Methods, systems, and computer program products are provided for query expression evaluation for query optimization. Embodiments include receiving a query including a plurality of predicates; creating a truth table representing the possible solutions to the query; identifying a plurality of intersections of the truth table, the plurality of intersections including each predicate of the query; assigning a selectivity factor to each predicate; determining in dependence upon the selectivity factors for each predicate a selectivity rating for each of the intersections of the truth table; selecting one or more of the intersections in dependence upon the selectivity rating; and determining in dependence upon the selected intersections a percentage of rows in a database table returned by the query; and providing the percentage of rows in the database table to an access plan generator for query optimization.