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Employee Postretirement Benefits
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2025
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Disclosures [Abstract]  
Employee Postretirement Benefits Employee Postretirement Benefits
Substantially all regular employees in the U.S. and the United Kingdom are covered by defined contribution retirement plans and certain U.S. and United Kingdom employees previously earned benefits covered by defined benefit pension plans that currently provide no future service benefit (the "Principal Plans"). Certain other subsidiaries have defined benefit pension plans or, in certain countries, termination pay plans covering substantially all regular employees. The funding policy for our qualified defined benefit pension plans is to contribute assets at least equal in amount to regulatory minimum requirements. Nonqualified U.S. plans providing pension benefits in excess of limitations imposed by the U.S. income tax code are not funded.
Substantially all U.S. retirees and employees have access to our unfunded health care and life insurance benefit plans. The annual increase in the consolidated weighted-average health care cost trend rate is expected to be 6.2% in 2026 and to decline to 4.5% in 2038 and thereafter. Assumed health care cost trend rates affect the amounts reported for postretirement health care benefit plans.
Summarized financial information about postretirement plans, excluding defined contribution retirement plans, is presented below:
Pension BenefitsOther Benefits
Year Ended December 31
2025202420252024
Change in Benefit Obligation
Benefit obligation at beginning of year$2,198 $2,428 $497 $531 
Service cost10 11 4 4 
Interest cost116 114 29 28 
Actuarial (gain) loss(a)
12 (129)(8)(3)
Currency and other88 (39)6 (12)
Benefit payments from plans(177)(174)— — 
Direct benefit payments(8)(8)(48)(51)
Settlements and curtailments(29)(5)— — 
Benefit obligation at end of year2,210 2,198 480 497 
Change in Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year2,060 2,295 — — 
Actual return on plan assets140 (32)— — 
Employer contributions14 14 — — 
Currency and other83 (39)— — 
Benefit payments(177)(174)— — 
Settlements(25)(4)— — 
Fair value of plan assets at end of year2,095 2,060 — — 
Funded Status$(115)$(138)$(480)$(497)
(a)    Actuarial (gains) losses in each period shown are primarily due to changes in discount rates.
Substantially all of the funded status of pension and other benefits is recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets in Noncurrent Employee Benefits, with the remainder recognized in Accrued expenses and other current liabilities and Other Assets. 
Information for the Principal Plans and All Other Pension Plans
Principal PlansAll Other Pension PlansTotal
Year Ended December 31
202520242025202420252024
Projected benefit obligation (“PBO”)$1,897 $1,900 $313 $298 $2,210 $2,198 
Accumulated benefit obligation (“ABO”)1,897 1,900 268 257 2,165 2,157 
Fair value of plan assets1,819 1,795 276 265 2,095 2,060 
Approximately one-half of the PBO and fair value of plan assets for the Principal Plans relate to the U.S. qualified and nonqualified pension plans.
Information for Pension Plans with an ABO in Excess of Plan Assets
December 31
20252024
ABO$1,086 $2,042 
Fair value of plan assets928 1,874 
Information for Pension Plans with a PBO in Excess of Plan Assets
December 31
20252024
PBO$1,090 $2,048 
Fair value of plan assets928 1,875 
Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost
Pension BenefitsOther Benefits
Year Ended December 31
202520242023202520242023
Service cost$10 $11 $11 $4 $4 $4 
Interest cost116 114 120 29 28 30 
Expected return on plan assets(a)
(123)(123)(127)— — — 
Recognized net actuarial (gain) loss44 40 39 (4)— (3)
Settlements and curtailments4 2 35 — — — 
Other— — — — — 1 
Net periodic benefit cost$51 $44 $78 $29 $32 $32 
(a)The expected return on plan assets is determined by multiplying the fair value of plan assets at the remeasurement date, typically the prior year-end adjusted for estimated current year cash benefit payments and contributions, by the expected long-term rate of return.
The components of net periodic benefit cost other than the service cost component are included in the line item Nonoperating expense in our Consolidated Statements of Income.
Weighted-Average Assumptions Used to Determine Net Periodic Benefit Cost for the Years Ended December 31
Pension BenefitsOther Benefits
Projected 2026202520242023202520242023
Discount rate5.24%5.38%4.93%5.22%5.89%5.66%5.92%
Expected long-term return on plan assets6.01%6.12%5.60%5.80%———
Rate of compensation increase4.15%3.43%3.49%3.45%———
Weighted-Average Assumptions Used to Determine Benefit Obligations as of December 31
Pension BenefitsOther Benefits
2025202420252024
Discount rate5.24%5.38%5.89%6.04%
Rate of compensation increase4.15%3.43%——
Investment Strategies for the Principal Plans
Strategic asset allocation decisions are made considering several risk factors, including plan participants' retirement benefit security, the estimated payments of the associated liabilities, the plan funded status, and Kimberly-Clark's financial condition. The resulting strategic asset allocation is a diversified blend of equity and fixed income investments. Equity investments are typically diversified across geographies and market capitalization. Fixed income investments are diversified across multiple sectors including government issues and corporate debt instruments with a portfolio duration that is consistent with the estimated payment of the associated liability. Actual asset allocation is regularly reviewed and periodically rebalanced to the strategic allocation when considered appropriate. Our 2026 target plan asset allocation for the Principal Plans is approximately 85% fixed income securities and 15% equity securities.
