Retirement Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

General Discussion of Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits [Abstract]

Schedule of Defined Contribution Retirement Plan

	2013			2012			2011
Defined contribution retirement plan expense	$	132		$	112		$	106
Defined contribution plan expense funded with Stryker common stock	16			15			12
Stryker common stock held by defined contribution plan
Dollar amount	150			104			91
Shares (in millions of shares)	2.0			1.9			1.8
Value as a percentage of total plan assets	9		%	9		%	9		%

Schedule of Funded Status and Components of the Amounts Recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets and in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Gain (Loss), Before the Effect of Income Taxes

Obligations and Funded Status	December 31
	2013			2012
Funded status
Fair value of plan assets	$	281		$	254
Benefit obligations	456			447
Funded status	$	(175	)	$	(193	)
Amounts recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets
Current liabilities—accrued compensation	(1		)	(1		)
Noncurrent liabilities—other liabilities	(174		)	(192		)
Pre-tax amounts recognized in AOCI
Unrecognized net actuarial loss	$	(115	)	$	(150	)
Unrecognized prior service cost	12			12
	$	(103	)	$	(138	)

Schedule of Company's Defined Benefit Pension Plans

Change in Benefit Obligations and Plan Assets	December 31
	2013			2012
Change in projected benefit obligations:
Projected benefit obligations at beginning of year	$	447		$	316
Service cost	30			21
Interest cost	13			13
Foreign exchange impact	2			2
Employee contributions	6			6
Actuarial (gains) losses	(29		)	110
Plan amendments	(1		)	(1		)
Benefits paid	(12		)	(20		)
Projected benefit obligations at end of year	$	456		$	447
Accumulated benefit obligations at end of year	427			$	417
	December 31
	2013			2012
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	254			210
Actual return	11			33
Employer contributions	20			21
Employee contributions	6			6
Foreign exchange impact	1			2
Benefits paid	(11		)	(18		)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	281		$	254

Schedule of Net Periodic Benefit Cost and Other Changes in Plan Assets and Benefit Obligations Recognized n Other Comprehensive Gain (Loss), Before the Effect of Income Taxes

	2013			2012			2011
Net periodic benefit cost:
Service cost	$	(30	)	$	(21	)	$	(20	)
Interest cost	(13		)	(13		)	(13		)
Expected return on plan assets	10			9			10
Amortization of prior service cost and transition amount	1			1			—
Recognized actuarial loss	(8		)	(5		)	(2		)
Net periodic benefit cost	(40		)	(29		)	(25		)
Other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations, recognized in OCI:
Net actuarial gain (loss)	28			(87		)	(10		)
Recognized net actuarial loss	8			5			2
Prior service cost and transition amount	(1		)	—			12
Total recognized in OCI	35			(82		)	4
Total recognized in net periodic benefit cost and OCI	$	(5	)	$	(111	)	$	(21	)
Assumptions
Weighted-average rates used in the determination of net periodic benefit cost:
Discount rate	2.9		%	4.2		%	4.2		%
Expected return on plan assets	3.7		%	4.2		%	4.6		%
Rate of compensation increase	3.0		%	3.0		%	1.5		%
Weighted-average discount rate used in the determination of the projected benefit obligations	3.2		%	2.9		%	4.2		%

Schedule of Weighted-Average Allocation of Plan Assets by Asset Category and of Weighted-Average Target Investment Allocation Ranges fro the Plans

	Target		December 31
	2013		2013		2012
Equity securities	31.8	%	33.5	%	31.2	%
Debt securities	50.0		45.5		47.9
Other	18.2		21.0		20.9
	100.0	%	100.0	%	100.0	%

Schedule of Valuation of the Company's Pension Plan Assets by Pricing Categories

	Total				(Level 1)				(Level 2)				(Level 3)
	2013		2012		2013		2012		2013		2012		2013		2012
Cash and cash equivalents	$	10	5		$	10	$	5	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
Equity securities	94		100		94		100		—		—		—		—
Corporate debt securities	128		93		127		93		2		—		—		—
Other	49		56		18		22		8		11		22		23
Total	$	281	$	254	$	249	$	220	$	10	$	11	$	22	$	23

Schedule of Rollforward of Pension Plan Assets Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis Using Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)

	2013			2012
Balance at January 1	$	23		$	17
Actual return on plan assets held at the reporting date	—			—
Purchases, sales, and settlements	(1		)	6
Balance at December 31	$	22		$	23

Estimated Future Benefit Payments, which Reflect Expected Future Service

	2014		2015		2016		2017		2018		2019-2023
Expected benefit payments	$	16	$	15	$	15	$	15	$	15	$	81