diff --git a/Lib/idlelib/editor.py b/Lib/idlelib/editor.py
index c76db20c58792d..100efed95951e8 100644
--- a/Lib/idlelib/editor.py
+++ b/Lib/idlelib/editor.py
@@ -433,6 +433,7 @@ def set_status_bar(self):
             # Insert some padding to avoid obscuring some of the statusbar
             # by the resize widget.
             self.status_bar.set_label('_padding1', '    ', side=RIGHT)
+        self.status_bar.set_label('selected', '', side=RIGHT)
         self.status_bar.set_label('column', 'Col: ?', side=RIGHT)
         self.status_bar.set_label('line', 'Ln: ?', side=RIGHT)
         self.status_bar.pack(side=BOTTOM, fill=X)
@@ -446,6 +447,8 @@ def set_line_and_column(self, event=None):
         line, column = self.text.index(INSERT).split('.')
         self.status_bar.set_label('column', 'Col: %s' % column)
         self.status_bar.set_label('line', 'Ln: %s' % line)
+        chars = len(self.text.get(SEL_FIRST, SEL_LAST))
+        self.status_bar.set_label('selected', '%d selected' % chars if chars else '')
 
 
     """ Menu definitions and functions.
diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/IDLE/2022-05-15-17-46-13.gh-issue-92822.tjcUfw.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/IDLE/2022-05-15-17-46-13.gh-issue-92822.tjcUfw.rst
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..0dacf3886740b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/IDLE/2022-05-15-17-46-13.gh-issue-92822.tjcUfw.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Add "selected" label to the IDLE statusbar. Label is updated to show selected number of characters in the editor.