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, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	$ 6,837	$ 6,729	$ 19,250	$ 19,475
Cost of sales	2,037	1,952	5,509	5,719
Excise taxes on products	1,545	1,606	4,409	4,695
Gross profit	3,255	3,171	9,332	9,061
Marketing, administration and research costs	700	574	1,959	1,681
Asset impairment and exit costs	(2)	8	2	24
Operating (expense) income	2,557	2,589	7,371	7,356
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	159	169	503	525
Net periodic benefit income, excluding service cost	(21)	(18)	(37)	(37)
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev	(189)	(169)	(759)	(332)
Loss (gain) on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination	0	(37)	33	(445)
Earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	2,608	2,644	7,631	7,645
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	664	777	1,915	2,386
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net earnings	1,944	1,867	5,716	5,259
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	(1)	(3)	(3)
Net earnings attributable to Altria	1,943	1,866	5,713	5,256
Net earnings	1,944	1,867	5,716	5,259
Other comprehensive (losses) earnings, net of deferred income taxes	(382)	(108)	(137)	106	$ 155
Comprehensive earnings	1,562	1,759	5,579	5,365
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	(1)	(3)	(3)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria	1,561	1,758	5,576	5,362
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	45	46	122	125
Asset impairment and exit costs	0	0	0	0
Operating (expense) income	(45)	(46)	(122)	(125)
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	127	122	378	375
Net periodic benefit income, excluding service cost	1	0	3	1
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev	(189)	(169)	(759)	(332)
Loss (gain) on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination		(37)	33	(445)
Earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	16	38	223	276
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	21	(167)	67	(207)
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	1,948	1,661	5,557	4,773
Net earnings	1,943	1,866	5,713	5,256
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria	1,943	1,866	5,713	5,256
Net earnings	1,943	1,866	5,713	5,256
Other comprehensive (losses) earnings, net of deferred income taxes	(382)	(108)	(137)	106
Comprehensive earnings	1,561	1,758	5,576	5,362
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria	1,561	1,758	5,576	5,362
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | PM USA [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	5,811	5,764	16,339	16,748
Cost of sales	1,736	1,668	4,666	4,888
Excise taxes on products	1,491	1,551	4,245	4,533
Gross profit	2,584	2,545	7,428	7,327
Marketing, administration and research costs	491	422	1,400	1,223
Asset impairment and exit costs	0	0	0	0
Operating (expense) income	2,093	2,123	6,028	6,104
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	(20)	(6)	(37)	(12)
Net periodic benefit income, excluding service cost	(18)	(14)	(33)	(28)
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev	0	0	0	0
Loss (gain) on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination		0	0	0
Earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	2,131	2,143	6,098	6,144
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	539	776	1,537	2,173
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	119	82	310	234
Net earnings	1,711	1,449	4,871	4,205
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria	1,711	1,449	4,871	4,205
Net earnings	1,711	1,449	4,871	4,205
Other comprehensive (losses) earnings, net of deferred income taxes	2	3	10	10
Comprehensive earnings	1,713	1,452	4,881	4,215
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria	1,713	1,452	4,881	4,215
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	1,035	974	2,938	2,754
Cost of sales	310	293	870	858
Excise taxes on products	54	55	164	162
Gross profit	671	626	1,904	1,734
Marketing, administration and research costs	164	106	437	333
Asset impairment and exit costs	(2)	8	2	24
Operating (expense) income	509	512	1,465	1,377
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	52	53	162	162
Net periodic benefit income, excluding service cost	(4)	(4)	(7)	(10)
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev	0	0	0	0
Loss (gain) on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination		0	0	0
Earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	461	463	1,310	1,225
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	104	168	311	420
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net earnings	357	295	999	805
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	(1)	(3)	(3)
Net earnings attributable to Altria	356	294	996	802
Net earnings	357	295	999	805
Other comprehensive (losses) earnings, net of deferred income taxes	36	27	109	83
Comprehensive earnings	393	322	1,108	888
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	(1)	(3)	(3)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria	392	321	1,105	885
Total Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	(9)	(9)	(27)	(27)
Cost of sales	(9)	(9)	(27)	(27)
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
Net periodic benefit income, excluding service cost	0	0	0	0
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev	0	0	0	0
Loss (gain) on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination		0	0	0
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	(2,067)	(1,743)	(5,867)	(5,007)
Net earnings	(2,067)	(1,743)	(5,867)	(5,007)
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria	(2,067)	(1,743)	(5,867)	(5,007)
Net earnings	(2,067)	(1,743)	(5,867)	(5,007)
Other comprehensive (losses) earnings, net of deferred income taxes	(38)	(30)	(119)	(93)
Comprehensive earnings	(2,105)	(1,773)	(5,986)	(5,100)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria	$ (2,105)	$ (1,773)	$ (5,986)	$ (5,100)