Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 2,392	$ 1,481	$ 2,497	$ 1,542
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	1,122	991
Intercompany receivable	0	0
Deferred income taxes		109
Prepaid and other current assets	150	212
Assets of a business held for sale	7	503
Total current assets	3,671	3,296
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	271	270
Goodwill	2,949	2,882	1,387
Other intangible assets, net	1,506	1,522
Investments in subsidiaries	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable	0	0
Other non-current assets	272	213
Total assets	8,669	8,183
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	183	206
Intercompany payable	0	0
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans	409	383
Short-term debt	0	143
Income taxes currently payable	95	56
Unearned revenue	1,509	1,421
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements	56	121
Other current liabilities	314	372
Liabilities of a business held for sale	45	206
Total current liabilities	2,611	2,908
Long-term debt	3,564	3,468
Intercompany loans payable	0	0
Pension and other postretirement benefits	274	276
Other non-current liabilities	439	368
Total liabilities	6,888	7,020
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	1,080	920
Equity:
Common stock	412	412
Additional paid-in capital	502	475
Retained income	9,210	7,636
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(773)	(600)
Less: common stock in treasury	(8,701)	(7,729)
Total equity – controlling interests	650	194
Total equity – noncontrolling interests	51	49
Total equity	701	243	539	1,344
Total liabilities and equity	8,669	8,183
Eliminations
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts		0
Intercompany receivable	(1,542)	(3,353)
Deferred income taxes		0
Prepaid and other current assets	(1)	(1)
Assets of a business held for sale	0	0
Total current assets	(1,543)	(3,354)
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation		0
Goodwill	9	9
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	(13,970)	(12,626)
Intercompany loans receivable	(1,371)	(2,117)
Other non-current assets	0	0
Total assets	(16,875)	(18,088)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany payable	(1,541)	(3,354)
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans	0	0
Short-term debt		0
Income taxes currently payable	0	0
Unearned revenue	0	(1)
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements		0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Liabilities of a business held for sale	0	0
Total current liabilities	(1,541)	(3,355)
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	(1,371)	(2,117)
Pension and other postretirement benefits	0	0
Other non-current liabilities	(1)	0
Total liabilities	(2,913)	(5,472)
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	1,080	920
Equity:
Common stock	(2,460)	(2,337)
Additional paid-in capital	(10,963)	(10,694)
Retained income	(1,721)	(609)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	44	44
Less: common stock in treasury	7	12
Total equity – controlling interests	(15,093)	(13,584)
Total equity – noncontrolling interests	51	48
Total equity	(15,042)	(13,536)
Total liabilities and equity	(16,875)	(18,088)
S&P Global Inc. | Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	711	167	1,402	685
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	138	116
Intercompany receivable	(165)	208
Deferred income taxes		75
Prepaid and other current assets	77	120
Assets of a business held for sale	0	4
Total current assets	761	690
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	159	141
Goodwill	261	17
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	5,464	4,651
Intercompany loans receivable	17	16
Other non-current assets	134	67
Total assets	6,796	5,582
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	73	71
Intercompany payable	1,324	2,144
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans	129	127
Short-term debt		143
Income taxes currently payable	43	1
Unearned revenue	273	254
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements	2	0
Other current liabilities	163	190
Liabilities of a business held for sale	0	80
Total current liabilities	2,007	3,010
Long-term debt	3,564	3,468
Intercompany loans payable	11	21
Pension and other postretirement benefits	196	230
Other non-current liabilities	52	(25)
Total liabilities	5,830	6,704
Redeemable noncontrolling interest		0
Equity:
Common stock	412	412
Additional paid-in capital	(174)	(184)
Retained income	9,721	6,701
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(292)	(322)
Less: common stock in treasury	(8,701)	(7,729)
Total equity – controlling interests	966	(1,122)
Total equity – noncontrolling interests		0
Total equity	966	(1,122)
Total liabilities and equity	6,796	5,582
Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC | Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	131	319
Intercompany receivable	837	1,872
Deferred income taxes		10
Prepaid and other current assets	2	13
Assets of a business held for sale	0	0
Total current assets	970	2,214
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	1	3
Goodwill	0	40
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Investments in subsidiaries	680	659
Intercompany loans receivable	0	368
Other non-current assets	24	19
Total assets	1,675	3,303
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	22	54
Intercompany payable	40	675
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans	69	89
Short-term debt		0
Income taxes currently payable	0	0
Unearned revenue	191	586
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements	3	115
Other current liabilities	(54)	(50)
Liabilities of a business held for sale	0	0
Total current liabilities	271	1,469
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	0	0
Pension and other postretirement benefits	0	0
Other non-current liabilities	74	98
Total liabilities	345	1,567
Redeemable noncontrolling interest		0
Equity:
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	1,154	1,179
Retained income	176	557
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	0	0
Less: common stock in treasury	0	0
Total equity – controlling interests	1,330	1,736
Total equity – noncontrolling interests		0
Total equity	1,330	1,736
Total liabilities and equity	1,675	3,303
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1,681	1,314	$ 1,095	$ 857
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts	853	556
Intercompany receivable	870	1,273
Deferred income taxes		24
Prepaid and other current assets	72	80
Assets of a business held for sale	7	499
Total current assets	3,483	3,746
Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation	111	126
Goodwill	2,679	2,816
Other intangible assets, net	1,506	1,522
Investments in subsidiaries	7,826	7,316
Intercompany loans receivable	1,354	1,733
Other non-current assets	114	127
Total assets	17,073	17,386
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	88	81
Intercompany payable	177	535
Accrued compensation and contributions to retirement plans	211	167
Short-term debt		0
Income taxes currently payable	52	55
Unearned revenue	1,045	582
Accrued legal and regulatory settlements	51	6
Other current liabilities	205	232
Liabilities of a business held for sale	45	126
Total current liabilities	1,874	1,784
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	1,360	2,096
Pension and other postretirement benefits	78	46
Other non-current liabilities	314	295
Total liabilities	3,626	4,221
Redeemable noncontrolling interest		0
Equity:
Common stock	2,460	2,337
Additional paid-in capital	10,485	10,174
Retained income	1,034	987
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(525)	(322)
Less: common stock in treasury	(7)	(12)
Total equity – controlling interests	13,447	13,164
Total equity – noncontrolling interests		1
Total equity	13,447	13,165
Total liabilities and equity	$ 17,073	$ 17,386