diff --git a/debug/debug.go b/debug/debug.go
index 05c36fba9d..027bc49689 100644
--- a/debug/debug.go
+++ b/debug/debug.go
@@ -7,15 +7,13 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 )
 
-var light = true
-
 func Stack() string {
 	var sbb strings.Builder
 	WriteStack(&sbb)
 	return sbb.String()
 }
 
-func WriteStack(sbb *strings.Builder) {
+func WriteStack(sbb *strings.Builder, forceClean ...bool) {
 	// derived from: https://golang.org/pkg/runtime/#example_Frames
 	// we stop when func name == Define as it is where the gnark circuit code should start
 
@@ -37,7 +35,7 @@ func WriteStack(sbb *strings.Builder) {
 		function := fe[len(fe)-1]
 		file := frame.File
 
-		if light {
+		if !Debug || (len(forceClean) > 1 && forceClean[0]) {
 			if strings.Contains(function, "runtime.gopanic") {
 				continue
 			}
diff --git a/debug/debug_full.go b/debug/debug_set.go
similarity index 61%
rename from debug/debug_full.go
rename to debug/debug_set.go
index ae1b6d98ed..49e94a0755 100644
--- a/debug/debug_full.go
+++ b/debug/debug_set.go
@@ -3,6 +3,4 @@
 
 package debug
 
-func init() {
-	light = false
-}
+const Debug = true
diff --git a/debug/debug_unset.go b/debug/debug_unset.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fe1628f492
--- /dev/null
+++ b/debug/debug_unset.go
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+//go:build !debug
+// +build !debug
+
+package debug
+
+const Debug = false
diff --git a/frontend/api.go b/frontend/api.go
index 67ca554405..de064fcc29 100644
--- a/frontend/api.go
+++ b/frontend/api.go
@@ -109,4 +109,11 @@ type API interface {
 	// from the backend point of view, it's equivalent to a user-supplied witness
 	// except, the solver is going to assign it a value, not the caller
 	NewHint(f hint.Function, inputs ...interface{}) Variable
+
+	// Tag creates a tag at a given place in a circuit. The state of the tag may contain informations needed to
+	// measure constraints, variables and coefficients creations through AddCounter
+	Tag(name string) Tag
+
+	// AddCounter measures the number of constraints, variables and coefficients created between two tags
+	AddCounter(from, to Tag)
 }
diff --git a/frontend/counter.go b/frontend/counter.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..911e90632f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/counter.go
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+package frontend
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+)
+
+// Tag contains informations needed to measure and display statistics of a delimited piece of circuit
+type Tag struct {
+	Name     string
+	vID, cID int
+}
+
+// Counter contains measurements of useful statistics between two Tag
+type Counter struct {
+	From, To      Tag
+	NbVariables   int
+	NbConstraints int
+}
+
+func (c Counter) String() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s to %s: %d variables, %d constraints", c.From.Name, c.To.Name, c.NbVariables, c.NbConstraints)
+}
diff --git a/frontend/cs.go b/frontend/cs.go
index 7cc42b9c5a..f89e549e2f 100644
--- a/frontend/cs.go
+++ b/frontend/cs.go
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ type constraintSystem struct {
 
 	mDebug map[int]int // maps constraint ID to debugInfo id
 
+	counters []Counter // statistic counters
+
 	curveID ecc.ID
 }
 
@@ -118,6 +120,7 @@ func newConstraintSystem(curveID ecc.ID, initialCapacity ...int) constraintSyste
 		mDebug:            make(map[int]int),
 		mHints:            make(map[int]compiled.Hint),
 		mHintsConstrained: make(map[int]bool),
+		counters:          make([]Counter, 0),
 	}
 
