diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 8228862..3edda6a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -5,6 +5,14 @@ and [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Added
+- `noirdoc ns summary <ns>` — counts-only namespace inspection
+  (`total_entities`, per-label `by_type`). Safe to capture in wrapper
+  transcripts and audit logs; original values never appear in the output.
+  Companion to `ns show`. ([#1])
+
+[#1]: https://github.com/nextaim-de/noirdoc/issues/1
+
 ## [0.1.0] — 2026-04-24
 
 First public alpha on PyPI.
diff --git a/src/noirdoc/cli.py b/src/noirdoc/cli.py
index b0a38ec..1d14436 100644
--- a/src/noirdoc/cli.py
+++ b/src/noirdoc/cli.py
@@ -174,6 +174,24 @@ def ns_show(namespace: str) -> None:
     click.echo(json.dumps(mapper.get_mapping_summary(), indent=2, ensure_ascii=False))
 
 
+@ns.command("summary")
+@click.argument("namespace")
+def ns_summary(namespace: str) -> None:
+    """Print counts-only summary for NAMESPACE as JSON.
+
+    Safe alternative to ``ns show`` when stdout may be captured by a
+    wrapper, transcript, or log pipeline — original values never appear
+    in the output.
+    """
+    ns_obj = Namespace(namespace)
+    if not ns_obj.exists():
+        click.echo(f"Namespace {namespace!r} does not exist.", err=True)
+        sys.exit(1)
+    mapper = ns_obj.load()
+    summary = {"namespace": namespace, **mapper.get_counts_summary()}
+    click.echo(json.dumps(summary, indent=2, ensure_ascii=False))
+
+
 @ns.command("delete")
 @click.argument("namespace")
 @click.confirmation_option(prompt="Delete namespace and discard all mappings?")
diff --git a/src/noirdoc/pseudonymization/mapper.py b/src/noirdoc/pseudonymization/mapper.py
index 9289dd1..622d6c4 100644
--- a/src/noirdoc/pseudonymization/mapper.py
+++ b/src/noirdoc/pseudonymization/mapper.py
@@ -50,6 +50,17 @@ def get_mapping_summary(self) -> dict[str, str]:
         """Pseudonym -> Original Mapping (für Debug/Audit)."""
         return dict(self._pseudo_to_entity)
 
+    def get_counts_summary(self) -> dict[str, object]:
+        """Counts-only summary: total entities and per-label breakdown.
+
+        Safe to log or emit to caller transcripts — original values never
+        enter the output.
+        """
+        return {
+            "total_entities": self.entity_count,
+            "by_type": dict(self._counters),
+        }
+
     @property
     def entity_count(self) -> int:
         return len(self._pseudo_to_entity)
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.py b/tests/test_cli.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..df0beb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_cli.py
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from click.testing import CliRunner
+
+from noirdoc import cli as cli_module
+from noirdoc import namespace as ns_module
+from noirdoc.cli import main
+from noirdoc.namespace import Namespace
+
+
+def _redirect_namespace_root(monkeypatch, tmp_path: Path) -> Path:
+    root = tmp_path / "namespaces"
+    monkeypatch.setattr(ns_module, "DEFAULT_NAMESPACE_ROOT", root)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(cli_module, "DEFAULT_NAMESPACE_ROOT", root)
+    return root
+
+
+def test_ns_summary_happy_path(monkeypatch, tmp_path: Path):
+    _redirect_namespace_root(monkeypatch, tmp_path)
+
+    ns = Namespace("demo")
+    mapper = ns.load()
+    mapper.get_or_create("Max Müller", "PERSON")
+    mapper.get_or_create("Lisa Schmidt", "PERSON")
+    mapper.get_or_create("max@test.de", "EMAIL")
+    ns.save(mapper)
+
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(main, ["ns", "summary", "demo"])
+    assert result.exit_code == 0, result.output
+    payload = json.loads(result.output)
+    assert payload == {
+        "namespace": "demo",
+        "total_entities": 3,
+        "by_type": {"PERSON": 2, "EMAIL": 1},
+    }
+    assert "Max Müller" not in result.output
+    assert "max@test.de" not in result.output
+
+
+def test_ns_summary_missing_namespace(monkeypatch, tmp_path: Path):
+    _redirect_namespace_root(monkeypatch, tmp_path)
+
+    result = CliRunner().invoke(main, ["ns", "summary", "nope"])
+    assert result.exit_code == 1
+    assert "Namespace 'nope' does not exist." in result.output
diff --git a/tests/test_mapper.py b/tests/test_mapper.py
index a2753bd..a0e7a84 100644
--- a/tests/test_mapper.py
+++ b/tests/test_mapper.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import json
+
 from noirdoc.pseudonymization.mapper import PseudonymMapper
 
 
@@ -48,6 +50,20 @@ def test_mapping_summary():
     }
 
 
+def test_counts_summary():
+    mapper = PseudonymMapper()
+    mapper.get_or_create("Max Müller", "PERSON")
+    mapper.get_or_create("Lisa Schmidt", "PERSON")
+    mapper.get_or_create("Max Müller", "PERSON")  # dedup, no recount
+    mapper.get_or_create("max@test.de", "EMAIL")
+    summary = mapper.get_counts_summary()
+    assert summary == {
+        "total_entities": 3,
+        "by_type": {"PERSON": 2, "EMAIL": 1},
+    }
+    assert "Max Müller" not in json.dumps(summary)
+
+
 def test_get_all_pseudonyms():
     mapper = PseudonymMapper()
     mapper.get_or_create("Max Müller", "PERSON")