Updated 25 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, minecraft.net and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Mining Speed in Minecraft: How to Mine Faster
How fast you mine depends on the block's hardness, your tool and its material, Efficiency, Haste and penalties. Tool speeds go wood 2, stone 4, copper 5, iron 6, diamond 8, netherite 9 and gold 12. Efficiency adds its level squared plus 1. Mining underwater without Aqua Affinity, or while not on the ground, is 5 times slower each.
Which tool mines fastest?
| Material | Tool speed |
|---|---|
| Hand | 1 |
| Wood | 2 |
| Stone | 4 |
| Copper | 5 |
| Iron | 6 |
| Diamond | 8 |
| Netherite | 9 |
| Gold | 12 (but it breaks fast) |
Using the right tool type matters too: a pickaxe on stone, an axe on wood, a shovel on dirt. Tiers: tool tiers.
What makes mining faster?
- Efficiency: adds level squared plus 1 (I adds 2, V adds 26); see tool enchantments.
- Haste: 20% faster per level, from beacons; Conduit Power works the same; see beacons.
- Aqua Affinity: removes the underwater penalty.
- Standing on the ground: mining while floating or flying is 5 times slower.
How do you mine instantly?
Insta-mining happens when your speed is high enough compared to the block's hardness. A classic example: an Efficiency V diamond or netherite pickaxe with Haste II mines stone instantly. Deepslate and ores are harder, so they still take a moment. More: stone types.
What slows mining down?
Mining Fatigue from elder guardians cuts speed hugely; see elder guardians. Being underwater, in the air, or using the wrong tool all slow you, and some blocks such as obsidian are simply very hard. Mining times are rounded up to whole ticks.
Frequently asked questions
What makes you mine instantly?
Efficiency V on a diamond or netherite pickaxe plus Haste II mines stone instantly.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.