Contingencies (Overview of Altria Group, Inc. and/or PM USA Tobacco-Related Litigation - Narrative) (Details) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended				171 Months Ended	241 Months Ended
	Jan. 29, 2019 case	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) case	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) case	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) case	Dec. 31, 2015 case	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) case	Jan. 29, 2019 case
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Litigation settlement interest expense (income) | $		$ 0	$ 9	$ 6
Health Care Cost Recovery Actions [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending		1	1	1		1
Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending		2	4	5		2
Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Judgments paid | $						$ 186
Litigation settlement interest expense (income) | $						$ 33
Individual Smoking And Health Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending		100	92	70		100
Tobacco and Health Judgment [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Judgments paid | $						$ 578
Litigation settlement interest expense (income) | $						$ 195
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases, Federal [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of claims resolved					415
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases set for trial	10						10
Number of verdicts returned	126
Number of favorable verdicts	47
Number of unfavorable verdicts	69
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Individual Smoking And Health Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases set for trial	0						0
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of verdicts returned							65
Number of favorable verdicts							43
Number of unfavorable verdicts							22
Number of claims resolved							19
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases, Federal [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending	7						7
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Alaska [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							1
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | California [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							7
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Connecticut [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							1
Subsequent Event [Member] | 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
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Louisiana [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							1
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Massachusetts [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							3
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Mississippi [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							1
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Missouri [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							4
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | New Hampshire [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							1
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | New Jersey [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							1
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | New York [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							5
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Ohio [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							2
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Pennsylvania [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							1
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Rhode Island [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							1
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Tennessee [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts							2
Subsequent Event [Member] | 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] | Canada [Member] | Health Care Cost Recovery Actions [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending	10						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						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						7
Pending Litigation [Member] | Florida [Member] | Individual Smoking And Health Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending		37				37
Pending Litigation [Member] | Massachusetts [Member] | Individual Smoking And Health Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending		30				30
Pending Litigation [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Assets [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Security posted for appeal of judgments | $		$ 100				$ 100