Purpose:　Safety　efficiency　is　the　key　to　balance　safety　and　production　in　construction　industry;　but　the　existing　safety　efficiency　evaluation　methods　have　the　limitations　of　overestimating　efficiency　and　ignoring　undesirable　outputs;　therefore,　according　to　the　characteristics　of　safety　production　in　construction　industry,　this　paper　innovatively　develops　a　new　cross-efficiency　data　envelopment　analysis　method　to　analyze　safety　efficiency,　which　can　solve　the　limitations　of　traditional　methods;　and　then　the　safety　efficiency　and　its　influencing　factors　of　China＇s　construction　industry　are　analyzed,　and　some　useful　conclusions　are　obtained　to　improve　its　safety　efficiency.　Design/methodology/approach:　A　new　cross-efficiency　data　envelopment　analysis　method　with　undesirable　outputs　is　proposed;　and　the　two-stage　efficiency　analysis　framework　is　designed.　Findings:　First,　the　construction　industries　in　different　areas　have　different　reasons　for　affecting　their　safety　efficiency;　second,　the　evaluation　results　of　global　safety　priority　tend　to　be　more　acceptable;　third,　frequent　safety　accidents　and　low　resource　utilization　lead　to　a　slow　downward　trend　of　the　safety　efficiency　of　China＇s　construction　industry　in　the　long　run;　fourth,　construction　engineering　supervision,　construction　industrial　scale,　and　construction　industrial　structure　have　the　significant　impact　on　safety　efficiency.　Originality/value:　Theoretically,　a　new　cross-efficiency　data　envelopment　analysis　method　with　undesirable　outputs　is　proposed　for　evaluating　safety　efficiency;　practically,　the　safety　efficiency　and　its　influencing　factors　of　China＇s　construction　industry　are　analyzed.　©　2022,　Emerald　Publishing　Limited.