Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements of Earnings and Comprehensive Earnings) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	$ 6,905	$ 6,699	$ 19,492	$ 19,116
Cost of sales	2,043	1,932	5,841	5,733
Excise taxes on products	1,712	1,721	4,888	4,991
Gross profit	3,150	3,046	8,763	8,392
Marketing, administration and research costs	766	698	1,871	1,951
Reduction of PMI tax-related receivable	0	41	0	41
Asset impairment and exit costs	2	0	123	4
Operating (expense) income	2,382	2,307	6,769	6,396
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	179	205	571	609
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	823	0	823	228
Earnings from equity investment in SABMiller	(299)	(187)	(564)	(546)
Gain on derivative financial instruments	(48)	0	(205)	0
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	1,727	2,289	6,144	6,105
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	633	761	2,178	2,110
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net earnings	1,094	1,528	3,966	3,995
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	0	(3)	(1)
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,093	1,528	3,963	3,994
Net earnings	1,094	1,528	3,966	3,995
Other comprehensive earnings (losses), net of deferred income taxes	62	(279)	2	(475)	$ (598)
Comprehensive earnings	1,156	1,249	3,968	3,520
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	0	(3)	(1)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,155	1,249	3,965	3,519
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	40	46	113	135
Reduction of PMI tax-related receivable		41		41
Asset impairment and exit costs	0		5	0
Operating (expense) income	(40)	(87)	(118)	(176)
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	129	138	393	430
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	823		823	228
Earnings from equity investment in SABMiller	(299)	(187)	(564)	(546)
Gain on derivative financial instruments	(48)		(205)
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	(645)	(38)	(565)	(288)
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	(232)	(55)	(269)	(200)
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	1,506	1,511	4,259	4,082
Net earnings	1,093	1,528	3,963	3,994
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,093	1,528	3,963	3,994
Net earnings	1,093	1,528	3,963	3,994
Other comprehensive earnings (losses), net of deferred income taxes	62	(279)	2	(475)
Comprehensive earnings	1,155	1,249	3,965	3,519
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,155	1,249	3,965	3,519
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | PM USA [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	5,964	5,865	16,874	16,743
Cost of sales	1,767	1,671	5,084	4,983
Excise taxes on products	1,654	1,670	4,723	4,834
Gross profit	2,543	2,524	7,067	6,926
Marketing, administration and research costs	607	552	1,435	1,511
Reduction of PMI tax-related receivable		0		0
Asset impairment and exit costs	1		96	0
Operating (expense) income	1,935	1,972	5,536	5,415
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	(4)	11	13	11
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0		0	0
Earnings from equity investment in SABMiller	0	0	0	0
Gain on derivative financial instruments	0		0
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	1,939	1,961	5,523	5,404
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	707	685	2,023	1,959
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	77	71	217	197
Net earnings	1,309	1,347	3,717	3,642
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,309	1,347	3,717	3,642
Net earnings	1,309	1,347	3,717	3,642
Other comprehensive earnings (losses), net of deferred income taxes	4	4	(11)	11
Comprehensive earnings	1,313	1,351	3,706	3,653
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,313	1,351	3,706	3,653
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	950	845	2,646	2,405
Cost of sales	285	272	785	782
Excise taxes on products	58	51	165	157
Gross profit	607	522	1,696	1,466
Marketing, administration and research costs	119	100	323	305
Reduction of PMI tax-related receivable		0		0
Asset impairment and exit costs	1		22	4
Operating (expense) income	487	422	1,351	1,157
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	54	56	165	168
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0		0	0
Earnings from equity investment in SABMiller	0	0	0	0
Gain on derivative financial instruments	0		0
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	433	366	1,186	989
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	158	131	424	351
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net earnings	275	235	762	638
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	0	(3)	(1)
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	274	235	759	637
Net earnings	275	235	762	638
Other comprehensive earnings (losses), net of deferred income taxes	22	32	(107)	102
Comprehensive earnings	297	267	655	740
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	0	(3)	(1)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	296	267	652	739
Total Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	(9)	(11)	(28)	(32)
Cost of sales	(9)	(11)	(28)	(32)
Excise taxes on products	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Marketing, administration and research costs	0	0	0	0
Reduction of PMI tax-related receivable		0		0
Asset impairment and exit costs	0		0	0
Operating (expense) income	0	0	0	0
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	0	0	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0		0	0
Earnings from equity investment in SABMiller	0	0	0	0
Gain on derivative financial instruments	0		0
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	0	0	0	0
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	(1,583)	(1,582)	(4,476)	(4,279)
Net earnings	(1,583)	(1,582)	(4,476)	(4,279)
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	(1,583)	(1,582)	(4,476)	(4,279)
Net earnings	(1,583)	(1,582)	(4,476)	(4,279)
Other comprehensive earnings (losses), net of deferred income taxes	(26)	(36)	118	(113)
Comprehensive earnings	(1,609)	(1,618)	(4,358)	(4,392)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	$ (1,609)	$ (1,618)	$ (4,358)	$ (4,392)