CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Millions	Common Stock [Member]	Treasury Stock Amount [Member]	Pain-In Capital [Member]	Employee Stock Loan Receivable [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests [Member]	Total
Beginning Balance at Aug. 31, 2013	$ 80	$ (3,114)	$ 1,074	$ (11)	$ (92)	$ 21,621	$ 0	$ 19,558
Beginning Balance (in shares) at Aug. 31, 2013	946,595,578
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net earnings	$ 0	0	0	0	0	1,932	99	2,031
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	0	0	0	0	228	0	0	228
Dividends declared	0	0	0	0	0	(1,226)	0	(1,226)
Treasury stock purchases	$ 0	(705)	0	0	0	0	0	(705)
Treasury stock purchases (in shares)	(11,810,351)
Employee stock purchase and option plans	$ 0	622	(16)	0	0	0	0	606
Employee stock purchase and option plans (in shares)	15,601,662
Stock-based compensation	$ 0	0	114	0	0	0	0	114
Employee stock loan receivable	0	0	0	6	0	0	0	6
Other	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	5
Ending Balance at Aug. 31, 2014	$ 80	(3,197)	1,172	(5)	136	22,327	104	20,617
Ending Balance (in shares) at Aug. 31, 2014	950,386,889
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net earnings	$ 0	0	0	0	0	4,220	59	4,279
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	0	0	0	0	(350)	0	(6)	(356)
Dividends declared	0	0	0	0	0	(1,458)	0	(1,458)
Exchange of Walgreen Co. shares for Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. shares	(69)	0	69	0	0	0	0	0
Issuance of shares for Alliance Boots acquisition	$ 1	0	10,976	0	0	0	0	10,977
Issuance of shares for Alliance Boots acquisition (in shares)	144,333,468
Treasury stock purchases	$ 0	(1,226)	0	0	0	0	0	(1,226)
Treasury stock purchases (in shares)	(16,250,190)
Employee stock purchase and option plans	$ 0	446	56	0	0	0	0	502
Employee stock purchase and option plans (in shares)	11,440,177
Stock-based compensation	$ 0	0	109	0	0	0	0	109
Acquisition of noncontrolling interest	0	0	(2,429)	0	0	0	(130)	(2,559)
Employee stock loan receivable	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	3
Noncontrolling interests in businesses acquired	0	0	0	0	0	0	412	412
Ending Balance at Aug. 31, 2015	$ 12	(3,977)	9,953	(2)	(214)	25,089	439	31,300
Ending Balance (in shares) at Aug. 31, 2015	1,089,910,344
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net earnings	$ 0	0	0	0	0	4,173	18	4,191
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	0	0	0	0	(2,778)	0	(56)	(2,834)
Dividends declared	0	0	0	0	0	(1,578)	0	(1,578)
Treasury stock purchases	$ 0	(1,152)	0	0	0	0	0	(1,152)
Treasury stock purchases (in shares)	(13,815,558)
Employee stock purchase and option plans	$ 0	195	43	0	0	0	0	238
Employee stock purchase and option plans (in shares)	6,891,805
Stock-based compensation	$ 0	0	115	0	0	0	0	115
Employee stock loan receivable	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1
Ending Balance at Aug. 31, 2016	$ 12	$ (4,934)	$ 10,111	$ (1)	$ (2,992)	$ 27,684	$ 401	$ 30,281
Ending Balance (in shares) at Aug. 31, 2016	1,082,986,591