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, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	$ 6,729	$ 6,905	$ 19,475	$ 19,492
Cost of sales	1,940	2,043	5,699	5,841
Excise taxes on products	1,606	1,712	4,695	4,888
Gross profit	3,183	3,150	9,081	8,763
Marketing, administration and research costs	568	766	1,664	1,871
Asset impairment and exit costs	8	2	24	123
Operating (expense) income	2,607	2,382	7,393	6,769
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	169	179	525	571
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0	823	0	823
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev/SABMiller	(169)	(299)	(332)	(564)
Gain on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination	(37)	(48)	(445)	(205)
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	2,644	1,727	7,645	6,144
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	777	633	2,386	2,178
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net earnings	1,867	1,094	5,259	3,966
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	(1)	(3)	(3)
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,866	1,093	5,256	3,963
Net earnings	1,867	1,094	5,259	3,966
Other comprehensive earnings (losses), net of deferred income taxes	(108)	62	106	2	$ 1,228
Comprehensive earnings	1,759	1,156	5,365	3,968
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	(1)	(3)	(3)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,758	1,155	5,362	3,965
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	46	40	126	113
Asset impairment and exit costs	0	0	0	5
Operating (expense) income	(46)	(40)	(126)	(118)
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	122	129	375	393
Loss on early extinguishment of debt		823		823
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev/SABMiller	(169)	(299)	(332)	(564)
Gain on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination	(37)	(48)	(445)	(205)
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	38	(645)	276	(565)
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	(167)	(232)	(207)	(269)
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	1,661	1,506	4,773	4,259
Net earnings	1,866	1,093	5,256	3,963
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,866	1,093	5,256	3,963
Net earnings	1,866	1,093	5,256	3,963
Other comprehensive earnings (losses), net of deferred income taxes	(108)	62	106	2
Comprehensive earnings	1,758	1,155	5,362	3,965
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,758	1,155	5,362	3,965
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | PM USA [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	5,764	5,964	16,748	16,874
Cost of sales	1,659	1,767	4,875	5,084
Excise taxes on products	1,551	1,654	4,533	4,723
Gross profit	2,554	2,543	7,340	7,067
Marketing, administration and research costs	417	607	1,208	1,435
Asset impairment and exit costs	0	1	0	96
Operating (expense) income	2,137	1,935	6,132	5,536
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	(6)	(4)	(12)	13
Loss on early extinguishment of debt		0		0
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev/SABMiller	0	0	0	0
Gain on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination	0	0	0	0
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	2,143	1,939	6,144	5,523
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	776	707	2,173	2,023
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	82	77	234	217
Net earnings	1,449	1,309	4,205	3,717
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,449	1,309	4,205	3,717
Net earnings	1,449	1,309	4,205	3,717
Other comprehensive earnings (losses), net of deferred income taxes	3	4	10	(11)
Comprehensive earnings	1,452	1,313	4,215	3,706
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,452	1,313	4,215	3,706
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	974	950	2,754	2,646
Cost of sales	290	285	851	785
Excise taxes on products	55	58	162	165
Gross profit	629	607	1,741	1,696
Marketing, administration and research costs	105	119	330	323
Asset impairment and exit costs	8	1	24	22
Operating (expense) income	516	487	1,387	1,351
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	53	54	162	165
Loss on early extinguishment of debt		0		0
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev/SABMiller	0	0	0	0
Gain on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination	0	0	0	0
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	463	433	1,225	1,186
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	168	158	420	424
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net earnings	295	275	805	762
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	(1)	(3)	(3)
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	294	274	802	759
Net earnings	295	275	805	762
Other comprehensive earnings (losses), net of deferred income taxes	27	22	83	(107)
Comprehensive earnings	322	297	888	655
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	(1)	(3)	(3)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	321	296	885	652
Total Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	(9)	(9)	(27)	(28)
Cost of sales	(9)	(9)	(27)	(28)
Excise taxes on products	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Marketing, administration and research costs	0	0	0	0
Asset impairment and exit costs	0	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
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev/SABMiller	0	0	0	0
Gain on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination	0	0	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	(1,743)	(1,583)	(5,007)	(4,476)
Net earnings	(1,743)	(1,583)	(5,007)	(4,476)
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	(1,743)	(1,583)	(5,007)	(4,476)
Net earnings	(1,743)	(1,583)	(5,007)	(4,476)
Other comprehensive earnings (losses), net of deferred income taxes	(30)	(26)	(93)	118
Comprehensive earnings	(1,773)	(1,609)	(5,100)	(4,358)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	$ (1,773)	$ (1,609)	$ (5,100)	$ (4,358)