The expected long-term rate of return is generally evaluated on an annual basis. In setting this assumption, we consider a number of factors including projected future returns by asset class relative to the current asset allocation. The weighted-average expected long-term rate of return on pension fund assets used to calculate pension expense for the Principal Plans was 6.34% in 2025, 5.73% in 2024 and 6.05% in 2023, and will be 6.24% in 2026.
Set forth below are the pension plan assets of the Principal Plans measured at fair value, by level in the fair-value hierarchy. Approximately 60% of the assets are held in pooled funds and are measured using a net asset value (or its equivalent). Accordingly, such assets do not meet the Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 criteria of the fair value hierarchy.
Fair Value Measurements as of December 31, 2025
Total Plan AssetsAssets at Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets
(Level 1)		Assets at Significant Observable Inputs
(Level 2)		Assets at Significant Unobservable Inputs
(Level 3)
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Held directly$28 $19 $9 $— 
Fixed Income
Held directly
U.S. government and municipals119 100 19 — 
U.S. corporate debt288 — 288 — 
U.S. securitized— — — — 
International bonds41 — 41 — 
Held through mutual and pooled funds measured at net asset value
U.S. government and municipals272 — — — 
Non-U.S. securitized74 — — — 
International bonds524 — — — 
Equity
Held directly
U.S. equity16 16 — — 
International equity12 12 — — 
Held through mutual and pooled funds measured at net asset value
Non-U.S. equity3 — — — 
Global equity246 — — — 
Insurance Contracts196 — — 196 
Other— — — — 
Total Plan Assets$1,819 $147 $357 $196 
Fair Value Measurements as of December 31, 2024
Total Plan AssetsAssets at Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets
(Level 1)		Assets at Significant Observable Inputs
(Level 2)		Assets at Significant Unobservable Inputs
(Level 3)
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Held directly$25 $16 $9 $— 
Fixed Income
Held directly
U.S. government and municipals112 94 18 — 
U.S. corporate debt304 — 304 — 
U.S. securitized1 — 1 — 
International bonds50 — 50 — 
Held through mutual and pooled funds measured at net asset value
U.S. government and municipals289 — — — 
Non-U.S. securitized69 — — — 
International bonds509 — — — 
Equity
Held directly
U.S. equity14 14 — — 
International equity11 11 — — 
Held through mutual and pooled funds measured at net asset value
Non-U.S. equity2 — — — 
Global equity218 — — — 
Insurance Contracts194 — — 194 
Other(3)(3)— — 
Total Plan Assets$1,795 $132 $382 $194 
Futures contracts are used when appropriate to manage duration targets. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the U.S. plan held directly Treasury futures contracts with a total notional value of approximately $269 and $278, respectively, and an insignificant fair value. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the United Kingdom plan held through a pooled fund future contracts with a total notional value of approximately $501 and $418, and an insignificant fair value.
During 2025 and 2024, the plan assets did not include a significant amount of Kimberly-Clark common stock.
Inputs and valuation techniques used to measure the fair value of plan assets vary according to the type of security being valued. Substantially all of the equity securities held directly by the plans are actively traded and fair values are determined based on quoted market prices. Fair values of U.S. government securities are determined based on trading activity in the marketplace.
Fair values of U.S. corporate debt, U.S. municipals and international bonds are typically determined by reference to the values of similar securities traded in the marketplace and current interest rate levels. Multiple pricing services are typically employed to assist in determining these valuations.
Fair values of equity securities and fixed income securities held through units of pooled funds are based on net asset value of the units of the pooled fund determined by the fund manager. Pooled funds are similar in nature to
retail mutual funds, but are typically more efficient for institutional investors. The fair value of pooled funds is determined by the value of the underlying assets held by the fund and the units outstanding.
Equity securities held directly by the pension trusts and those held through units in pooled funds are monitored as to issuer and industry. Except for U.S. Treasuries, concentrations of fixed income securities are similarly monitored for concentrations by issuer and industry. As of December 31, 2025, there were no significant concentrations of equity or debt securities in any single issuer or industry.
No level 3 transfers (in or out) were made in 2025 or 2024. Fair values of insurance contracts are based on an evaluation of various factors, including purchase price.
We expect to contribute approximately $15 to our defined benefit pension plans in 2026. Over the next ten years, we expect that the following gross benefit payments will occur:
Pension BenefitsOther Benefits
2026$181 $51 
2027189 52 
2028184 52 
2029180 51 
2030180 48 
2031-2035872 210 
Defined Contribution Pension Plans
Our 401(k) profit sharing plan and supplemental plan provide for a matching contribution of a U.S. employee's contributions and accruals, subject to predetermined limits, as well as a discretionary profit sharing contribution, in which contributions will be based on our profit performance. We also have defined contribution pension plans for certain employees outside the U.S. Costs charged to expense for our defined contribution pension plans were $143 in 2025, $158 in 2024, and $166 in 2023. Approximately 17% of these costs were for plans outside the U.S.