Guides / Enchantments / Efficiency Enchantment in Minecraft: What It Does and How to Use It
Efficiency Enchantment in Minecraft: What It Does and How to Use It
Published October 16, 2026
- Max level
- V
- Applies to
- Pickaxe, Shovel, Axe, Hoe, Shears (secondary)
- Incompatible with
- Nothing
- Obtained via
- Enchanting table, anvil, villager trade
Efficiency makes a tool break blocks faster — the single most impactful enchantment for anyone mining, digging, or farming in bulk.
What Efficiency actually does
Efficiency adds a flat bonus to the tool's underlying "mining efficiency" value, which then feeds into the game's real mining-speed formula alongside the tool's own material tier. The bonus per level is not linear — it grows faster at higher levels:
- Level I: +2
- Level II: +5
- Level III: +10
- Level IV: +17
- Level V: +26
This bonus stacks on top of whatever your tool's base speed already is (a diamond pickaxe mines faster than a wooden one before Efficiency ever enters the formula), so the same level of Efficiency gives a bigger real-world speed boost on a high-tier tool than a low-tier one. One hard requirement: Efficiency only helps when the tool is the correct tool for the block — it has zero effect if you mine something with the wrong tool type.
How to use it
Efficiency V is close to a strict upgrade for any tool you use repeatedly — there's no situational downside the way Fortune vs. Silk Touch forces a real tradeoff. The only real decision is sequencing: since it has no conflicts, it's safe to add to any pickaxe/shovel/axe/hoe build alongside whichever "primary" enchantment (Fortune, Silk Touch) you've picked, plus Unbreaking and Mending.
Well-known builds that use it
Efficiency is one of the four enchantments on every standard tool build — see The Ideal Pickaxe Enchantments, The Ideal Axe Enchantments, The Ideal Shovel Enchantments, and The Ideal Hoe Enchantments for how it slots in alongside Fortune or Silk Touch, Unbreaking, and Mending on each specific tool.
Efficiency V- Fortune III
- Unbreaking III
- Mending I
Frequently asked questions
What does Efficiency V actually add?
Efficiency adds +2/+5/+10/+17/+26 mining efficiency at levels I through V — a non-linear bonus that stacks on top of the tool's own base mining speed. The higher the tool tier, the bigger the real-world speed difference the same Efficiency level makes.
Does Efficiency work with any tool?
It only speeds up mining when the tool is the correct type for the block being broken — it has no effect at all if you use the wrong tool, regardless of Efficiency level.
Does Efficiency conflict with Fortune or Silk Touch?
No — Efficiency has no conflicts at all. It stacks freely with either Fortune or Silk Touch, plus Unbreaking and Mending, on the same tool.
Is Efficiency V worth it over IV?
Yes — unlike most enchantments where returns flatten out, Efficiency's bonus per level actually grows (from +17 at IV to +26 at V), so the last level is the single biggest jump in the whole progression.