diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yml b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..744e32d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+name: Publish
+
+# Publish the owid crate to crates.io when main changes. The job only publishes
+# when the version in Cargo.toml is not already on crates.io, so an ordinary
+# push to main (docs, tests, a fix that does not bump the version) is a no-op.
+# To release a new version, bump `version` in Cargo.toml and merge to main.
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+
+# Never let two publish runs race; a second push waits for the first to finish.
+concurrency:
+  group: publish-crates-io
+  cancel-in-progress: false
+
+jobs:
+  publish:
+    name: publish to crates.io
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
+
+      # Verify the crate before publishing so a broken main never publishes.
+      - run: cargo test --all-features
+
+      - name: Check whether this version is already on crates.io
+        id: check
+        run: |
+          version="$(cargo metadata --no-deps --format-version 1 \
+            | jq -r '.packages[0].version')"
+          echo "version=$version" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          # The crates.io API returns 200 for a published version and 404
+          # otherwise. A User-Agent is required by the API.
+          if curl -sf -H "User-Agent: owid-publish (github actions)" \
+              "https://crates.io/api/v1/crates/owid/$version" > /dev/null; then
+            echo "owid $version is already on crates.io; nothing to publish."
+            echo "publish=false" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          else
+            echo "owid $version is not on crates.io; it will be published."
+            echo "publish=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          fi
+
+      - name: Publish to crates.io
+        if: steps.check.outputs.publish == 'true'
+        env:
+          CARGO_REGISTRY_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.CARGO_REGISTRY_TOKEN }}
+        run: cargo publish