Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements of Earnings and Comprehensive Earnings) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	$ 6,491	$ 6,553	$ 18,264	$ 18,386
Cost of sales	2,079	1,939	5,799	5,210
Excise taxes on products	1,738	1,793	4,932	5,127
Gross profit	2,674	2,821	7,533	8,049
Marketing, administration and research costs	663	664	1,821	1,738
Changes to Mondelēz and PMI tax-related receivables/payables	5	25	5	25
Asset impairment and exit costs	7	0	(1)	1
Operating income (expense)	1,999	2,132	5,708	6,285
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	213	269	596	794
Earnings from equity investment in SABMiller	(328)	(255)	(753)	(738)
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	2,114	2,118	5,865	6,229
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	717	722	2,031	2,182
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net earnings	1,397	1,396	3,834	4,047
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,397	1,396	3,834	4,047
Net earnings	1,397	1,396	3,834	4,047
Other comprehensive earnings, net of deferred income taxes	(225)	107	(76)	(183)	662
Comprehensive earnings	1,172	1,503	3,758	3,864
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,172	1,503	3,758	3,864
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Altria Group, Inc. [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	0	0	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Excise taxes on products	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Marketing, administration and research costs	57	60	161	155
Changes to Mondelēz and PMI tax-related receivables/payables	5	25	5	25
Asset impairment and exit costs	0	0	0	0
Operating income (expense)	(62)	(85)	(166)	(180)
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	150	166	458	490
Earnings from equity investment in SABMiller	(328)	(255)	(753)	(738)
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	116	4	129	68
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	(53)	(63)	(118)	(89)
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	1,228	1,329	3,587	3,890
Net earnings	1,397	1,396	3,834	4,047
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,397	1,396	3,834	4,047
Net earnings	1,397	1,396	3,834	4,047
Other comprehensive earnings, net of deferred income taxes	(225)	107	(76)	(183)
Comprehensive earnings	1,172	1,503	3,758	3,864
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,172	1,503	3,758	3,864
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| PM USA [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	5,684	5,627	15,945	15,967
Cost of sales	1,812	1,698	5,059	4,550
Excise taxes on products	1,682	1,728	4,771	4,936
Gross profit	2,190	2,201	6,115	6,481
Marketing, administration and research costs	495	517	1,362	1,384
Changes to Mondelēz and PMI tax-related receivables/payables	0	0	0	0
Asset impairment and exit costs	2	0	(6)	1
Operating income (expense)	1,693	1,684	4,759	5,096
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	1	3	(46)	2
Earnings from equity investment in SABMiller	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	1,692	1,681	4,805	5,094
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	659	628	1,813	1,890
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	67	61	184	163
Net earnings	1,100	1,114	3,176	3,367
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,100	1,114	3,176	3,367
Net earnings	1,100	1,114	3,176	3,367
Other comprehensive earnings, net of deferred income taxes	0	4	5	16
Comprehensive earnings	1,100	1,118	3,181	3,383
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,100	1,118	3,181	3,383
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	818	932	2,352	2,436
Cost of sales	278	247	773	677
Excise taxes on products	56	65	161	191
Gross profit	484	620	1,418	1,568
Marketing, administration and research costs	111	87	298	199
Changes to Mondelēz and PMI tax-related receivables/payables	0	0	0	0
Asset impairment and exit costs	5	0	5	0
Operating income (expense)	368	533	1,115	1,369
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	62	100	184	302
Earnings from equity investment in SABMiller	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	306	433	931	1,067
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	111	157	336	381
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net earnings	195	276	595	686
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	195	276	595	686
Net earnings	195	276	595	686
Other comprehensive earnings, net of deferred income taxes	18	41	60	139
Comprehensive earnings	213	317	655	825
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	213	317	655	825
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	(11)	(6)	(33)	(17)
Cost of sales	(11)	(6)	(33)	(17)
Excise taxes on products	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Marketing, administration and research costs	0	0	0	0
Changes to Mondelēz and PMI tax-related receivables/payables	0	0	0	0
Asset impairment and exit costs	0	0	0	0
Operating income (expense)	0	0	0	0
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	0	0	0	0
Earnings from equity investment in SABMiller	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	0	0	0	0
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	0	0	0	0
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	(1,295)	(1,390)	(3,771)	(4,053)
Net earnings	(1,295)	(1,390)	(3,771)	(4,053)
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	(1,295)	(1,390)	(3,771)	(4,053)
Net earnings	(1,295)	(1,390)	(3,771)	(4,053)
Other comprehensive earnings, net of deferred income taxes	(18)	(45)	(65)	(155)
Comprehensive earnings	(1,313)	(1,435)	(3,836)	(4,208)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	$ (1,313)	$ (1,435)	$ (3,836)	$ (4,208)

The aggregate total costs related to selling a firm's product and services, as well as research and development costs and all other general and administrative expenses. Direct selling expenses (for example, credit, warranty, and advertising) are expenses that can be directly linked to the sale of specific products. Indirect selling expenses are expenses that cannot be directly linked to the sale of specific products, for example telephone expenses, Internet, and postal charges. Research and development costs represent the aggregate costs incurred during an accounting period to research and develop new products/technologies when the technological feasibility has not been reached. General and administrative expenses include salaries of nonsales personnel, rent, utilities, communication, etc.

No definition available.