CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Current assets
Cash	$ 312	$ 543	$ 323	$ 268
Short-term investments	525	203
Accounts receivable - net	3,813	3,560
Intercompany accounts receivable	0	0
Inventory	2,393	2,254
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	444	381
Total current assets	7,487	6,941
Property, plant and equipment - net	3,530	3,443
Other noncurrent assets
Goodwill	13,478	13,201
Other intangible assets	5,410	5,514
Deferred income taxes	443	360
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany loans receivables	0	0
Other assets	1,007	960
Total assets	31,355	30,419
Liabilities and shareholders’ equity
Short-term debt	846	14
Current portion of long-term debt	1,495	1,552
Accounts payable	1,885	1,718
Intercompany accounts payable	0	0
Accrued compensation	338	379
Other current liabilities	1,745	1,822
Total current liabilities	6,309	5,485
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	6,264	6,711
Pension liabilities	1,578	1,659
Other postretirement benefits liabilities	364	368
Deferred income taxes	316	321
Intercompany loans payable	0	0
Other noncurrent liabilities	930	934
Total noncurrent liabilities	9,452	9,993
Shareholders’ equity
Eaton shareholders' equity	15,552	14,897
Noncontrolling interests	42	44
Total equity	15,594	14,941
Total liabilities and equity	31,355	30,419
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Current assets
Cash	0	0	0	0
Short-term investments	0	0
Accounts receivable - net	0	0
Intercompany accounts receivable	(7,874)	(8,615)
Inventory	(81)	(79)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	27	25
Total current assets	(7,928)	(8,669)
Property, plant and equipment - net	0	0
Other noncurrent assets
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(727)	(772)
Investment in subsidiaries	(135,594)	(132,053)
Intercompany loans receivables	(67,695)	(66,264)
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(211,944)	(207,758)
Liabilities and shareholders’ equity
Short-term debt	0	0
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany accounts payable	(7,874)	(8,615)
Accrued compensation	0	0
Other current liabilities	(2)	(2)
Total current liabilities	(7,876)	(8,617)
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	0	0
Pension liabilities	0	0
Other postretirement benefits liabilities	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(727)	(772)
Intercompany loans payable	(67,695)	(66,264)
Other noncurrent liabilities	0	0
Total noncurrent liabilities	(68,422)	(67,036)
Shareholders’ equity
Eaton shareholders' equity	(135,651)	(132,111)
Noncontrolling interests	5	6
Total equity	(135,646)	(132,105)
Total liabilities and equity	(211,944)	(207,758)
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets
Cash	288	446	314	235
Short-term investments	525	203
Accounts receivable - net	2,119	1,975
Intercompany accounts receivable	3,596	3,633
Inventory	1,487	1,349
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	261	237
Total current assets	8,276	7,843
Property, plant and equipment - net	1,991	1,880
Other noncurrent assets
Goodwill	5,830	5,553
Other intangible assets	1,897	1,903
Deferred income taxes	243	228
Investment in subsidiaries	12,886	12,577
Intercompany loans receivables	57,519	56,598
Other assets	362	335
Total assets	89,004	86,917
Liabilities and shareholders’ equity
Short-term debt	35	6
Current portion of long-term debt	3	6
Accounts payable	1,162	1,093
Intercompany accounts payable	1,213	1,349
Accrued compensation	218	223
Other current liabilities	910	941
Total current liabilities	3,541	3,618
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	8	8
Pension liabilities	910	888
Other postretirement benefits liabilities	72	71
Deferred income taxes	363	361
Intercompany loans payable	1,442	1,252
Other noncurrent liabilities	384	396
Total noncurrent liabilities	3,179	2,976
Shareholders’ equity
Eaton shareholders' equity	82,247	80,285
Noncontrolling interests	37	38
Total equity	82,284	80,323
Total liabilities and equity	89,004	86,917
Guarantors [Member]
Current assets
Cash	5	4	5	7
Short-term investments	0	0
Accounts receivable - net	1,169	1,049
Intercompany accounts receivable	3,524	4,023
Inventory	655	642
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	48	42
Total current assets	5,401	5,760
Property, plant and equipment - net	696	706
Other noncurrent assets
Goodwill	6,293	6,293
Other intangible assets	3,351	3,442
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	74,853	72,938
Intercompany loans receivables	2,481	2,061
Other assets	141	134
Total assets	93,216	91,334
Liabilities and shareholders’ equity
Short-term debt	0	8
Current portion of long-term debt	36	296
Accounts payable	266	252
Intercompany accounts payable	3,213	3,115
Accrued compensation	42	58
Other current liabilities	300	291
Total current liabilities	3,857	4,020
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	946	936
Pension liabilities	137	161
Other postretirement benefits liabilities	98	99
Deferred income taxes	680	732
Intercompany loans payable	45,618	44,788
Other noncurrent liabilities	225	211
Total noncurrent liabilities	47,704	46,927
Shareholders’ equity
Eaton shareholders' equity	41,655	40,387
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	41,655	40,387
Total liabilities and equity	93,216	91,334
Eaton Corporation [Member]
Current assets
Cash	19	92	4	26
Short-term investments	0	0
Accounts receivable - net	525	536
Intercompany accounts receivable	752	954
Inventory	332	342
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	108	77
Total current assets	1,736	2,001
Property, plant and equipment - net	843	857
Other noncurrent assets
Goodwill	1,355	1,355
Other intangible assets	162	169
Deferred income taxes	927	904
Investment in subsidiaries	13,827	13,743
Intercompany loans receivables	7,695	7,605
Other assets	504	491
Total assets	27,049	27,125
Liabilities and shareholders’ equity
Short-term debt	811	0
Current portion of long-term debt	1,456	1,250
Accounts payable	457	372
Intercompany accounts payable	3,232	3,870
Accrued compensation	78	98
Other current liabilities	536	591
Total current liabilities	6,570	6,181
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	5,310	5,767
Pension liabilities	531	610
Other postretirement benefits liabilities	194	198
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	2,374	2,603
Other noncurrent liabilities	321	327
Total noncurrent liabilities	8,730	9,505
Shareholders’ equity
Eaton shareholders' equity	11,749	11,439
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	11,749	11,439
Total liabilities and equity	27,049	27,125
Eaton Corporation plc [Member]
Current assets
Cash	0	1	$ 0	$ 0
Short-term investments	0	0
Accounts receivable - net	0	0
Intercompany accounts receivable	2	5
Inventory	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	2	6
Property, plant and equipment - net	0	0
Other noncurrent assets
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Investment in subsidiaries	34,028	32,795
Intercompany loans receivables	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	34,030	32,801
Liabilities and shareholders’ equity
Short-term debt	0	0
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	0	1
Intercompany accounts payable	216	281
Accrued compensation	0	0
Other current liabilities	1	1
Total current liabilities	217	283
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	0	0
Pension liabilities	0	0
Other postretirement benefits liabilities	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	18,261	17,621
Other noncurrent liabilities	0	0
Total noncurrent liabilities	18,261	17,621
Shareholders’ equity
Eaton shareholders' equity	15,552	14,897
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	15,552	14,897
Total liabilities and equity	$ 34,030	$ 32,801