Retirement Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]

Net Periodic Pension Expense For Qualified And Nonqualified U.S. Defined Benefit Plans [Table Text Block]

Net periodic pension expense for qualified and nonqualified U.S. and non-U.S. defined benefit plans comprised the following:

				2015						2014						2013
In millions	U.S. Plans			Non- U.S. Plans			U.S. Plans			Non- U.S. Plans			U.S. Plans			Non- U.S. Plans
Service cost	$	161		$	6		$	145		$	5		$	188		$	4
Interest cost	597			10			600			13			576			11
Expected return on plan assets	(783		)	(11		)	(762		)	(14		)	(738		)	(11		)
Actuarial loss / (gain)	428			1			374			—			485			1
Amortization of prior service cost	43			—			30			—			34			—
Curtailment gain	—			—			—			(4		)	—			—
Settlement loss	15			—			—			—			—			—
Net periodic pension expense (a)	$	461		$	6		$	387		$	—		$	545		$	5

(a) Excludes $1 million in curtailments in 2014 related to the pension freeze remeasurement that were recorded in restructuring and other charges.

Pension Allocations By Type Of Fund And Target Allocations [Table Text Block]

International Paper’s U.S. pension allocations by type of fund at December 31, and target allocations were as follows:

Asset Class	2015		2014		Target Allocations
Equity accounts	48	%	47	%	43% - 54%
Fixed income accounts	33	%	33	%	25% - 35%
Real estate accounts	10	%	10	%	7% - 13%
Other	9	%	10	%	8% - 17%
Total	100	%	100	%

Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

The fair values of International Paper’s pension plan assets at December 31, 2015 and 2014 by asset class are shown below. Plan assets included an immaterial amount of International Paper common stock at December 31, 2015 and 2014. Hedge funds disclosed in the following table are allocated equally between equity and fixed income accounts for target allocation purposes.

Fair Value Measurement at December 31, 2015
Asset Class	Total		Quoted Prices in Active Markets For Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
In millions
Equities – domestic	$	2,150	$	1,382	$	768	$	—
Equities – international	2,563		1,818		745		—
Corporate bonds	1,286		—		1,286		—
Government securities	518		—		518		—
Mortgage backed securities	217		—		217		—
Other fixed income	275		—		265		10
Commodities	118		—		118		—
Hedge funds	894		—		—		894
Private equity	492		—		—		492
Real estate	1,094		—		—		1,094
Risk parity funds	341		—		1		340
Cash and cash equivalents	975		975		—		—
Total Investments	$	10,923	$	4,175	$	3,918	$	2,830

Fair Value Measurement at December 31, 2014
Asset Class	Total		Quoted Prices in Active Markets For Identical Assets (Level 1)		Significant Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
In millions
Equities – domestic	$	2,268	$	1,380	$	888	$	—
Equities – international	2,397		1,815		582		—
Corporate bonds	1,230		—		1,230		—
Government securities	1,282		—		1,282		—
Mortgage backed securities	172		—		172		—
Other fixed income	207		—		197		10
Commodities	170		—		170		—
Hedge funds	867		—		—		867
Private equity	519		—		—		519
Real estate	1,101		—		—		1,101
Risk parity funds	376		—		—		376
Cash and cash equivalents	329		329		—		—
Total Investments	$	10,918	$	3,524	$	4,521	$	2,873

Fair Value Measurements Using Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) [Table Text Block]

The fair value measurements using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) at December 31, 2015 were as follows:

Fair Value Measurements Using Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)

In millions	Other fixed income		Hedge funds			Private equity			Real estate			Risk parity funds			Total
Beginning balance at December 31, 2014	$	10	$	867		$	519		$	1,101		$	376		$	2,873
Actual return on plan assets:
Relating to assets still held at the reporting date	—		27			27			41			(39		)	56
Relating to assets sold during the period	—		3			(9		)	27			(7		)	14
Purchases, sales and settlements	—		(3		)	(45		)	(75		)	10			(113		)
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3	—		—			—			—			—			—
Ending balance at December 31, 2015	$	10	$	894		$	492		$	1,094		$	340		$	2,830

Retirement Plans [Member]

Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]

Changes in Projected Benefit Obligations, Fair Value of Plan Assets, and Funded Status of Plan [Table Text Block]

