Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Statement of Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities [Abstract]
Net income	$ 412	$ 381	$ 735	$ 711
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations:
Depreciation			40	43
Amortization of intangibles			47	23
Provision for losses on accounts receivable			8	4
Deferred income taxes			(4)	166
Stock-based compensation			34	37
Other			47	51
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions:
Accounts receivable			(39)	(136)
Prepaid and other current assets			(21)	(24)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses			(212)	(257)
Unearned revenue			38	71
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements			(108)	(1,609)
Other current liabilities			(23)	(65)
Net change in prepaid/accrued income taxes			73	119
Net change in other assets and liabilities			(44)	(31)
Cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations			571	(897)
Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures			(36)	(42)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired			(52)	(2)
Proceeds from dispositions			0	14
Changes in short-term investments			0	(7)
Cash used for investing activities from continuing operations			(88)	(37)
Financing Activities:
Additions to short-term debt, net			166	0
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes, net			0	690
Dividends paid to shareholders			(191)	(185)
Dividends and other payments paid to noncontrolling interests			(57)	(49)
Repurchase of treasury shares			(373)	(274)
Exercise of stock options			65	73
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments			19	38
Intercompany financing activities			0	0
Cash (used for) provided by financing activities from continuing operations			(371)	293
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash from continuing operations			(26)	(7)
Cash provided by (used for) continuing operations			86	(648)
Discontinued Operations:
Cash used for operating activities			0	(129)
Cash used for discontinued operations			0	(129)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents			86	(777)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period			1,481	2,497
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	1,567	1,720	1,567	1,720
Eliminations
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities [Abstract]
Net income	(830)	(406)	(2,122)	(837)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations:
Depreciation			0	0
Amortization of intangibles			0	0
Provision for losses on accounts receivable			0	0
Deferred income taxes			0	0
Stock-based compensation			0	0
Other			0	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions:
Accounts receivable			0	0
Prepaid and other current assets			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued expenses			0	0
Unearned revenue			0	0
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements			0	0
Other current liabilities			0	0
Net change in prepaid/accrued income taxes			0	0
Net change in other assets and liabilities			0	0
Cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations			(2,122)	(837)
Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures			0	0
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired			0	0
Proceeds from dispositions				0
Changes in short-term investments				0
Cash used for investing activities from continuing operations			0	0
Financing Activities:
Additions to short-term debt, net			0
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes, net				0
Dividends paid to shareholders			0	0
Dividends and other payments paid to noncontrolling interests			0	0
Repurchase of treasury shares			0	0
Exercise of stock options			0	0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments			0	0
Intercompany financing activities			2,122	837
Cash (used for) provided by financing activities from continuing operations			2,122	837
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash from continuing operations			0	0
Cash provided by (used for) continuing operations				0
Discontinued Operations:
Cash used for operating activities				0
Cash used for discontinued operations				0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents			0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period			0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0	0	0
S&P Global Inc.
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities [Abstract]
Net income	597	364	1,391	696
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations:
Depreciation			19	19
Amortization of intangibles			0	2
Provision for losses on accounts receivable			1	0
Deferred income taxes			(4)	(138)
Stock-based compensation			10	11
Other			3	9
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions:
Accounts receivable			(7)	1
Prepaid and other current assets			(28)	32
Accounts payable and accrued expenses			(67)	(99)
Unearned revenue			18	11
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements			0	0
Other current liabilities			(25)	(34)
Net change in prepaid/accrued income taxes			64	108
Net change in other assets and liabilities			(31)	62
Cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations			1,344	680
Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures			(16)	(18)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired			(40)	0
Proceeds from dispositions				0
Changes in short-term investments				0
Cash used for investing activities from continuing operations			(56)	(18)
Financing Activities:
Additions to short-term debt, net			166
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes, net				690
Dividends paid to shareholders			(191)	(185)
Dividends and other payments paid to noncontrolling interests			0	0
Repurchase of treasury shares			(373)	(274)
Exercise of stock options			64	71
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments			19	38
Intercompany financing activities			(1,038)	(1,870)
Cash (used for) provided by financing activities from continuing operations			(1,353)	(1,530)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash from continuing operations			(40)	(3)
Cash provided by (used for) continuing operations				(871)
Discontinued Operations:
Cash used for operating activities				0
Cash used for discontinued operations				0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents			(105)	(871)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period			167	1,402
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	62	531	62	531
Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities [Abstract]
Net income	254	223	440	487
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations:
Depreciation			5	10
Amortization of intangibles			0	0
Provision for losses on accounts receivable			1	(2)
Deferred income taxes			0	161
Stock-based compensation			7	11
Other			8	29
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions:
Accounts receivable			148	(23)
Prepaid and other current assets			13	(3)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses			(98)	(43)
Unearned revenue			(375)	15
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements			(108)	(1,609)
Other current liabilities			(25)	(22)
Net change in prepaid/accrued income taxes			0	0
Net change in other assets and liabilities			27	3
Cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations			43	(986)
Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures			(7)	(4)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired			0	0
Proceeds from dispositions				0
Changes in short-term investments				0
Cash used for investing activities from continuing operations			(7)	(4)
Financing Activities:
Additions to short-term debt, net			0
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes, net				0
Dividends paid to shareholders			0	0
Dividends and other payments paid to noncontrolling interests			0	0
Repurchase of treasury shares			0	0
Exercise of stock options			0	0
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments			0	0
Intercompany financing activities			(36)	990
Cash (used for) provided by financing activities from continuing operations			(36)	990
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash from continuing operations			0	0
Cash provided by (used for) continuing operations				0
Discontinued Operations:
Cash used for operating activities				0
Cash used for discontinued operations				0
Net change in cash and cash equivalents			0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period			0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0	0	0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities [Abstract]
Net income	391	200	1,026	365
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations:
Depreciation			16	14
Amortization of intangibles			47	21
Provision for losses on accounts receivable			6	6
Deferred income taxes			0	143
Stock-based compensation			17	15
Other			36	13
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions:
Accounts receivable			(180)	(114)
Prepaid and other current assets			(6)	(53)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses			(47)	(115)
Unearned revenue			395	45
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements			0	0
Other current liabilities			27	(9)
Net change in prepaid/accrued income taxes			9	11
Net change in other assets and liabilities			(40)	(96)
Cash provided by (used for) operating activities from continuing operations			1,306	246
Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures			(13)	(20)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired			(12)	(2)
Proceeds from dispositions				14
Changes in short-term investments				(7)
Cash used for investing activities from continuing operations			(25)	(15)
Financing Activities:
Additions to short-term debt, net			0
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes, net				0
Dividends paid to shareholders			0	0
Dividends and other payments paid to noncontrolling interests			(57)	(49)
Repurchase of treasury shares			0	0
Exercise of stock options			1	2
Excess tax benefits from share-based payments			0	0
Intercompany financing activities			(1,048)	43
Cash (used for) provided by financing activities from continuing operations			(1,104)	(4)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash from continuing operations			14	(4)
Cash provided by (used for) continuing operations				223
Discontinued Operations:
Cash used for operating activities				(129)
Cash used for discontinued operations				(129)
Net change in cash and cash equivalents			191	94
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period			1,314	1,095
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 1,505	$ 1,189	$ 1,505	$ 1,189