Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements of Earnings and Comprehensive Earnings) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	$ 6,083	$ 6,066
Cost of sales	1,810	1,874
Excise taxes on products	1,494	1,536
Gross profit	2,779	2,656
Marketing, administration and research costs	528	559
Asset impairment and exit costs	4	120
Operating (expense) income	2,247	1,977
Interest and other debt expense, net	179	200
Earnings from equity investment	(23)	(66)
Gain on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination	0	(40)
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	2,091	1,883
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	689	665
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	0	0
Net earnings	1,402	1,218
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	(1)
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,401	1,217
Net earnings	1,402	1,218
Other comprehensive (losses) earnings, net of deferred income taxes	(160)	(47)	$ 1,228
Comprehensive earnings	1,242	1,171
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	(1)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,241	1,170
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Altria Group, Inc. [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0
Excise taxes on products	0	0
Gross profit	0	0
Marketing, administration and research costs	40	36
Asset impairment and exit costs	0	5
Operating (expense) income	(40)	(41)
Interest and other debt expense, net	123	129
Earnings from equity investment	(23)	(66)
Gain on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination		(40)
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	(140)	(64)
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	(72)	(49)
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	1,469	1,232
Net earnings	1,401	1,217
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,401	1,217
Net earnings	1,401	1,217
Other comprehensive (losses) earnings, net of deferred income taxes	(160)	(47)
Comprehensive earnings	1,241	1,170
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,241	1,170
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | PM USA [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	5,271	5,265
Cost of sales	1,538	1,642
Excise taxes on products	1,446	1,487
Gross profit	2,287	2,136
Marketing, administration and research costs	378	415
Asset impairment and exit costs	0	94
Operating (expense) income	1,909	1,627
Interest and other debt expense, net	0	15
Earnings from equity investment	0	0
Gain on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination		0
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	1,909	1,612
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	663	603
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	72	60
Net earnings	1,318	1,069
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,318	1,069
Net earnings	1,318	1,069
Other comprehensive (losses) earnings, net of deferred income taxes	3	(17)
Comprehensive earnings	1,321	1,052
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,321	1,052
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	820	810
Cost of sales	280	241
Excise taxes on products	48	49
Gross profit	492	520
Marketing, administration and research costs	110	108
Asset impairment and exit costs	4	21
Operating (expense) income	378	391
Interest and other debt expense, net	56	56
Earnings from equity investment	0	0
Gain on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination		0
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	322	335
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	98	111
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	0	0
Net earnings	224	224
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	(1)
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	223	223
Net earnings	224	224
Other comprehensive (losses) earnings, net of deferred income taxes	28	(156)
Comprehensive earnings	252	68
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	(1)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	251	67
Total Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	(8)	(9)
Cost of sales	(8)	(9)
Excise taxes on products	0	0
Gross profit	0	0
Marketing, administration and research costs	0	0
Asset impairment and exit costs	0	0
Operating (expense) income	0	0
Interest and other debt expense, net	0	0
Earnings from equity investment	0	0
Gain on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination		0
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	0	0
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	0	0
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	(1,541)	(1,292)
Net earnings	(1,541)	(1,292)
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	(1,541)	(1,292)
Net earnings	(1,541)	(1,292)
Other comprehensive (losses) earnings, net of deferred income taxes	(31)	173
Comprehensive earnings	(1,572)	(1,119)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	$ (1,572)	$ (1,119)