diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index faeccbc936b..54a28deaad2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ This project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.htm
 ### Fixed
 
 - Slice attributes of `attribute` package are now comparable based on their value, not instance. (#3108 #3252)
+- Prometheus exporter will now cumulatively sum histogram buckets. (#3281)
 
 ## [1.11.0/0.32.3] 2022-10-12
 
diff --git a/exporters/prometheus/exporter.go b/exporters/prometheus/exporter.go
index 3fe848f1e03..8b4c7f56114 100644
--- a/exporters/prometheus/exporter.go
+++ b/exporters/prometheus/exporter.go
@@ -145,8 +145,11 @@ func getHistogramMetricData(histogram metricdata.Histogram, m metricdata.Metrics
 		keys, values := getAttrs(dp.Attributes)
 		desc := prometheus.NewDesc(sanitizeName(m.Name), m.Description, keys, nil)
 		buckets := make(map[float64]uint64, len(dp.Bounds))
+
+		cumulativeCount := uint64(0)
 		for i, bound := range dp.Bounds {
-			buckets[bound] = dp.BucketCounts[i]
+			cumulativeCount += dp.BucketCounts[i]
+			buckets[bound] = cumulativeCount
 		}
 		md := &metricData{
 			name:             m.Name,
diff --git a/exporters/prometheus/testdata/histogram.txt b/exporters/prometheus/testdata/histogram.txt
index 3a8422bb573..95f202154a4 100644
--- a/exporters/prometheus/testdata/histogram.txt
+++ b/exporters/prometheus/testdata/histogram.txt
@@ -3,13 +3,13 @@
 histogram_baz_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="0"} 0
 histogram_baz_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="5"} 0
 histogram_baz_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="10"} 1
-histogram_baz_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="25"} 1
-histogram_baz_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="50"} 0
-histogram_baz_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="75"} 0
-histogram_baz_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="100"} 0
-histogram_baz_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="250"} 2
-histogram_baz_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="500"} 0
-histogram_baz_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="1000"} 0
+histogram_baz_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="25"} 2
+histogram_baz_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="50"} 2
+histogram_baz_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="75"} 2
+histogram_baz_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="100"} 2
+histogram_baz_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="250"} 4
+histogram_baz_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="500"} 4
+histogram_baz_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="1000"} 4
 histogram_baz_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="+Inf"} 4
 histogram_baz_sum{A="B",C="D"} 236
 histogram_baz_count{A="B",C="D"} 4
diff --git a/exporters/prometheus/testdata/sanitized_names.txt b/exporters/prometheus/testdata/sanitized_names.txt
index 0158d17aeb6..509055705a3 100644
--- a/exporters/prometheus/testdata/sanitized_names.txt
+++ b/exporters/prometheus/testdata/sanitized_names.txt
@@ -13,17 +13,17 @@ invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="0"} 0
 invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="5"} 0
 invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="10"} 0
 invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="25"} 1
-invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="50"} 0
-invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="75"} 0
-invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="100"} 0
-invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="250"} 0
-invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="500"} 0
-invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="750"} 0
-invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="1000"} 0
-invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="2500"} 0
-invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="5000"} 0
-invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="7500"} 0
-invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="10000"} 0
+invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="50"} 1
+invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="75"} 1
+invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="100"} 1
+invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="250"} 1
+invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="500"} 1
+invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="750"} 1
+invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="1000"} 1
+invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="2500"} 1
+invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="5000"} 1
+invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="7500"} 1
+invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="10000"} 1
 invalid_hist_name_bucket{A="B",C="D",le="+Inf"} 1
 invalid_hist_name_sum{A="B",C="D"} 23
 invalid_hist_name_count{A="B",C="D"} 1