Debt and Lines of Credit (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013
Debt Instrument
Total, net of current maturities	$ 3,408,000,000		$ 3,388,000,000
Current portion of long-term debt	55,000,000		9,000,000
Total carrying amount	3,463,000,000		3,397,000,000
Redemption amount	500,000,000	7,700,000,000
Net loss on extinguishment of debt	18,000,000	1,351,000,000
Extinguishment of long-term debt	500,000,000
Principal payments of long-term debt
Principal payments required in 2015	55,000,000
Principal payments required in 2016	8,000,000
Principal payments required in 2017	11,000,000
Principal payments required in 2018	2,000,000
Principal payments required in 2019	1,000,000,000
Principal payments required in 2020 and thereafter	2,400,000,000
Unused lines of credit	5,000,000,000
Weighted-average interest rate on short-term borrowings (as a percent)	0.20%	0.40%	0.20%
AbbVie
Debt Instrument
Long-term debt issued		14,700,000,000
AbbVie | Minimum
Debt Instrument
Maturity period		3 years
AbbVie | Maximum
Debt Instrument
Maturity period		30 years
5.125% Notes, due 2019
Debt Instrument
Total, net of current maturities	947,000,000		947,000,000
Interest rate percentage	5.125%		5.125%
4.125% Notes, due 2020
Debt Instrument
Total, net of current maturities	597,000,000		597,000,000
Interest rate percentage	4.125%		4.125%
6.15% Notes, due 2037
Debt Instrument
Total, net of current maturities	547,000,000		547,000,000
Interest rate percentage	6.15%		6.15%
6.0% Notes, due 2039
Debt Instrument
Total, net of current maturities	515,000,000		515,000,000
Interest rate percentage	6.00%		6.00%
5.3% Notes, due 2040
Debt Instrument
Total, net of current maturities	694,000,000		694,000,000
Interest rate percentage	5.30%		5.30%
Other, including fair value adjustments relating to interest rate hedge contracts designated as fair value hedges
Debt Instrument
Total, net of current maturities	$ 108,000,000		$ 88,000,000