Condensed Combining Financial Information - Condensed Combining Statement of Comprehensive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2017
Net sales	$ 2,197	$ 1,901
Cost of products sold, excluding depreciation and amortization	1,808	1,531
Depreciation and amortization	65	59
Selling and administrative expense	90	90
Restructuring and other	13	(4)
Income from operations	221	225
Other pension and postretirement	(17)	(12)
Foreign exchange	18	(1)
Income before income taxes	152	179
Provision for / (benefit from) income taxes	39	46
Net income	113	133
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(23)	(26)
Net income attributable to Crown Holdings	90	107
Total comprehensive income	174	273
Comprehensive income attributable to Crown Holdings	150	246
Crown Americas, LLC
Net sales	2,197	1,901
Cost of products sold, excluding depreciation and amortization	1,808	1,531
Depreciation and amortization	65	59
Selling and administrative expense	90	90
Restructuring and other	13	(4)
Income from operations	221	225
Other pension and postretirement	(17)	(12)
Net interest expense	68	59
Foreign exchange	18	(1)
Income before income taxes	152	179
Provision for / (benefit from) income taxes	39	46
Equity earnings / (loss) in affiliates	0	0
Net income	113	133
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(23)	(26)
Net income attributable to Crown Holdings	90	107
Total comprehensive income	174	273
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(24)	(27)
Comprehensive income attributable to Crown Holdings	150	246
Crown Americas, LLC | Parent
Net sales
Cost of products sold, excluding depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization
Selling and administrative expense
Restructuring and other
Income from operations
Other pension and postretirement
Net interest expense
Technology royalty
Foreign exchange
Provision for / (benefit from) income taxes
Equity earnings / (loss) in affiliates	90	107
Net income	90	107
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests
Net income attributable to Crown Holdings	90	107
Total comprehensive income	150	246
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests
Comprehensive income attributable to Crown Holdings	150	246
Crown Americas, LLC | Issuer
Net sales
Cost of products sold, excluding depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization
Selling and administrative expense	2	2
Restructuring and other	3
Income from operations	(5)	(2)
Other pension and postretirement
Net interest expense	23	17
Technology royalty
Foreign exchange	56	10
Income before income taxes	(84)	(29)
Provision for / (benefit from) income taxes	(20)	(11)
Equity earnings / (loss) in affiliates	56	49
Net income	(8)	31
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests
Net income attributable to Crown Holdings	(8)	31
Total comprehensive income	(7)	35
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests
Comprehensive income attributable to Crown Holdings	(7)	35
Crown Americas, LLC | Guarantors
Net sales	514	445
Cost of products sold, excluding depreciation and amortization	432	371
Depreciation and amortization	11	10
Selling and administrative expense	33	33
Restructuring and other	2	1
Income from operations	36	30
Other pension and postretirement	(5)	(10)
Net interest expense	21	21
Technology royalty	(11)	(9)
Foreign exchange	(1)
Income before income taxes	32	28
Provision for / (benefit from) income taxes	9	8
Equity earnings / (loss) in affiliates	55	67
Net income	78	87
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests
Net income attributable to Crown Holdings	78	87
Total comprehensive income	47	130
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests
Comprehensive income attributable to Crown Holdings	47	130
Crown Americas, LLC | Non- Guarantors
Net sales	1,683	1,456
Cost of products sold, excluding depreciation and amortization	1,376	1,160
Depreciation and amortization	54	49
Selling and administrative expense	55	55
Restructuring and other	8	(5)
Income from operations	190	197
Other pension and postretirement	(12)	(2)
Net interest expense	24	21
Technology royalty	11	9
Foreign exchange	19	(1)
Income before income taxes	148	170
Provision for / (benefit from) income taxes	37	45
Equity earnings / (loss) in affiliates
Net income	111	125
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(23)	(26)
Net income attributable to Crown Holdings	88	99
Total comprehensive income	214	271
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(24)	(27)
Comprehensive income attributable to Crown Holdings	190	244
Crown Cork & Seal Company Inc.
Net sales	2,197	1,901
Cost of products sold, excluding depreciation and amortization	1,808	1,531
Depreciation and amortization	65	59
Selling and administrative expense	90	90
Restructuring and other	13	(4)
Income from operations	221	225
Other pension and postretirement	(17)	(12)
Net interest expense	68	59
Foreign exchange	18	(1)
Income before income taxes	152	179
Provision for / (benefit from) income taxes	39	46
Equity earnings / (loss) in affiliates	0	0
Net income	113	133
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(23)	(26)
Net income attributable to Crown Holdings	90	107
Total comprehensive income	174	273
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(24)	(27)
Comprehensive income attributable to Crown Holdings	150	246
Crown Cork & Seal Company Inc. | Parent
Net sales
Cost of products sold, excluding depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization
Selling and administrative expense
Restructuring and other
Other pension and postretirement
Net interest expense
Foreign exchange
Provision for / (benefit from) income taxes
Equity earnings / (loss) in affiliates	90	107
Net income	90	107
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests
Net income attributable to Crown Holdings	90	107
Total comprehensive income	150	246
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests
Comprehensive income attributable to Crown Holdings	150	246
Crown Cork & Seal Company Inc. | Issuer
Net sales
Cost of products sold, excluding depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization
Selling and administrative expense	2	2
Restructuring and other
Income from operations	(2)	(2)
Other pension and postretirement
Net interest expense	19	20
Foreign exchange
Income before income taxes	(21)	(22)
Provision for / (benefit from) income taxes	(4)	(10)
Equity earnings / (loss) in affiliates	95	99
Net income	78	87
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests
Net income attributable to Crown Holdings	78	87
Total comprehensive income	47	130
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests
Comprehensive income attributable to Crown Holdings	47	130
Crown Cork & Seal Company Inc. | Non- Guarantors
Net sales	2,197	1,901
Cost of products sold, excluding depreciation and amortization	1,808	1,531
Depreciation and amortization	65	59
Selling and administrative expense	88	88
Restructuring and other	13	(4)
Income from operations	223	227
Other pension and postretirement	(17)	(12)
Net interest expense	49	39
Foreign exchange	18	(1)
Income before income taxes	173	201
Provision for / (benefit from) income taxes	43	56
Equity earnings / (loss) in affiliates
Net income	130	145
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(23)	(26)
Net income attributable to Crown Holdings	107	119
Total comprehensive income	191	285
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(24)	(27)
Comprehensive income attributable to Crown Holdings	167	258
Eliminations | Crown Americas, LLC
Net sales
Cost of products sold, excluding depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization
Selling and administrative expense
Restructuring and other
Other pension and postretirement
Net interest expense
Technology royalty
Foreign exchange	(56)	(10)
Income before income taxes	56	10
Provision for / (benefit from) income taxes	13	4
Equity earnings / (loss) in affiliates	(201)	(223)
Net income	(158)	(217)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests
Net income attributable to Crown Holdings	(158)	(217)
Total comprehensive income	(230)	(409)
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests
Comprehensive income attributable to Crown Holdings	(230)	(409)
Eliminations | Crown Cork & Seal Company Inc.
Net sales
Cost of products sold, excluding depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization
Selling and administrative expense
Restructuring and other
Other pension and postretirement
Net interest expense
Foreign exchange
Income before income taxes
Provision for / (benefit from) income taxes
Equity earnings / (loss) in affiliates	(185)	(206)
Net income	(185)	(206)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests
Net income attributable to Crown Holdings	(185)	(206)
Total comprehensive income	(214)	(388)
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests
Comprehensive income attributable to Crown Holdings	$ (214)	$ (388)