diff --git a/python/CHANGELOG.md b/python/CHANGELOG.md
index adaa630275..c9887cfc7c 100644
--- a/python/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/python/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 - Papers can now generate citation reference strings in any CSL-supported style via `to_citation()`.  Calling `to_citation()` without any arguments will produce ACL-formatted reference entries.
 - Papers can now generate brief markdown reference strings via `to_markdown_citation()`.
+- PersonIndex now has function `find_coauthors_counter()` to find not just the identities of co-authors, but also get a count how many items they have co-authored together with someone.
 - SIGIndex now reverse-indexes co-located volumes, so it is now possible to get SIGs associated with volumes, e.g. via `Volume.get_sigs()`.
 - Papers now have attribute `thumbnail`.
 - Volumes now have attributes `has_abstracts`, `venue_acronym`, and `web_url`.
diff --git a/python/acl_anthology/people/index.py b/python/acl_anthology/people/index.py
index 41b25cb993..f58d120ce4 100644
--- a/python/acl_anthology/people/index.py
+++ b/python/acl_anthology/people/index.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 from attrs import define, field, asdict
-from collections import defaultdict
+from collections import Counter, defaultdict
 import itertools as it
 from os import PathLike
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -102,22 +102,34 @@ def find_coauthors(self, person: str | Person) -> list[Person]:
         Returns:
             A list of all persons who are co-authors; can be empty.
         """
+        coauthors = self.find_coauthors_counter(person)
+        return [self.data[pid] for pid in coauthors]
+
+    def find_coauthors_counter(self, person: str | Person) -> Counter[str]:
+        """Find the count of co-authored or co-edited items per person.
+
+        Parameters:
+            person: A person ID _or_ Person instance.
+
+        Returns:
+            A Counter mapping **IDs** of other persons Y to the number of papers this person has co-authored with Y.
+        """
         if not self.is_data_loaded:
             self.load()
         if isinstance(person, str):
             person = self.data[person]
-        coauthors = set()
+        coauthors: Counter[str] = Counter()
         for item_id in person.item_ids:
             item = cast("Volume | Paper", self.parent.get(item_id))
-            coauthors |= set(
+            coauthors.update(
                 self.get_or_create_person(ns, create=False).id for ns in item.editors
             )
             if hasattr(item, "authors"):
-                coauthors |= set(
+                coauthors.update(
                     self.get_or_create_person(ns, create=False).id for ns in item.authors
                 )
-        coauthors.remove(person.id)
-        return [self.data[pid] for pid in coauthors]
+        del coauthors[person.id]
+        return coauthors
 
     def load(self) -> None:
         """Loads or builds the index."""
diff --git a/python/tests/people/personindex_test.py b/python/tests/people/personindex_test.py
index a653189dd3..e62f6bf7b9 100644
--- a/python/tests/people/personindex_test.py
+++ b/python/tests/people/personindex_test.py
@@ -163,6 +163,24 @@ def test_get_person_coauthors(index_with_full_anthology):
     assert len(coauthors) == 1
     assert coauthors[0].canonical_name == Name("Joyce", "McDowell")
 
+    person = index.get_by_name(Name("Preslav", "Nakov"))[0]
+    coauthors = index.find_coauthors(person)
+    assert len(coauthors) == 2
+
+
+def test_get_person_coauthors_counter(index_with_full_anthology):
+    index = index_with_full_anthology
+    person = index.get_by_name(Name("Kathleen", "Dahlgren"))[0]
+    coauthors = index.find_coauthors_counter(person)
+    assert len(coauthors) == 1
+    assert coauthors["joyce-mcdowell"] == 1
+
+    person = index.get_by_name(Name("Preslav", "Nakov"))[0]
+    coauthors = index.find_coauthors_counter(person)
+    assert len(coauthors) == 2
+    assert coauthors["joyce-mcdowell"] == 0
+    assert coauthors["aline-villavicencio"] == 2
+
 
 def test_get_by_namespec(index_with_full_anthology):
     index = index_with_full_anthology