diff --git a/src/components/auth/password-checklist.tsx b/src/components/auth/password-checklist.tsx
index 7abfa718..41b5e7ac 100644
--- a/src/components/auth/password-checklist.tsx
+++ b/src/components/auth/password-checklist.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
+import { useState } from "react";
 import { Circle, CircleCheck } from "lucide-react";
 
 import { Text } from "@/components/ui/text";
-import { evaluatePasswordRules } from "@/domain/auth/password-policy";
+import { evaluatePasswordRules, type PasswordRuleResult } from "@/domain/auth/password-policy";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 
 export type PasswordChecklistProps = {
@@ -10,29 +11,53 @@ export type PasswordChecklistProps = {
   className?: string;
 };
 
-/** Live, per-rule feedback for the shared password policy. */
+function describeChanges(previous: PasswordRuleResult[], next: PasswordRuleResult[]): string {
+  return next
+    .filter((rule, index) => rule.met !== previous[index]?.met)
+    .map((rule) => `${rule.label}: ${rule.met ? "requirement met" : "requirement not met"}`)
+    .join(". ");
+}
+
+/**
+ * Live, per-rule feedback for the shared password policy. A polite status region
+ * announces only the rules whose state changed, so screen-reader users hear
+ * progress while typing without the whole list being re-read on each keystroke.
+ */
 export function PasswordChecklist({ password, id, className }: PasswordChecklistProps) {
   const results = evaluatePasswordRules(password);
+  const signature = results.map((rule) => (rule.met ? "1" : "0")).join("");
+  const [previous, setPrevious] = useState({ signature, results });
+  const [announcement, setAnnouncement] = useState("");
+
+  if (previous.signature !== signature) {
+    setPrevious({ signature, results });
+    setAnnouncement(describeChanges(previous.results, results));
+  }
 
   return (
-    <ul
-      id={id}
-      aria-label="Password requirements"
-      className={cn("m-0 mt-2 grid list-none gap-1 p-0", className)}
-    >
-      {results.map(({ id: ruleId, label, met }) => (
-        <li key={ruleId} data-rule={ruleId} data-met={met} className="flex items-center gap-1.5">
-          {met ? (
-            <CircleCheck size={13} aria-hidden="true" className="text-(--color-success)" />
-          ) : (
-            <Circle size={13} aria-hidden="true" className="text-(--color-text-muted)" />
-          )}
-          <Text variant="caption" tone={met ? "success" : "muted"}>
-            {label}
-          </Text>
-          <span className="sr-only">{met ? "requirement met" : "requirement not met"}</span>
-        </li>
-      ))}
-    </ul>
+    <>
+      <ul
+        id={id}
+        aria-label="Password requirements"
+        className={cn("m-0 mt-2 grid list-none gap-1 p-0", className)}
+      >
+        {results.map(({ id: ruleId, label, met }) => (
+          <li key={ruleId} data-rule={ruleId} data-met={met} className="flex items-center gap-1.5">
+            {met ? (
+              <CircleCheck size={13} aria-hidden="true" className="text-(--color-success)" />
+            ) : (
+              <Circle size={13} aria-hidden="true" className="text-(--color-text-muted)" />
+            )}
+            <Text variant="caption" tone={met ? "success" : "muted"}>
+              {label}
+            </Text>
+            <span className="sr-only">{met ? "requirement met" : "requirement not met"}</span>
+          </li>
+        ))}
+      </ul>
+      <Text variant="feedback" className="sr-only">
+        {announcement}
+      </Text>
+    </>
   );
 }
diff --git a/src/test/components/auth/password-checklist.test.tsx b/src/test/components/auth/password-checklist.test.tsx
index 391310b4..2b7bc6dc 100644
--- a/src/test/components/auth/password-checklist.test.tsx
+++ b/src/test/components/auth/password-checklist.test.tsx
@@ -62,6 +62,30 @@ describe("PasswordChecklist", () => {
     expect(screen.getAllByText("requirement met")).toHaveLength(4);
   });
 
+  it("announces only the rules whose state changed through a polite status region", async () => {
+    const user = userEvent.setup();
+    render(<ChecklistHarness />);
+    const input = screen.getByLabelText("Password");
+    const status = screen.getByRole("status");
+
+    expect(status).toHaveAttribute("aria-live", "polite");
+    expect(status).toHaveTextContent(/^$/);
+
+    await user.type(input, "A");
+    expect(status).toHaveTextContent(/^One uppercase letter: requirement met$/);
+
+    await user.type(input, "b");
+    expect(status).toHaveTextContent(/^One uppercase letter: requirement met$/);
+
+    await user.type(input, "1!xy");
+    expect(status).toHaveTextContent(/^At least 6 characters: requirement met$/);
+
+    await user.clear(input);
+    expect(status).toHaveTextContent(
+      "At least 6 characters: requirement not met. One uppercase letter: requirement not met. One number: requirement not met. One special character: requirement not met",
+    );
+  });
+
   it("marks a rule unmet again when the user deletes the character that satisfied it", async () => {
     const user = userEvent.setup();
     render(<ChecklistHarness />);