EARNINGS PER SHARE CALCULATIONS (Earnings Per Share Calculation - Basic) (Details) - $ / shares		3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016		Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net income attributable to The Dow Chemical Company, basic			$ 0.73			$ 3.86
Preferred stock dividends, basic		$ 0	(0.07)	[1]	$ 0	(0.23)	[1]
Net income attributable to participating securities	[2]		(0.02)			(0.02)
Net income attributable to common stockholders, basic			$ 0.64			$ 3.61

[1] On December 30, 2016, the Company converted its outstanding shares of Cumulative Convertible Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series A ("Preferred Stock") into shares of the Company's common stock. As a result of this conversion, no shares of Preferred Stock are issued or outstanding.

[2] Deferred stock awards are considered participating securities due to Dow's practice of paying dividend equivalents on unvested shares.