diff --git a/backend/Dockerfile b/backend/Dockerfile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..47a53a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+FROM python:3.11-slim
+
+WORKDIR /app
+
+# Install system dependencies
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
+    gcc \
+    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
+
+# Copy requirements first for better caching
+COPY requirements.txt .
+
+# Install Python dependencies
+RUN pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt
+
+# Copy application code
+COPY . .
+
+# Expose port
+EXPOSE 8000
+
+# Run the application
+CMD ["uvicorn", "app.main:app", "--host", "0.0.0.0", "--port", "8000", "--reload"]