Contingencies (Overview of Altria Group, Inc. and/or PM USA Tobacco-Related Litigation - Narrative) (Details) $ in Millions		1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			159 Months Ended	228 Months Ended
	Jan. 29, 2018 case	May 31, 2001 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) case	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) case	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) case	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) case	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) case
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Litigation settlement interest expense (income) | $			$ 9	$ 6	$ 13
Health Care Cost Recovery Actions [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending			1	1	1	1	1
Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending			4	5	5	4	4
Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Judgments paid | $						$ 99
Litigation settlement interest expense (income) | $						$ 22
Individual Smoking And Health Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending			92	70	65	92	92
Tobacco and Health Judgment [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Judgments paid | $						$ 490
Litigation settlement interest expense (income) | $						184
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Amounts placed in escrow | $		$ 500
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of verdicts returned							63
Number of favorable verdicts							42
Number of unfavorable verdicts							21
Number of claims resolved							18
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] | Alaska [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | California [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							7
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Connecticut [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Florida [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							10
Number cases with granted new trial			1			1	1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Louisiana [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Massachusetts [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							2
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Mississippi [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Missouri [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							4
Philip Morris USA [Member] | New Hampshire [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | New Jersey [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | New York [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							5
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Ohio [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							2
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Pennsylvania [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Rhode Island [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Tennessee [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							2
Philip Morris USA [Member] | West Virginia [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							2
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases set for trial	3
Number of verdicts returned	116
Number of favorable verdicts	45
Number of unfavorable verdicts	61
Loss contingency, unfavorable verdicts pending/reversed	8
Loss contingency, verdict reversed, number	2
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] | Engle Progeny Cases, Federal [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending	12
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Canada [Member] | 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 [Member] | 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 [Member] | 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 | $			$ 61			$ 61	$ 61
Lights Ultra Lights Class Actions, Aspinall [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Litigation settlement interest expense (income) | $			$ 10