Leases - components of lease cost (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Aug. 31, 2020 USD ($)
Operating lease cost
Fixed	$ 3,332
Variable	761
Finance lease cost
Amortization	40
Interest	56
Sublease income	76
Impairment of right-of-use assets	214
Impairment of finance lease assets	24
Gains on sale-leaseback transactions	308
Transformational Cost Management and Store Optimization Programs \| Lease obligations and other real estate costs
Finance lease cost
Total impairments	$ 177

Amount of impairment loss from right-of-use asset from finance lease.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 25
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121593497&loc=SL77918425-209957

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseImpairmentLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of interest expense on finance lease liability.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121609121&loc=SL77918686-209980

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121603541&loc=SL77918638-209977

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 53
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121568110&loc=SL77918982-209971

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseInterestExpense
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of amortization expense attributable to right-of-use asset from finance lease.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinanceLeaseRightOfUseAssetAmortization
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of single lease cost, calculated by allocation of remaining cost of lease over remaining lease term. Includes, but is not limited to, single lease cost, after impairment of right-of-use asset, calculated by amortization of remaining right-of-use asset and accretion of lease liability.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 53
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121568110&loc=SL77918982-209971

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121609121&loc=SL77918686-209980

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeaseCost
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of loss from impairment of right-of-use asset from operating lease.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 25
-Paragraph 6
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121593497&loc=SL77918431-209957

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OperatingLeaseImpairmentLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of gain (loss) on sale and leaseback transaction from transfer of asset accounted for as sale.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121606570&loc=SL77919786-209982

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 53
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121568110&loc=SL77918982-209971

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (f)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=121609121&loc=SL77918686-209980

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SaleAndLeasebackTransactionGainLossNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of sublease income excluding finance and operating lease expense.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SubleaseIncome
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of variable lease cost, excluded from lease liability, recognized when obligation for payment is incurred for finance and operating leases.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableLeaseCost
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Lessee, Finance Lease, Cost

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	wba_LesseeFinanceLeaseCostAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	wba_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Operating Lease, Cost

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	wba_OperatingLeaseCostAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	wba_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Restructuring Reserve, Other, Non-Cash

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	wba_RestructuringReserveOtherNonCash
Namespace Prefix:	wba_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringPlanAxis=wba_TransformationalCostManagementAndStoreOptimizationProgramsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis=wba_LeaseObligationsandOtherRealEstateCostsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: