CONSOLIDATED SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY STATEMENTS (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Total	Ordinary Shares	Class A Ordinary Shares	Class X Ordinary Shares	Restricted Share Units	Additional Paid-in Capital	Treasury Shares	Retained Earnings	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	Total Accenture plc Shareholder's Equity	Noncontrolling Interests
Beginning Balance at Aug. 31, 2010	$ 3,274,723	$ 57	$ 16	$ 1	$ 973,889	$ 137,883	$ (2,524,137)	$ 4,634,329	$ (386,292)	$ 2,835,746	$ 438,977
Beginning Balance Treasury (in shares) at Aug. 31, 2010							(71,816,000)
Beginning Balance (in shares) at Aug. 31, 2010		40,000	696,815,000	64,985,000
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	2,553,240							2,277,677		2,277,677	275,563
Other comprehensive (loss) income, attributable to Accenture plc	251,912								251,912	251,912
Other comprehensive (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interests	31,778										31,778
Other comprehensive loss	283,690
Income tax benefit on share-based compensation plans	93,772					93,772				93,772
Purchases of Class A ordinary shares	(1,599,734)					137,599	(1,599,734)			(1,462,135)	(137,599)
Purchases of Class A ordinary shares (in shares)							(31,013,000)
Share-based compensation expense	450,137				415,918	34,219				450,137
Purchases/redemptions of Accenture SCA Class I common shares, Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. exchangeable shares and Class X ordinary shares	(572,143)					(515,690)				(515,690)	(56,453)
Purchases/redemptions of Accenture SCA Class I common shares, Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. exchangeable shares and Class X ordinary shares (in shares)				(15,620,000)
Issuances of Class A ordinary shares:
Employee share programs	557,366				(638,085)	616,086	546,297			524,298	33,068
Employee share programs (in shares)			24,144,000				16,427,000
Upon redemption of Accenture SCA Class I common shares										0
Upon redemption of Accenture SCA Class I common shares (in shares)			6,837,000
Dividends	(643,642)				32,555			(610,751)		(578,196)	(65,446)
Other, net	(46,537)					21,168		(19,738)		1,430	(47,967)
Ending Balance at Aug. 31, 2011	4,350,872	57	16	1	784,277	525,037	(3,577,574)	6,281,517	(134,380)	3,878,951	471,921
Ending Balance (in shares) at Aug. 31, 2011		40,000	727,796,000	49,365,000
Ending Balance Treasury (in shares) at Aug. 31, 2011							(86,402,000)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	2,824,933							2,553,510		2,553,510	271,423
Other comprehensive (loss) income, attributable to Accenture plc	(543,768)								(543,768)	(543,768)
Other comprehensive (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(48,603)										(48,603)
Other comprehensive loss	(592,371)
Income tax benefit on share-based compensation plans	113,620					113,620				113,620
Purchases of Class A ordinary shares	(1,960,396)					146,689	(1,960,396)			(1,813,707)	(146,689)
Purchases of Class A ordinary shares (in shares)							(34,316,000)
Share-based compensation expense	538,086				497,531	40,555				538,086
Purchases/redemptions of Accenture SCA Class I common shares, Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. exchangeable shares and Class X ordinary shares	(138,445)					(126,354)				(126,354)	(12,091)
Purchases/redemptions of Accenture SCA Class I common shares, Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. exchangeable shares and Class X ordinary shares (in shares)				(5,993,000)
Issuances of Class A ordinary shares:
Employee share programs	454,387				(465,672)	653,442	252,345			440,115	14,272
Employee share programs (in shares)			13,331,000				8,308,000
Upon redemption of Accenture SCA Class I common shares	0									0
Upon redemption of Accenture SCA Class I common shares (in shares)			4,622,000
Dividends	(950,857)				47,578			(915,929)		(868,351)	(82,506)
Other, net	(15,401)					(11,413)		(14,856)		(26,269)	10,868
Ending Balance at Aug. 31, 2012	4,624,428	57	16	1	863,714	1,341,576	(5,285,625)	7,904,242	(678,148)	4,145,833	478,595
Ending Balance (in shares) at Aug. 31, 2012		40,000	745,749,000	43,372,000
Ending Balance Treasury (in shares) at Aug. 31, 2012							(112,410,000)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	3,554,519							3,281,878		3,281,878	272,641
Other comprehensive (loss) income, attributable to Accenture plc	(374,598)								(374,598)	(374,598)
Other comprehensive (loss) income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(24,762)										(24,762)
Other comprehensive loss	(399,360)
Income tax benefit on share-based compensation plans	204,714					204,714				204,714
Purchases of Class A ordinary shares	(2,326,229)					131,382	(2,326,229)			(2,194,847)	(131,382)
Purchases of Class A ordinary shares (in shares)	(31,297,277)						(31,297,000)
Share-based compensation expense	615,878				572,456	43,422				615,878
Purchases/redemptions of Accenture SCA Class I common shares, Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. exchangeable shares and Class X ordinary shares	(218,123)					(202,262)				(202,262)	(15,861)
Purchases/redemptions of Accenture SCA Class I common shares, Accenture Canada Holdings Inc. exchangeable shares and Class X ordinary shares (in shares)				(13,060,000)
Issuances of Class A ordinary shares:
Employee share programs	515,812		1		(615,740)	816,145	285,775			486,181	29,631
Employee share programs (in shares)			14,534,000				8,408,000
Upon redemption of Accenture SCA Class I common shares	0					50,240				50,240	(50,240)
Upon redemption of Accenture SCA Class I common shares (in shares)			11,019,000
Dividends	(1,121,738)				54,726			(1,097,643)		(1,042,917)	(78,821)
Other, net	(22,072)					8,719		(18,633)		(9,914)	(12,158)
Ending Balance at Aug. 31, 2013	$ 5,427,829	$ 57	$ 17	$ 1	$ 875,156	$ 2,393,936	$ (7,326,079)	$ 10,069,844	$ (1,052,746)	$ 4,960,186	$ 467,643
Ending Balance (in shares) at Aug. 31, 2013		40,000	771,302,000	30,312,000
Ending Balance Treasury (in shares) at Aug. 31, 2013							(135,299,000)