 	cs.coeffs[compiled.CoeffIdZero].SetInt64(0)
diff --git a/frontend/cs_debug.go b/frontend/cs_debug.go
index d30220d1a9..983ce1d219 100644
--- a/frontend/cs_debug.go
+++ b/frontend/cs_debug.go
@@ -149,3 +149,25 @@ func (cs *constraintSystem) addDebugInfo(errName string, i ...interface{}) int {
 	cs.debugInfo = append(cs.debugInfo, l)
 	return len(cs.debugInfo) - 1
 }
+
+// Tag creates a tag at a given place in a circuit. The state of the tag may contain informations needed to
+// measure constraints, variables and coefficients creations through AddCounter
+func (cs *constraintSystem) Tag(name string) Tag {
+	_, file, line, _ := runtime.Caller(1)
+
+	return Tag{
+		Name: fmt.Sprintf("%s[%s:%d]", name, filepath.Base(file), line),
+		vID:  len(cs.internal.variables),
+		cID:  len(cs.constraints),
+	}
+}
+
+// AddCounter measures the number of constraints, variables and coefficients created between two tags
+func (cs *constraintSystem) AddCounter(from, to Tag) {
+	cs.counters = append(cs.counters, Counter{
+		From:          from,
+		To:            to,
+		NbVariables:   to.vID - from.vID,
+		NbConstraints: to.cID - from.cID,
+	})
+}
diff --git a/frontend/frontend.go b/frontend/frontend.go
index 21c0954639..85e0b29478 100644
--- a/frontend/frontend.go
+++ b/frontend/frontend.go
@@ -75,10 +75,22 @@ func Compile(curveID ecc.ID, zkpID backend.ID, circuit Circuit, opts ...func(opt
 	case backend.GROTH16:
 		ccs, err = cs.toR1CS(curveID)
 	case backend.PLONK:
+		// TODO update cs.counters
 		ccs, err = cs.toSparseR1CS(curveID)
 	default:
 		panic("not implemented")
 	}
+
+	// print counters
+	// TODO we need a way to access these through APIs, printing is not great.
+	if opt.displayCounters && len(cs.counters) > 0 {
+		fmt.Printf("counters [%s - %s]:\n", zkpID, curveID)
+		for _, c := range cs.counters {
+			fmt.Printf("\t%s\n", c)
+		}
+		fmt.Println()
+	}
+
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -153,6 +165,7 @@ func Value(value interface{}) Variable {
 type CompileOption struct {
 	capacity                  int
 	ignoreUnconstrainedInputs bool
+	displayCounters           bool
 }
 
 // WithOutput is a Compile option that specifies the estimated capacity needed for internal variables and constraints
@@ -168,3 +181,10 @@ func IgnoreUnconstrainedInputs(opt *CompileOption) error {
 	opt.ignoreUnconstrainedInputs = true
 	return nil
 }
+
+// DisplayCounters when set, the Compile function will display counters added through api.AddCounter
+// after the post-compile phase ran
+func DisplayCounters(opt *CompileOption) error {
+	opt.displayCounters = true
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/test/assert.go b/test/assert.go
index 4a1b8eed97..fd2099b510 100644
--- a/test/assert.go
+++ b/test/assert.go
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/consensys/gnark/backend/groth16"
 	"github.com/consensys/gnark/backend/plonk"
 	"github.com/consensys/gnark/backend/witness"
+	"github.com/consensys/gnark/debug"
 	"github.com/consensys/gnark/frontend"
 	"github.com/consensys/gnark/internal/utils"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
@@ -364,7 +365,16 @@ func (assert *Assert) compile(circuit frontend.Circuit, curveID ecc.ID, backendI
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	_ccs, err := frontend.Compile(curveID, backendID, circuit, compileOpts...)
+	// if debug flag is set, add frontend.DisplayCounters
+	var cOpts []func(opt *frontend.CompileOption) error
+	if debug.Debug {
+		cOpts = make([]func(opt *frontend.CompileOption) error, len(compileOpts)+1)
+		copy(cOpts, compileOpts)
+		cOpts[len(cOpts)-1] = frontend.DisplayCounters // it's ok if we have a duplicate
+	} else {
+		cOpts = compileOpts
+	}
+	_ccs, err := frontend.Compile(curveID, backendID, circuit, cOpts...)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("%w: %v", ErrCompilationNotDeterministic, err)
 	}
diff --git a/test/engine.go b/test/engine.go
index 8085bb73e7..369b7bf55b 100644
--- a/test/engine.go
+++ b/test/engine.go
@@ -338,6 +338,15 @@ func (e *engine) NewHint(f hint.Function, inputs ...interface{}) frontend.Variab
 	return frontend.Value(result)
 }
 
+func (e *engine) Tag(name string) frontend.Tag {
+	// do nothing, we don't measure constraints with the test engine
+	return frontend.Tag{Name: name}
+}
+
+func (e *engine) AddCounter(from, to frontend.Tag) {
+	// do nothing, we don't measure constraints with the test engine
+}
+
 func (e *engine) toBigInt(i1 interface{}) big.Int {
 	if v1, ok := i1.(frontend.Variable); ok {
 		return v1.GetWitnessValue(e.curveID)