Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Assets, Current [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 2,399	$ 1,481	$ 1,441	$ 2,497
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	980	991
Intercompany receivable	0	0
Deferred income taxes	107	109
Prepaid and other current assets	152	212
Assets of businesses held for sale	66	503
Total current assets	3,704	3,296
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	255	270
Goodwill	2,958	2,882
Other intangible assets, net	1,518	1,522
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable	0	0
Other non-current assets	241	213
Total assets	8,676	8,183
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	199	206
Intercompany payable	0	0
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans	315	383
Short-term debt	400	143
Unearned revenue	1,408	1,421
Income taxes currently payable	321	56
Other current liabilities	384	493
Liabilities of businesses held for sale	24	206
Total current liabilities	3,051	2,908
Long-term debt	3,563	3,468
Intercompany loans payable	0	0
Pension and other postretirement benefits	259	276
Other non-current liabilities	372	368
Total liabilities	7,245	7,020
Redeemable noncontrolling interest (Note 8)	920	920
Equity:
Common stock	412	412
Additional paid-in capital	367	475
Retained income	8,924	7,636
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(635)	(600)
Less: common stock in treasury	(8,606)	(7,729)
Total equity — controlling interests	462	194
Total equity - noncontrolling interests	49	49
Total equity	511	243
Total liabilities and equity	8,676	8,183
Eliminations
Assets, Current [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts		0
Intercompany receivable	(1,579)	(3,353)
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Prepaid and other current assets	0	(1)
Assets of businesses held for sale	0	0
Total current assets	(1,579)	(3,354)
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	0	0
Goodwill	9	9
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	(13,220)	(12,626)
Intercompany loans receivable	(1,860)	(2,117)
Other non-current assets	0	0
Total assets	(16,650)	(18,088)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany payable	(1,579)	(3,354)
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans	0	0
Short-term debt	0	0
Unearned revenue	0	(1)
Income taxes currently payable	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Liabilities of businesses held for sale	0	0
Total current liabilities	(1,579)	(3,355)
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	(1,860)	(2,117)
Pension and other postretirement benefits	0	0
Other non-current liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(3,439)	(5,472)
Redeemable noncontrolling interest (Note 8)	920	920
Equity:
Common stock	(2,336)	(2,337)
Additional paid-in capital	(10,613)	(10,694)
Retained income	(1,286)	(609)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	45	44
Less: common stock in treasury	10	12
Total equity — controlling interests	(14,180)	(13,584)
Total equity - noncontrolling interests	49	48
Total equity	(14,131)	(13,536)
Total liabilities and equity	(16,650)	(18,088)
S&P Global Inc.
Assets, Current [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	738	167	161	1,402
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	108	116
Intercompany receivable	346	208
Deferred income taxes	74	75
Prepaid and other current assets	75	120
Assets of businesses held for sale	1	4
Total current assets	1,342	690
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	138	141
Goodwill	182	17
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	5,232	4,651
Intercompany loans receivable	18	16
Other non-current assets	85	67
Total assets	6,997	5,582
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	71	71
Intercompany payable	1,492	2,144
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans	108	127
Short-term debt	400	143
Unearned revenue	274	254
Income taxes currently payable	236	1
Other current liabilities	166	190
Liabilities of businesses held for sale	1	80
Total current liabilities	2,748	3,010
Long-term debt	3,563	3,468
Intercompany loans payable	11	21
Pension and other postretirement benefits	208	230
Other non-current liabilities	(14)	(25)
Total liabilities	6,516	6,704
Redeemable noncontrolling interest (Note 8)	0	0
Equity:
Common stock	412	412
Additional paid-in capital	(300)	(184)
Retained income	9,288	6,701
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(313)	(322)
Less: common stock in treasury	(8,606)	(7,729)
Total equity — controlling interests	481	(1,122)
Total equity - noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	481	(1,122)
Total liabilities and equity	6,997	5,582
Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC
Assets, Current [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	1	0
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	160	319
Intercompany receivable	397	1,872
Deferred income taxes	10	10
Prepaid and other current assets	0	13
Assets of businesses held for sale	0	0
Total current assets	567	2,214
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	1	3
Goodwill	0	40
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	672	659
Intercompany loans receivable	0	368
Other non-current assets	23	19
Total assets	1,263	3,303
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	23	54
Intercompany payable	(22)	675
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans	41	89
Short-term debt	0	0
Unearned revenue	202	586
Income taxes currently payable	0	0
Other current liabilities	(133)	65
Liabilities of businesses held for sale	0	0
Total current liabilities	111	1,469
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	0	0
Pension and other postretirement benefits	0	0
Other non-current liabilities	85	98
Total liabilities	196	1,567
Redeemable noncontrolling interest (Note 8)	0	0
Equity:
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	1,148	1,179
Retained income	(81)	557
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	0	0
Less: common stock in treasury		0
Total equity — controlling interests	1,067	1,736
Total equity - noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	1,067	1,736
Total liabilities and equity	1,263	3,303
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Assets, Current [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	1,661	1,314	$ 1,279	$ 1,095
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	712	556
Intercompany receivable	836	1,273
Deferred income taxes	23	24
Prepaid and other current assets	77	80
Assets of businesses held for sale	65	499
Total current assets	3,374	3,746
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	116	126
Goodwill	2,767	2,816
Other intangible assets, net	1,518	1,522
Investments in subsidiaries	7,316	7,316
Intercompany loans receivable	1,842	1,733
Other non-current assets	133	127
Total assets	17,066	17,386
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	105	81
Intercompany payable	109	535
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans	166	167
Short-term debt	0	0
Unearned revenue	932	582
Income taxes currently payable	85	55
Other current liabilities	351	238
Liabilities of businesses held for sale	23	126
Total current liabilities	1,771	1,784
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	1,849	2,096
Pension and other postretirement benefits	51	46
Other non-current liabilities	301	295
Total liabilities	3,972	4,221
Redeemable noncontrolling interest (Note 8)	0	0
Equity:
Common stock	2,336	2,337
Additional paid-in capital	10,132	10,174
Retained income	1,003	987
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(367)	(322)
Less: common stock in treasury	(10)	(12)
Total equity — controlling interests	13,094	13,164
Total equity - noncontrolling interests	0	1
Total equity	13,094	13,165
Total liabilities and equity	$ 17,066	$ 17,386