diff --git a/src/forge_loop/cli.py b/src/forge_loop/cli.py
index f0cb8ab..f6cdf5d 100644
--- a/src/forge_loop/cli.py
+++ b/src/forge_loop/cli.py
@@ -290,6 +290,7 @@ def _cmd(args: SimpleNamespace) -> int:
     _cmd_audit,
     _cmd_research_add,
     _cmd_memory_list,
+    _cmd_memory_skills,
     _cmd_manifesto_suggest,
     _cmd_record_session,
     _cmd_retry,
@@ -321,6 +322,7 @@ def _cmd(args: SimpleNamespace) -> int:
     _make_cmd("audit"),
     _make_cmd("research_add"),
     _make_cmd("memory_list"),
+    _make_cmd("memory_skills"),
     _make_cmd("manifesto_suggest"),
     _make_cmd("record_session"),
     _make_cmd("retry"),
@@ -581,6 +583,17 @@ def cmd_memory_list(
     _exit(_cmd_memory_list(SimpleNamespace(kind=kind, tag=tag)))
 
 
+@memory_app.command(
+    "skills",
+    help=(
+        "Read-only: print the learned skill-tree inventory — leaf recipes, "
+        "internal nodes, expired cards, and the per-area distribution (#458)."
+    ),
+)
+def cmd_memory_skills() -> None:
+    _exit(_cmd_memory_skills(SimpleNamespace()))
+
+
 @app.command("record-session", help="Record a real SDK session to a JSONL fixture.")
 def cmd_record_session(
     issue: int | None = typer.Option(None, "--issue"),
diff --git a/src/forge_loop/cli_product_commands.py b/src/forge_loop/cli_product_commands.py
index 75f4f93..e77ab7f 100644
--- a/src/forge_loop/cli_product_commands.py
+++ b/src/forge_loop/cli_product_commands.py
@@ -790,6 +790,48 @@ def _echo_memory_item(self, item: Any) -> None:
             f"source={_format_memory_source(prov)}"
         )
 
+    def _cmd_memory_skills(self, args: SimpleNamespace) -> int:
+        """`forge-loop memory skills` — read-only skill-tree inventory (#458).
+
+        Surfaces the learned procedural skill cards — leaf recipes and the
+        internal nodes distilled over them — plus the per-area distribution, so
+        an operator can see at a glance whether the skill tree is auto-
+        maintaining. Strictly read-only (calls only ``compute_skill_inventory``
+        over ``list_active``). Store absent/unreadable → fail soft (exit 1),
+        mirroring ``memory list``.
+        """
+        from forge_loop.settings import ConfigError
+        from forge_loop.skill_stats import compute_skill_inventory
+
+        repo_path = Path.cwd()
+        try:
+            cfg = self.load()
+            repo_path = Path(cfg.repo).resolve() if getattr(cfg, "repo", None) else repo_path
+        except ConfigError as exc:
+            _log.warning(
+                "memory_skills: config load failed; using cwd",
+                repo_path=str(repo_path),
+                error=str(exc),
+            )
+
+        try:
+            store = self.memory_store_factory(repo_path)
+            inv = compute_skill_inventory(store)
+        except Exception as exc:  # noqa: BLE001 — clear operator-facing failure, no traceback
+            typer.echo(f"memory skills: memory store unavailable: {exc}", err=True)
+            return 1
+
+        typer.echo(
+            f"skill tree: {inv.leaves} leaves + {inv.nodes} internal nodes ({inv.expired} expired)"
+        )
+        if inv.areas:
+            typer.echo("by area:")
+            for area, count in sorted(inv.areas.items(), key=lambda kv: (-kv[1], kv[0])):
+                typer.echo(f"  {count:3d}  {area}")
+        else:
+            typer.echo("  (no skills harvested yet)")
+        return 0
+
     def _cmd_audit(self, args: SimpleNamespace) -> int:
         """`forge-loop audit` — codebase-state audit (issue #156).
 
