Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Operating Activities:
Net income	$ 2,534	$ 2,303	$ 2,121
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation	83	82	84
Amortization of intangibles	123	122	122
Provision for losses on accounts receivable	17	18	21
Deferred income taxes	(31)	46	81
Stock-based compensation	90	78	94
Gain on dispositions	(16)	(49)	0
Accrued legal settlements	9	0	1
Pension settlement charge, net of taxes	2	85	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt	279	57	0
Lease impairment charges	120	11	11
Other	110	25	41
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and dispositions:
Accounts receivable	18	(135)	(164)
Prepaid and other current assets	(85)	(81)	(1)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	132	73	(106)
Unearned revenue	220	256	70
Accrued legal settlements	0	(1)	(108)
Other current liabilities	(15)	(56)	(67)
Net change in prepaid/accrued income taxes	(2)	(41)	(7)
Net change in other assets and liabilities	(21)	(17)	(129)
Cash provided by operating activities	3,567	2,776	2,064
Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures	(76)	(115)	(113)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	(201)	(91)	(401)
Proceeds from dispositions	18	85	6
Changes in short-term investments	19	(10)	(5)
Cash used for investing activities	(240)	(131)	(513)
Financing Activities:
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes, net	1,276	1,086	489
Payments on senior notes	(1,394)	(868)	(403)
Dividends paid to shareholders	(645)	(560)	(503)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest holders, net	(194)	(143)	(154)
Repurchase of treasury shares	(1,164)	(1,240)	(1,660)
Exercise of stock options	16	40	34
Purchase of additional CRISIL shares	0	0	(25)
Employee withholding tax on share-based payments and other	(61)	(66)	(66)
Cash used for financing activities	(2,166)	(1,751)	(2,288)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	75	34	(84)
Net change in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash	1,236	928	(821)
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of year	2,886	1,958	2,779
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of year	4,122	2,886	1,958
Cash paid during the year for:
Interest	159	162	151
Income taxes	$ 683	$ 659	$ 558