diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
index 17d183e1f0ec..88e3065d06fd 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev.c
@@ -1996,8 +1996,8 @@ rte_eth_stats_reset(uint16_t port_id)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static inline int
-get_xstats_basic_count(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
+int
+rte_eth_basic_stats_count(struct rte_eth_dev *dev)
 {
 	uint16_t nb_rxqs, nb_txqs;
 	int count;
@@ -2034,7 +2034,7 @@ get_xstats_count(uint16_t port_id)
 		count = 0;
 
 
-	count += get_xstats_basic_count(dev);
+	count += rte_eth_basic_stats_count(dev);
 
 	return count;
 }
@@ -2084,7 +2084,7 @@ rte_eth_xstats_get_id_by_name(uint16_t port_id, const char *xstat_name,
 }
 
 /* retrieve basic stats names */
-static int
+int
 rte_eth_basic_stats_get_names(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 	struct rte_eth_xstat_name *xstats_names)
 {
@@ -2140,7 +2140,7 @@ rte_eth_xstats_get_names_by_id(uint16_t port_id,
 	RTE_ETH_VALID_PORTID_OR_ERR_RET(port_id, -ENODEV);
 	dev = &rte_eth_devices[port_id];
 
-	basic_count = get_xstats_basic_count(dev);
+	basic_count = rte_eth_basic_stats_count(dev);
 	ret = get_xstats_count(port_id);
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
@@ -2268,8 +2268,7 @@ rte_eth_xstats_get_names(uint16_t port_id,
 	return cnt_used_entries;
 }
 
-
-static int
+int
 rte_eth_basic_stats_get(uint16_t port_id, struct rte_eth_xstat *xstats)
 {
 	struct rte_eth_dev *dev;
@@ -2341,7 +2340,7 @@ rte_eth_xstats_get_by_id(uint16_t port_id, const uint64_t *ids,
 	expected_entries = (uint16_t)ret;
 	struct rte_eth_xstat xstats[expected_entries];
 	dev = &rte_eth_devices[port_id];
-	basic_count = get_xstats_basic_count(dev);
+	basic_count = rte_eth_basic_stats_count(dev);
 
 	/* Return max number of stats if no ids given */
 	if (!ids) {
@@ -2355,7 +2354,7 @@ rte_eth_xstats_get_by_id(uint16_t port_id, const uint64_t *ids,
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	if (ids && dev->dev_ops->xstats_get_by_id != NULL && size) {
-		unsigned int basic_count = get_xstats_basic_count(dev);
+		unsigned int basic_count = rte_eth_basic_stats_count(dev);
 		uint64_t ids_copy[size];
 
 		for (i = 0; i < size; i++) {
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_driver.h b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_driver.h
index 936ff8c98651..489889a72203 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_driver.h
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_driver.h
@@ -208,6 +208,71 @@ rte_eth_linkstatus_get(const struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
 #endif
 }
 
+/**
+ * @internal
+ * Get basic stats part of xstats for an ethernet device.
+ *
+ * @param dev
+ *  Pointer to struct rte_eth_dev.
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+int
+rte_eth_basic_stats_count(struct rte_eth_dev *dev);
+
+/**
+ * @internal
+ * @b EXPERIMENTAL: this API may change without prior notice.
+ *
+ * Retrieve the names for the basic part of extended statistics.
+ *
+ * @param dev
+ *  Pointer to struct rte_eth_dev.
+ * @param xstats_names
+ *   An rte_eth_xstat_name array of at least *size* elements to
+ *   be filled. If set to NULL, the function returns the required number
+ *   of elements.
+ * @return
+ *   - A positive value lower or equal to size: success. The return value
+ *     is the number of entries filled in the stats table.
+ *   - A positive value higher than size: error, the given statistics table
+ *     is too small. The return value corresponds to the size that should
+ *     be given to succeed. The entries in the table are not valid and
+ *     shall not be used by the caller.
+ *   - A negative value on error (invalid port id).
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+int
+rte_eth_basic_stats_get_names(struct rte_eth_dev *dev,
+			      struct rte_eth_xstat_name *xstats_names);
+
+/**
+ * @internal
+ * @b EXPERIMENTAL: this API may change without prior notice.
+ *
+ * Retrieve the basic part of the extended statistics.
+ *
+ * @param dev
+ *  Pointer to struct rte_eth_dev.
+ * @param xstats
+ *   A pointer to a table of structure of type *rte_eth_xstat*
+ *   to be filled with device statistics ids and values.
+ *   This parameter can be set to NULL if n is 0.
+ * @param n
+ *   The size of the xstats array (number of elements).
+ * @return
+ *   - A positive value lower or equal to n: success. The return value
+ *     is the number of entries filled in the stats table.
+ *   - A positive value higher than n: error, the given statistics table
+ *     is too small. The return value corresponds to the size that should
+ *     be given to succeed. The entries in the table are not valid and
+ *     shall not be used by the caller.
+ *   - A negative value on error (invalid port id).
+ */
+__rte_experimental
+int
+rte_eth_basic_stats_get(uint16_t port_id, struct rte_eth_xstat *xstats);
+
+
 /**
  * @warning
  * @b EXPERIMENTAL: this API may change without prior notice.
diff --git a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_version.map b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_version.map
index 6df42a47b89d..df7e83a90603 100644
--- a/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_version.map
+++ b/lib/librte_ethdev/rte_ethdev_version.map
@@ -283,4 +283,9 @@ EXPERIMENTAL {
 
 	# added in 19.08
 	rte_eth_read_clock;
+
+	# added in 19.11
+	rte_eth_basic_stats_count;
+	rte_eth_basic_stats_get;
+	rte_eth_basic_stats_get_names;
 };
