Along　with　the　rapid　development　of　society,　the　position　of　energy　has　become　more　prominent　in　recent　years.　However,　energy　resource　misallocation　has　been　a　common　phenomenon,　which　has　been　a　brake　on　energy　efficiency　promotion　and　regional　low　carbon　development.　Therefore,　this　study　serves　to　investigate　interprovincial　energy　resource　misallocation　in　China　across　five　typical　industries　from　2003　to　2017　by　an　improved　Gini　Coefficient　method.　Then　a　panel　data　model　is　built　to　explore　whether　energy　resource　misallocation　has　a　significant　impact　on　energy　efficiency.　Results　show　that　the　national　energy　resource　misallocation　index　(MI),　on　average,　fell　from　0.461　in　2003　to　0.363　in　2017,　presenting　a　decreasing　trend,　which　means　that　China＇s　interprovincial　energy　resource　misallocation　has　been　effectively　alleviated.　Furthermore,　we　find　that　the　energy　resource　misallocation　has　a　significant　negative　effect　on　interprovincial　energy　efficiency.　More　specifically,　a　1%　decrease　in　the　energy　resource　MI　causes　a　0.268%　increase　in　energy　efficiency.　In　addition,　the　urbanization　level,　industrial　structure,　and　the　proportion　of　fossil　energy　could　inhibit　the　improvement　of　energy　efficiency,　while　the　increase　in　economic　level　could　exert　a　positive　effect　on　the　improvement　of　energy　efficiency.　©　2023　Elsevier　Ltd