Retirement Programs - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($) multiemployerPlan employee shares	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]
Number of multiemployer plans participated in \| multiemployerPlan	8
Estimated number of union employees in multiemployer plans \| employee	200
Multiemployer plan, contributions by employer, percentage of employee contributions		1.00%	1.00%
Number of plans in red zone \| multiemployerPlan	4
Praxair U.S. Defined Contribution Savings Plans
Retirement Programs - Defined Contribution Plans [Line Items]
Defined contribution plan contributions \| $	$ 51	$ 46	$ 47
Shares of common stock in esops (in shares) \| shares	1,761,608
Praxair International Defined Contribution Savings Plans
Retirement Programs - Defined Contribution Plans [Line Items]
Defined contribution plan contributions \| $	$ 101	$ 106	$ 95

Multiemployer Plan, Contributions By Employer, Percentage Of Employee Contributions

No definition available.

Name:	lin_MultiemployerPlanContributionsByEmployerPercentageOfEmployeeContributions
Namespace Prefix:	lin_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Multiemployer Plans, Certified Zone Status, Number Of Plans, Red Zone

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	lin_MultiemployerPlansCertifiedZoneStatusNumberOfPlansRedZone
Namespace Prefix:	lin_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The number of employees within multiemployer plans

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	lin_NumberOfEmployeeInMultiemployerPlan
Namespace Prefix:	lin_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of multiemployer plans that Praxair participates in.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	lin_NumberOfMultiemployerPlansParticipatedIn
Namespace Prefix:	lin_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

-- None. No documentation exists for this element. -- px_DefinedContributionPlanLineItems

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	lin_RetirementProgramsDefinedContributionPlansLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	lin_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CompensationAndRetirementDisclosureAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of cost for defined contribution plan.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 70
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49170846&loc=d3e28014-114942

+ Details

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

- Definition

Sum of the allocated, committed-to-be-released and suspense shares of the entity held by the plan.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109244661&loc=d3e17540-113929

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EmployeeStockOwnershipPlanESOPSharesInESOP
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RetirementPlanNameAxis=lin_PraxairUsDefinedContributionSavingsPlansMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RetirementPlanNameAxis=lin_PraxairInternationalDefinedContributionSavingsPlansMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: