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• The impact of economic growth pressure on energy efficiency improvement is discussed. • Economic growth pressure has hindered the improvement of energy efficiency. • Heterogeneity effects exist in individual dimension and temporal dimension. Economic growth target management has been a typical feature of Chinese governments at all levels for a long time in the past decades. Based on a panel data of 188 Chinese cities, this paper examines the impact of pressure brought by economic growth target on energy efficiency improvement. The results suggest that economic growth pressure has hindered the improvement of energy efficiency. For every unit of increase in economic growth pressure, the improvement indicator of energy efficiency will decrease by 3.3%. This finding is robust, after replacing explained variables and core explanatory variables, no substantial changes are found. Sub-sample regression confirms the existence of heterogeneity effects in individual dimension and temporal dimension. Finally, by summarizing existing studies, this paper finds that the investment imbalance effect, the hindrance effect on industrial structure upgrading, and the crowding-out effect on innovation are three important ways for economic growth pressure to restrain the improvement of energy efficiency. Our findings are helpful to understand the role of the government's economic growth target management in resource allocation and energy utilization and provide a certain practical reference for China to promote high-quality economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]