Contingencies (Overview of Altria Group, Inc. and/or PM USA Tobacco-Related Litigation Narrative) (Details) $ in Millions		1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			147 Months Ended	216 Months Ended	248 Months Ended
	Jan. 27, 2017 case	May 31, 2001 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) case	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) case	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) case	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) case	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) case	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) case
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Litigation settlement interest expense (income) | $			$ 6	$ 13	$ (47)
Health Care Cost Recovery Actions [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending			1	1	1	1	1	1
Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending			5	5	5	5	5	5
Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Judgments paid | $						$ 82
Litigation settlement interest expense (income) | $						$ 21
Individual Smoking And Health Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending			70	65	67	70	70	70
Lights Ultra Lights Class Actions [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending			8	11	12	8	8	8
Tobacco and Health Judgment [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Judgments paid | $						$ 473
Litigation settlement interest expense (income) | $						183
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of claims dismissed								60
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Amounts placed in escrow | $		$ 500
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases, Federal [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of claims resolved				415
Amounts placed in escrow | $				$ 43		$ 43
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of verdicts returned							61
Number of favorable verdicts							41
Number of unfavorable verdicts							20
Number of claims resolved							18
Philip Morris USA [Member] | ALASKA | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | CALIFORNIA | Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of claims dismissed								1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | CALIFORNIA | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							7
Philip Morris USA [Member] | FLORIDA | Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of claims dismissed								2
Philip Morris USA [Member] | FLORIDA | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							10
Number cases with granted new trial			1			1	1	1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | LOUISIANA | Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of claims dismissed								1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | LOUISIANA | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | MASSACHUSETTS | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							2
Philip Morris USA [Member] | MISSISSIPPI | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | MISSOURI | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							4
Philip Morris USA [Member] | NEW HAMPSHIRE | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | NEW JERSEY | Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of claims dismissed								6
Philip Morris USA [Member] | NEW JERSEY | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | NEW YORK | Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of claims dismissed								2
Philip Morris USA [Member] | NEW YORK | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							5
Philip Morris USA [Member] | OHIO | Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of claims dismissed								1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | OHIO | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							2
Philip Morris USA [Member] | PENNSYLVANIA | Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of claims dismissed								1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | PENNSYLVANIA | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | RHODE ISLAND | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | TENNESSEE | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							2
Philip Morris USA [Member] | WEST VIRGINIA | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							2
Subsequent Event [Member] | Lights Ultra Lights Class Actions [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending	8
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending	3
Number of cases set for trial	9
Number of verdicts returned	105
Number of favorable verdicts	44
Number of unfavorable verdicts	58
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases, Federal [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending	14
Number of favorable verdicts	9
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Individual Smoking And Health Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases set for trial	0
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Lights Ultra Lights Class Actions [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases set for trial	0
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | CANADA | Health Care Cost Recovery Actions [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending	10
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA and Altria Group [Member] | CANADA | Health Care Cost Recovery Actions [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending	8
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA and Altria Group [Member] | CANADA | Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending	7
Pending Litigation [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Other Assets [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Security posted for appeal of judgments | $			$ 82			$ 82	$ 82	$ 82
Lights Ultra Lights Class Actions, Aspinall [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Litigation settlement interest expense (income) | $			$ 10