Consolidated Statement Of Changes In Equity - USD ($)	Total	Issued	Paid-in Capital	Retained Earnings	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Treasury	Total International Paper Shareholders’ Equity	Noncontrolling Interests
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 3,909,000,000	$ 449,000,000	$ 6,243,000,000	$ 4,649,000,000	$ (5,708,000,000)	$ 1,749,000,000	$ 3,884,000,000	$ 25,000,000
Issuance of stock for various plans, net	122,000,000	0	(6,000,000)	0	0	(128,000,000)	122,000,000	0
Repurchase of stock	(132,000,000)	0	0	0	0	132,000,000	(132,000,000)	0
Dividends	(743,000,000)	0	0	(743,000,000)	0	0	(743,000,000)	0
Transactions of equity method investees	(48,000,000)	0	(48,000,000)	0	0	0	(48,000,000)	0
Divestiture of noncontrolling interests	(3,000,000)	0	0	0	0	0	0	(3,000,000)
Other	8,000,000	0	0	8,000,000	0	0	8,000,000	0
Comprehensive income (loss)	1,246,000,000	0	0	904,000,000	346,000,000	0	1,250,000,000	(4,000,000)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2016	4,359,000,000	449,000,000	6,189,000,000	4,818,000,000	(5,362,000,000)	1,753,000,000	4,341,000,000	18,000,000
Issuance of stock for various plans, net	162,000,000	0	42,000,000	0	0	(120,000,000)	162,000,000	0
Repurchase of stock	(47,000,000)	0	0	0	0	47,000,000	(47,000,000)	0
Dividends	(782,000,000)	0	0	(782,000,000)	0	0	(782,000,000)	0
Transactions of equity method investees	(25,000,000)	0	(25,000,000)	0	0	0	(25,000,000)	0
Comprehensive income (loss)	2,874,000,000	0	0	2,144,000,000	729,000,000	0	2,873,000,000	1,000,000
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2017	6,541,000,000	449,000,000	6,206,000,000	6,180,000,000	(4,633,000,000)	1,680,000,000	6,522,000,000	19,000,000
Adoption of ASC 606 revenue from contracts with customers	73,000,000	0	0	73,000,000	0	0	73,000,000	0
Issuance of stock for various plans, net	142,000,000	0	62,000,000	0	0	(80,000,000)	142,000,000	0
Repurchase of stock	(732,000,000)	0	0	0	0	732,000,000	(732,000,000)	0
Dividends	(800,000,000)	0	0	(800,000,000)	0	0	(800,000,000)	0
Transactions of equity method investees	12,000,000	0	12,000,000	0	0	0	12,000,000	0
Comprehensive income (loss)	2,147,000,000	0	0	2,012,000,000	133,000,000	0	2,145,000,000	2,000,000
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2018	$ 7,383,000,000	$ 449,000,000	$ 6,280,000,000	$ 7,465,000,000	$ (4,500,000,000)	$ 2,332,000,000	$ 7,362,000,000	$ 21,000,000