Derivative Financial Instruments - Offsetting (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Derivative Financial Instruments
Potential reduction in net position of total derivative assets	$ 95	$ 60
Potential reduction in net position of total derivative liabilities	95	60
Cash collateral rehypothecated	3	2
Other receivables
Derivative Financial Instruments
Right to reclaim cash collateral	3	2
Accounts payable
Derivative Financial Instruments
Obligation to return cash collateral	$ 25	$ 38

This item represents the amount of cash collateral rehypothecated as of the balance sheet date.

No definition available.

Name:	ibm_CashCollateralRehypothecated
Namespace Prefix:	ibm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value of financial asset or other contract with one or more underlyings, notional amount or payment provision or both, and the contract can be net settled by means outside the contract or delivery of an asset, elected not to be offset, deducted from derivative assets.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeAssetNotOffsetPolicyElectionDeduction
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of obligation to return cash collateral under master netting arrangements that have not been offset against derivative assets.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 20
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393222&loc=SL20226038-175313

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393222&loc=SL20226016-175313

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (d)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51824906&loc=SL20225862-175312

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=125515794&loc=d3e41678-113959

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeCollateralObligationToReturnCash
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of right to receive cash collateral under master netting arrangements that have not been offset against derivative liabilities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393222&loc=SL20226016-175313

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/exampleRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 20
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393222&loc=SL20226038-175313

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=125515794&loc=d3e41678-113959

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (d)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51824906&loc=SL20225862-175312

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeCollateralRightToReclaimCash
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value of financial liability or contract with one or more underlyings, notional amount or payment provision or both, and the contract can be net settled by means outside the contract or delivery of an asset, elected not to be offset, deducted from derivative liabilities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (d)(1)(i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51824906&loc=SL20225862-175312

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 20
-Section 55
-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393222&loc=SL20226016-175313

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeLiabilityNotOffsetPolicyElectionDeduction
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis=ibm_OtherReceivablesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis=us-gaap_AccountsPayableMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: