Skip to main content

Efficiency

Increases mining speed. When applied to an axe, increases the chance of stripping a log on use.

Overview

Efficiency is a common mining enchantment in Minecraft. Efficiency increases how fast a tool breaks blocks, raising the mining-speed attribute so the right material crumbles in a fraction of the usual time.

Its opening level already delivers a noticeable boost (+2 mining speed (1 + level^2 bonus)), and it climbs from there to a maximum of level 5 (V) on your pickaxe.

Max Level
5 (V)
Applicable To
Pickaxe, Shovel +2
Rarity
Common
Category
Mining
Added In
1.0

Effects Per Level

ILevel 1: +2 mining speed (1 + level^2 bonus)
IILevel 2: +5 mining speed
IIILevel 3: +10 mining speed
IVLevel 4: +17 mining speed
VLevel 5: +26 mining speed

Max Level & Effect Scaling

Efficiency tops out at level 5, shown as V on the pickaxe, and the gap between the levels is where the enchantment's character really lives.

The bonus grows with the square of the level (the gain jumps from +1 mining speed at level I to a hefty +26 at level V), so the higher levels are dramatically more powerful than the lower ones. With a diamond or netherite pickaxe, Efficiency V is the threshold where stone and netherrack break instantly as you hold the button.

Compatible Items

Compatibility & Conflicts

Efficiency can be placed on pickaxe, shovel, axe and hoe, giving you a handful of choices for where it does the most good depending on how you play.

Efficiency has no exclusivity conflicts at all, so you can layer it onto an item alongside every other enchantment that item accepts without having to give anything up.

How to Obtain

Enchanting TableAnvilLoot ChestVillager Trading

How to Get It

Efficiency can be rolled directly at an enchanting table, where the level you pay and the enchantability of a pickaxe together decide which level of it you can be offered, up to V. Players who would rather not gamble for Efficiency can hunt the book down through loot chest and villager trading and apply it at an anvil.

Its selection weight of 10 makes Efficiency a common roll: it shows up frequently among the options when you enchant a pickaxe, so building one rarely takes many tries.

What the Table Has to Roll

The numbers below are for a golden axe: of everything that accepts Efficiency it has the highest enchantability (22), worth up to 10 extra points of power on top of your experience level.

At the level 30 slot the rolled power lands in the window for Efficiency V 9% of the time.

LevelEnchanting powerAt a level 30 slot
I1 to 10never
II11 to 20never
III21 to 304%
IV31 to 4087%
V41 to 919%

Applying the book on an anvil costs 1 level per enchantment level, before the anvil adds its own charge for the work you have already done to the item.

Tips & Best Combinations

Essential on every mining tool you own. Faster breaking saves enormous amounts of time over a play session, and combined with Haste II from a beacon it lets a netherite pickaxe instant-mine even tougher blocks. There is no reason to leave it off a working pickaxe, shovel or axe.

For the strongest setup, pair Efficiency with Fortune, Silk Touch, Unbreaking and Mending: the durability enchantments in particular keep the item alive long enough to make the investment worthwhile.

Worth remembering: mining speed bonus formula: level^2 + 1. At Efficiency V with a diamond pickaxe, instant-mines stone and netherrack. Also applies to shears.

Related Enchantments

Efficiency FAQ

What is the maximum level of Efficiency in Minecraft?
Efficiency reaches a maximum of level 5 (V) on a pickaxe, which is the highest you can get legitimately without commands or external tools.
How do you get Efficiency in survival?
The easiest source of Efficiency is the enchanting table. Which level it may offer depends on the power the table rolls, which is the experience level you spend plus a bonus drawn from the item's own enchantability. Alternatively, pick up an Efficiency book from loot chest and villager trading and fuse it onto your pickaxe at an anvil.
Which items can Efficiency go on?
Efficiency can be applied to pickaxe, shovel, axe and hoe: those are the only items that accept it.
Does Efficiency V instantly mine stone?
With a diamond or netherite pickaxe, yes: Efficiency V pushes the mining speed high enough that stone, cobblestone and netherrack break the instant you start digging them. Lower-tier pickaxes need Haste on top to reach that point.
Can I put Efficiency on shears or a hoe?
Yes. Efficiency works on shears (speeding up wool and leaf cutting) and on hoes, as well as the obvious pickaxe, shovel and axe, so it benefits almost every block-breaking tool.

Try these enchantments on Astroworld

Join our economy survival server or host your own Minecraft server.