	2015						2014
In millions	U.S. Plans			Non- U.S. Plans			U.S. Plans			Non- U.S. Plans
Change in projected benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation, January 1	$	14,741		$	233		$	12,903		$	228
Service cost	161			6			145			5
Interest cost	597			10			600			13
Curtailments	—			—			—			(4		)
Settlements	(43		)	(12		)	—			—
Actuarial loss (gain)	(254		)	(1		)	1,755			12
Divestitures	—			—			(23		)	—
Other	—			—			—			12
Plan amendments	—			—			133			—
Benefits paid	(764		)	(7		)	(772		)	(13		)
Effect of foreign currency exchange rate movements	—			(25		)	—			(20		)
Benefit obligation, December 31	$	14,438		$	204		$	14,741		$	233
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets, January 1	$	10,918		$	180		$	10,706		$	181
Actual return on plan assets	(1		)	4			593			13
Company contributions	813			9			391			8
Benefits paid	(764		)	(7		)	(772		)	(13		)
Settlements	(43		)	(12		)	—			—
Other	—			—			—			6
Effect of foreign currency exchange rate movements	—			(19		)	—			(15		)
Fair value of plan assets, December 31	$	10,923		$	155		$	10,918		$	180
Funded status, December 31	$	(3,515	)	$	(49	)	$	(3,823	)	$	(53	)
Amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheet:
Non-current asset	$	—		$	7		$	—		$	8
Current liability	(22		)	(2		)	(62		)	(3		)
Non-current liability	(3,493		)	(54		)	(3,761		)	(58		)
	$	(3,515	)	$	(49	)	$	(3,823	)	$	(53	)

Schedule Of Amounts In Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Table Text Block]

Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income under ASC 715 (pre-tax):
Prior service cost	$	166	$	—	$	209	$	—
Net actuarial loss	4,899		42		4,812		40
	$	5,065	$	42	$	5,021	$	40

Pension Benefit Adjustments Recognized In Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income [Table Text Block]

The components of the $44 million and $2 million increase related to U.S. plans and non-U.S. plans, respectively, in the amounts recognized in OCI during 2015 consisted of:

In millions	U.S. Plans			Non- U.S. Plans
Current year actuarial (gain) loss	$	530		$	5
Amortization of actuarial loss	(428		)	(1		)
Amortization of prior service cost	(43		)	—
Settlements	(15		)	—
Effect of foreign currency exchange rate movements	—			(2		)
	$	44		$	2

Schedule of Accumulated Benefit Obligations in Excess of Fair Value of Plan Assets [Table Text Block]

The following table summarizes information for pension plans with an accumulated benefit obligation in excess of plan assets at December 31, 2015 and 2014:

	2015				2014
In millions	U.S. Plans		Non-U.S. Plans		U.S. Plans		Non-U.S. Plans
Projected benefit obligation	$	14,438	$	182	$	14,741	$	196
Accumulated benefit obligation	14,282		168		14,559		176
Fair value of plan assets	10,923		126		10,918		135

Schedule of Assumptions Used [Table Text Block]

Major actuarial assumptions used in determining the benefit obligations and net periodic pension cost for our defined benefit plans are presented in the following table:

	2015				2014				2013
	U.S. Plans		Non- U.S. Plans		U.S. Plans		Non- U.S. Plans		U.S. Plans		Non- U.S. Plans
Actuarial assumptions used to determine benefit obligations as of December 31:
Discount rate	4.40	%	4.64	%	4.10	%	4.72	%	4.90	%	5.07	%
Rate of compensation increase	3.75	%	4.12	%	3.75	%	4.03	%	3.75	%	4.13	%
Actuarial assumptions used to determine net periodic pension cost for years ended December 31:
Discount rate (a)	4.10	%	4.72	%	4.65	%	5.07	%	4.10	%	4.96	%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets (b)	7.75	%	6.64	%	7.75	%	7.53	%	8.00	%	7.04	%
Rate of compensation increase	3.75	%	4.03	%	3.75	%	4.13	%	3.75	%	3.17	%

(a) Represents the weighted average rate for 2014 due to the remeasurement in the first quarter of 2014.

(b) Represents the expected rate of return for International Paper's qualified pension plan for 2014 and 2013. The weighted average rate for the Temple-Inland Retirement Plan was 7.00% and 6.16% for 2014 and 2013, respectively.

Effect Of A 25 Basis Point Decrease On Net Pension Expense [Table Text Block]

The following illustrates the effect on pension expense for 2016 of a 25 basis point decrease in the above assumptions:

In millions	2016
Expense/(Income):
Discount rate	$	36
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	27
Rate of compensation increase	(2		)

Projected Future Pension Benefit Payments, Excluding Any Termination Benefits [Table Text Block]

At December 31, 2015, projected future pension benefit payments, excluding any termination benefits, were as follows:

In millions
2016	$	782
2017	792
2018	803
2019	818
2020	832
2021 – 2025	4,365