Segments of Business and Geographic Areas - Schedule of Segment Reporting Information (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 02, 2022 USD ($) Segment	Jan. 03, 2021 USD ($)	Dec. 29, 2019 USD ($) Segment	Oct. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Earnings before provision for taxes on income	$ 22,776	$ 16,497	$ 17,328
Identifiable Assets	182,018	174,894
Additions to Property, Plant & Equipment	3,652	3,347	3,498
Depreciation and Amortization	7,390	7,231	7,009
Sales to Customers	$ 93,775	82,584	$ 82,059
Number of segments | Segment	3		3
Restructuring charges	$ 252	247	$ 266
In-process research and development	900	181	890
Contingent consideration reversal	0	(1,148)	0
AdvancedSterilizationProducts
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on divestiture			$ 2,000
Property, Plant and Equipment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-Lived Assets	18,962	18,766
Other Intangible Assets
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-Lived Assets	81,638	$ 89,795
Pending Litigation
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Loss contingency, estimate of possible loss				$ 5,000	$ 4,000
Auris Health
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Contingent consideration reversal	$ (1,148)
Wholesaler 1 | Sales Revenue, Net | Wholesaler Concentration Risk
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Concentration risk (as a percent)	14.00%	16.00%	15.00%
Wholesaler 2 | Sales Revenue, Net | Wholesaler Concentration Risk
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Concentration risk (as a percent)	11.00%	12.00%	12.00%
Wholesaler 3 | Sales Revenue, Net | Wholesaler Concentration Risk
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Concentration risk (as a percent)	11.00%	12.00%	11.00%
United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales to Customers	$ 47,156	$ 43,133	$ 42,097
Consumer Health
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales to Customers	14,635	14,053	13,898
Litigation expense	1,600	3,900	400
Restructuring charges	100		100
Consumer Health | Ci:z Holdings Co. Ltd.
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on sale of equity investments			300
Consumer Health | United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales to Customers	6,516	6,362	5,839
Pharmaceutical
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales to Customers	52,080	45,572	42,198
Litigation expense	600	800	4,300
Restructuring charges	100	100	100
Gain (loss) on divestiture	600
Marketable securities, realized gain (loss)	500
In-process research and development			900
Research and development expense			300
Pharmaceutical | Auris Health
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Acquisition related costs			100
Pharmaceutical | Actelion
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Acquisition related costs			200
Pharmaceutical | United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales to Customers	27,954	25,735	23,874
Medical Devices
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales to Customers	27,060	22,959	25,963
Litigation expense	100	300	400
Restructuring charges	300	300	400
In-process research and development	900	200
Regulation charge	200	100
Medical Devices | Auris Health | Other Income
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Contingent consideration reversal		(1,100)
Medical Devices | United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales to Customers	12,686	11,036	12,384
Segments Total
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Identifiable Assets	142,829	143,091
Additions to Property, Plant & Equipment	3,462	3,091	3,190
Depreciation and Amortization	7,074	6,931	6,689
Corporate, Non-Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Less: Expense not allocated to segments	1,072	945	835
Other Non Long Lived Assets	81,418	66,333
Corporate, Non-Segment | General Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Identifiable Assets	39,189	31,803
Additions to Property, Plant & Equipment	190	256	308
Depreciation and Amortization	316	300	320
Long-Lived Assets	1,014	1,029
Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Earnings before provision for taxes on income	23,848	17,442	18,163
Sales to Customers	93,775	82,584	82,059
Long-Lived Assets	99,586	107,532
Operating Segments | United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales to Customers	47,156	43,133	42,097
Long-Lived Assets	48,586	49,951
Operating Segments | Europe
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales to Customers	23,594	18,980	18,466
Long-Lived Assets	43,257	49,363
Operating Segments | Western Hemisphere excluding U.S.
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales to Customers	5,750	5,335	5,941
Long-Lived Assets	2,708	2,734
Operating Segments | Asia-Pacific, Africa
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales to Customers	17,275	15,136	15,555
Long-Lived Assets	5,035	5,484
Operating Segments | Consumer Health
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Earnings before provision for taxes on income	1,294	(1,064)	2,061
Identifiable Assets	25,081	27,355
Additions to Property, Plant & Equipment	331	248	328
Depreciation and Amortization	759	785	765
Operating Segments | Pharmaceutical
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Earnings before provision for taxes on income	18,181	15,462	8,816
Identifiable Assets	64,376	66,158
Additions to Property, Plant & Equipment	1,198	863	950
Depreciation and Amortization	4,029	4,006	3,910
Unrealized gain (loss) on securities		500	600
Operating Segments | Medical Devices
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Earnings before provision for taxes on income	4,373	3,044	7,286
Identifiable Assets	53,372	49,578
Additions to Property, Plant & Equipment	1,933	1,980	1,912
Depreciation and Amortization	2,286	2,140	2,014
Operating Segments | Medical Devices | AdvancedSterilizationProducts
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on divestiture			2,000
Immunology | Pharmaceutical
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales to Customers	16,750	15,055	13,950
Immunology | Pharmaceutical | United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales to Customers	$ 10,843	$ 10,175	$ 9,641