diff --git a/src/forge_loop/skill_stats.py b/src/forge_loop/skill_stats.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3a2e266
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/forge_loop/skill_stats.py
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+"""Skill-tree inventory stats — the data behind ``forge-loop skill-stats``.
+
+Pure read over the procedural-memory store: how many leaf skills and internal
+nodes are live, how many are expired, and the per-area distribution. Kept free
+of I/O so it is unit-tested against a real
+:class:`~forge_loop.memory.store.SqliteMemoryStore`; the CLI layer renders it.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from collections import Counter
+from dataclasses import dataclass
+
+from forge_loop.memory.models import (
+    AREA_NODE_TAG,
+    EXPIRED_TAG,
+    MemoryKind,
+    area_from_tags,
+)
+from forge_loop.memory.store import MemoryStore
+
+__all__ = ["SkillInventory", "compute_skill_inventory"]
+
+
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class SkillInventory:
+    """A snapshot of the live skill tree."""
+
+    leaves: int
+    nodes: int
+    expired: int
+    areas: dict[str, int]
+
+
+def compute_skill_inventory(store: MemoryStore) -> SkillInventory:
+    """Summarise the active procedural skill cards in ``store``.
+
+    Leaves and internal nodes are counted separately; expired cards (tagged
+    :data:`~forge_loop.memory.models.EXPIRED_TAG`) are counted on their own and
+    excluded from the leaf/node/area tallies — they no longer participate in the
+    tree. ``areas`` maps each area path to its live (non-expired) card count.
+    """
+    leaves = nodes = expired = 0
+    areas: Counter[str] = Counter()
+    for item in store.list_active(kind=MemoryKind.PROCEDURAL):
+        if EXPIRED_TAG in item.tags:
+            expired += 1
+            continue
+        area = area_from_tags(item.tags)
+        if area:
+            areas[area] += 1
+        if AREA_NODE_TAG in item.tags:
+            nodes += 1
+        else:
+            leaves += 1
+    return SkillInventory(leaves=leaves, nodes=nodes, expired=expired, areas=dict(areas))
diff --git a/tests/test_skill_stats.py b/tests/test_skill_stats.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..58088bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_skill_stats.py
@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+"""Skill-tree inventory stats for the `forge-loop skill-stats` command."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from forge_loop.memory.models import AREA_NODE_TAG, EXPIRED_TAG, area_tag
+from forge_loop.memory.store import MemoryStore, SqliteMemoryStore
+from forge_loop.runner.learning import record_procedural_skill
+from forge_loop.skill_stats import compute_skill_inventory
+
+
+def _store(tmp_path: Path) -> SqliteMemoryStore:
+    return SqliteMemoryStore(tmp_path / "memory.db")
+
+
+def _leaf(store: MemoryStore, *, area: str, sig: str, extra: tuple[str, ...] = ()) -> str:
+    return record_procedural_skill(
+        store,
+        failing_signal=sig,
+        target=f"{area}.rs",
+        title=f"{area}: {sig}",
+        body="recipe",
+        source_key=f"k:{area}:{sig}",
+        source_task_ref="issue:#1",
+        extra_tags=(area_tag(area), *extra),
+    )
+
+
+def test_inventory_counts_leaves_nodes_areas(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    store = _store(tmp_path)
+    _leaf(store, area="a/b", sig="s1")
+    _leaf(store, area="a/c", sig="s2")
+    _leaf(store, area="a", sig="node", extra=(AREA_NODE_TAG,))
+
+    inv = compute_skill_inventory(store)
+
+    assert inv.leaves == 2
+    assert inv.nodes == 1
+    assert inv.expired == 0
+    assert inv.areas == {"a/b": 1, "a/c": 1, "a": 1}
+
+
+def test_inventory_excludes_expired_from_leaves_and_areas(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    store = _store(tmp_path)
+    _leaf(store, area="a/b", sig="live")
+    _leaf(store, area="a/d", sig="dead", extra=(EXPIRED_TAG,))
+
+    inv = compute_skill_inventory(store)
+
+    assert inv.leaves == 1  # the expired one is not a live leaf
+    assert inv.expired == 1
+    assert "a/d" not in inv.areas
+
+
+def test_inventory_empty_store(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    inv = compute_skill_inventory(_store(tmp_path))
+    assert inv.leaves == 0
+    assert inv.nodes == 0
+    assert inv.expired == 0
+    assert inv.areas == {}
+
+
+# --- CLI: forge-loop memory skills -------------------------------------------
+
+from types import SimpleNamespace  # noqa: E402
+
+import pytest  # noqa: E402
+from typer.testing import CliRunner  # noqa: E402
+
+from forge_loop import cli  # noqa: E402
+from forge_loop._testing.memory_store import FakeMemoryStore  # noqa: E402
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def runner() -> CliRunner:
+    try:
+        return CliRunner(mix_stderr=False)  # type: ignore[call-arg]
+    except TypeError:
+        return CliRunner()
+
+
+def test_cli_memory_skills_reports_inventory(
+    runner: CliRunner, tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch
+) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.chdir(tmp_path)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(cli, "load", lambda: SimpleNamespace(repo=tmp_path, github_repo="acme/x"))
+    store = FakeMemoryStore()
+    monkeypatch.setattr(cli, "_memory_store_factory", lambda _repo: store)
+    _leaf(store, area="pulsar-node/ledger", sig="s1")
+    _leaf(store, area="pulsar-node/http", sig="s2")
+
+    result = runner.invoke(cli.app, ["memory", "skills"])
+
+    assert result.exit_code == 0
+    assert "2 leaves" in result.stdout
+    assert "pulsar-node/ledger" in result.stdout
+
+
+def test_cli_memory_skills_empty(
+    runner: CliRunner, tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch
+) -> None:
+    monkeypatch.chdir(tmp_path)
+    monkeypatch.setattr(cli, "load", lambda: SimpleNamespace(repo=tmp_path, github_repo="x/y"))
+    monkeypatch.setattr(cli, "_memory_store_factory", lambda _repo: FakeMemoryStore())
+
+    result = runner.invoke(cli.app, ["memory", "skills"])
+
+    assert result.exit_code == 0
+    assert "no skills harvested yet" in result.stdout