diff --git a/src/ast.rs b/src/ast.rs
index 80aa883..7e73509 100644
--- a/src/ast.rs
+++ b/src/ast.rs
@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@
 //! stages.  Currently only the [`Parsed`] phase exists, which attaches no
 //! extra data (`()`) to each node.
 //!
-//! The two primary node families are:
+//! The primary node families are:
 //! - [`Expression`] / [`ExpressionKind`] — value-producing constructs.
 //! - [`Type`] / [`TypeKind`] — type annotations.
+//! - [`Statement`] / [`StatementKind`] — top-level and block-level statements.
 use std::fmt::Debug;
 
 use crate::token::Span;
@@ -198,3 +199,44 @@ pub enum TypeKind {
     /// A user-defined named type, e.g. `MyStruct`.
     Named(String),
 }
+
+/// Convenience alias for a [`Statement`] in the [`Parsed`] phase.
+pub type ParsedStatement = Statement<Parsed>;
+
+/// A statement node in the AST.
+///
+/// Statements are the sequential building blocks of a block body.  Like
+/// [`Expression`] and [`Type`], a statement is parameterised over a [`Phase`]
+/// so that later compiler passes can attach additional information without
+/// changing the node layout.
+#[derive(Debug, PartialEq)]
+pub struct Statement<P: Phase> {
+    pub kind: StatementKind<P>,
+    pub span: Span,
+    pub extra: P::ExtraData,
+}
+
+/// The concrete variant of a [`Statement`].
+#[derive(Debug, PartialEq)]
+pub enum StatementKind<P: Phase> {
+    /// A `let` binding, e.g. `let x: i32 = 0;`.
+    ///
+    /// Both the type annotation and the initialiser are optional at the parse
+    /// stage and may be filled in or validated by later passes.
+    Let {
+        /// The name of the binding.
+        name: String,
+        /// Source span of the name token, used for diagnostics.
+        name_span: Span,
+        /// Optional explicit type annotation (`let x: T`).
+        ty: Option<Type<P>>,
+        /// Optional initialiser expression (`= <expr>`).
+        value: Option<Expression<P>>,
+    },
+
+    /// A bare expression statement, e.g. `f(x);`.
+    ///
+    /// The trailing `;` is not stored in the node but is included in
+    /// [`Statement::span`].
+    Expr(Expression<P>),
+}
diff --git a/src/lexer.rs b/src/lexer.rs
index 3bbed7b..a6807f8 100644
--- a/src/lexer.rs
+++ b/src/lexer.rs
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ impl<'src> Lexer<'src> {
             "and" => TokenKind::KwAnd,
             "or" => TokenKind::KwOr,
             "as" => TokenKind::KwAs,
+            "let" => TokenKind::KwLet,
 
             "u8" => TokenKind::TyU8,
             "u16" => TokenKind::TyU16,
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 89d2dd3..45e62f1 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ fn main() {
         println!("-- {} --", file.display());
         let mut parser = Parser::new(&content);
 
-        match parser.parse_expression(0) {
+        match parser.parse_statement() {
             Ok(ast) => println!("{ast:#?}"),
             Err(diag) => diag.report(file, &content),
         }
diff --git a/src/parser.rs b/src/parser.rs
index 92e14ee..35c0d16 100644
--- a/src/parser.rs
+++ b/src/parser.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 //! Recursive-descent / Pratt parser that converts a token stream into an AST.
 //!
-//! The entry points are [`Parser::parse_type`] and [`Parser::parse_expression`].
+//! The entry points are [`Parser::parse_statement`], [`Parser::parse_type`],
+//! and [`Parser::parse_expression`].
 //! Errors are represented as [`Diagnostic`] values; the caller is responsible
 //! for reporting them.
 use std::iter::Peekable;
@@ -104,6 +105,72 @@ impl<'src> Parser<'src> {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Parses the next statement.
+    ///
+    /// Dispatches to the appropriate specialised parser based on the leading
+    /// token:
+    /// - `let` → [`parse_let_statement`](Self::parse_let_statement)
+    /// - anything else → an expression followed by a mandatory `;`
+    pub fn parse_statement(&mut self) -> Result<ast::ParsedStatement, Diagnostic> {
+        let peek = self.peek_no_eof()?;
+
+        match peek.kind {
+            TokenKind::KwLet => self.parse_let_statement(),
+
+            _ => {
+                let expr = self.parse_expression(0)?;
+                let semi_token = self.expect(TokenKind::Semi)?;
+                let span = expr.span.extend(semi_token.span);
+
+                Ok(ast::ParsedStatement {
+                    kind: ast::StatementKind::Expr(expr),
+                    span,
+                    extra: (),
+                })
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Parses a `let` binding statement: `let <name>[: <type>] [= <expr>];`.
+    ///
+    /// Both the type annotation and the initialiser are optional.  The
+    /// statement span runs from the `let` keyword through to the closing `;`.
+    fn parse_let_statement(&mut self) -> Result<ast::ParsedStatement, Diagnostic> {
+        let let_token = self.expect(TokenKind::KwLet)?;
+
+        let (name, name_span) = {
+            let ident_token = self.expect(TokenKind::Identifier)?;
+            (ident_token.text.to_string(), ident_token.span)
+        };
+
+        let ty = if self.is_peek(TokenKind::Colon) {
+            self.advance();
+            Some(self.parse_type()?)
+        } else {
+            None
+        };
+
+        let value = if self.is_peek(TokenKind::Assign) {
+            self.advance();
+            Some(self.parse_expression(0)?)
+        } else {
+            None
+        };
+
+        let semi_token = self.expect(TokenKind::Semi)?;
+
+        Ok(ast::ParsedStatement {
+            kind: ast::StatementKind::Let {
+                name,
+                name_span,
+                ty,
+                value,
+            },
+            span: let_token.span.extend(semi_token.span),
+            extra: (),
+        })
+    }
+
     /// Parses a type annotation, e.g. `u8`, `i64`, `bool`, or a user-defined
     /// named type.
     ///
diff --git a/src/token.rs b/src/token.rs
index 5aa046e..a8850a1 100644
--- a/src/token.rs
+++ b/src/token.rs
@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@ define_tokens! {
     KwAnd => "`and`",
     KwOr  => "`or`",
     KwAs  => "`as`",
+    KwLet => "`let`",
 
     // -- Type Keywords --
     TyU8   => "`u8`",
diff --git a/test.bky b/test.bky
index e10bb17..d75e696 100644
--- a/test.bky
+++ b/test.bky
@@ -1 +1 @@
-foo.bar - 5 as i32
\ No newline at end of file
+let test: i32 = foo.bar - 5 as i32;
\ No newline at end of file