB2 generates statistics about the distribution of data in tables and indexes. These statistics, also known as histograms or distribution statistics, help the DB2 optimizer to make informed decisions when creating query execution plans. By analyzing these statistics, the optimizer can choose the most efficient access paths and join methods, resulting in improved query performance. Understanding and utilizing these statistics effectively is crucial for optimizing query performance in DB2.