Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders' Equity - USD ($) $ in Millions	Total	Capital Stock	Treasury Stock	Retained Earnings	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Greif, Inc. Equity	Noncontrolling interests
Beginning balance (shares) at Oct. 31, 2014		47,724,000	29,118,000
Beginning balance, value at Oct. 31, 2014	$ 1,223.2	$ 135.5	$ (130.7)	$ 1,411.7	$ (274.4)	$ 1,142.1	$ 81.1
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	67.2			71.9		71.9	(4.7)
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation	(130.9)				(112.1)	(112.1)	(18.8)
Interest rate derivative, net of income tax expense of $3.1 million	0.1				0.1	0.1
Minimum pension liability adjustment, net of income tax expense	9.0				9.0	9.0
Comprehensive income (loss)	(54.6)					(31.1)
Acquisitions of noncontrolling interests and other	(9.7)			(0.4)		(0.4)	(9.3)
Dividends paid	(98.7)			(98.7)		(98.7)
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interest	$ (4.0)						(4.0)
Stock options exercised (shares)	10,000	10,000	(10,000)
Stock options exercised	$ 0.2	$ 0.2	$ 0.0			0.2
Restricted stock executives and directors (shares)		30,000	(30,000)
Restricted stock executives and directors	1.3	$ 1.3	$ 0.0			1.3
Tax benefit of stock options and other	0.2	$ 0.2				0.2
Long-term incentive shares issued (shares)		50,000	(50,000)
Long-term incentive shares issued	2.0	$ 1.9	$ 0.1			2.0
Ending balance (shares) at Oct. 31, 2015		47,814,000	29,028,000
Ending balance, value at Oct. 31, 2015	1,059.9	$ 139.1	$ (130.6)	1,384.5	(377.4)	1,015.6	44.3
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	75.5			74.9		74.9	0.6
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation	(17.6)				(13.6)	(13.6)	(4.0)
Interest rate derivative, net of income tax expense of $3.1 million	0.0
Minimum pension liability adjustment, net of income tax expense	(7.4)				(7.4)	(7.4)
Comprehensive income (loss)	50.5					53.9
Acquisitions of noncontrolling interests and other	(0.4)						(0.4)
Dividends paid	(98.7)			(98.7)		(98.7)
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interest	$ (3.9)						(3.9)
Stock options exercised (shares)	0
Restricted stock executives and directors (shares)		47,000	(47,000)
Restricted stock executives and directors	$ 1.4	$ 1.3	$ 0.1			1.4
Long-term incentive shares issued (shares)		41,000	(41,000)
Long-term incentive shares issued	1.1	$ 1.0	$ 0.1			1.1
Out of period mark to redemption value of redeemable noncontrolling interest	(19.8)			(19.8)		(19.8)
Current period mark to redemption value of redeemable noncontrolling interest	(2.1)			(2.1)		(2.1)
Reclassification of redeemable noncontrolling interests	(21.6)			1.2		1.2	(22.8)
Net (loss) allocated to redeemable noncontrolling interests	(4.8)						(4.8)
Contributions from noncontrolling interest	1.5						1.5
Treasury shares acquired (shares)		(110,000)	110,000
Treasury shares acquired	(5.2)		$ (5.2)			(5.2)
Ending balance (shares) at Oct. 31, 2016		47,792,000	29,050,000
Ending balance, value at Oct. 31, 2016	957.9	$ 141.4	$ (135.6)	1,340.0	(398.4)	947.4	10.5
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	135.1			118.6		118.6	16.5
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Foreign currency translation	37.6				20.9	20.9	16.7
Interest rate derivative, net of income tax expense of $3.1 million	5.1				5.1	5.1
Minimum pension liability adjustment, net of income tax expense	14.2				14.2	14.2
Comprehensive income (loss)	192.0					158.8
Dividends paid	(98.6)			(98.6)		(98.6)
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interest	$ (3.1)						(3.1)
Stock options exercised (shares)	0
Restricted stock executives and directors (shares)		24,000	(24,000)
Restricted stock executives and directors	$ 1.3	$ 1.3				1.3
Long-term incentive shares issued (shares)		29,000	(29,000)
Long-term incentive shares issued	1.4	$ 1.5	$ (0.1)			1.4
Current period mark to redemption value of redeemable noncontrolling interest	0.5			0.5		0.5
Net (loss) allocated to redeemable noncontrolling interests	(1.4)						(1.4)
Treasury shares acquired (shares)		(2,000)	2,000
Treasury shares acquired	0.1		$ 0.1			0.1
Deconsolidation of noncontrolling interest	(2.6)						(2.6)
Ending balance (shares) at Oct. 31, 2017		47,843,000	28,999,000
Ending balance, value at Oct. 31, 2017	$ 1,047.5	$ 144.2	$ (135.6)	$ 1,360.5	$ (358.2)	$ 1,010.9	$ 36.6