Why is the reference counting mechanism used in Python?

The reference counting mechanism in Python is used for automatic memory management. Each object in Python maintains a reference count — the number of variables and data structures that refer to this object. When the count reaches zero, the object is considered unused and its memory is freed.

This allows for efficient management of object lifecycles without explicitly calling for memory release. However, reference counting has a limitation — it cannot automatically clean up cyclic references, so Python additionally uses a garbage collector for such cases.