Earnings Per Share Attributable to Common Shareholders - Basic Numerator (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012		Oct. 02, 2011		Sep. 30, 2012		Oct. 02, 2011
EPS Numerator-Basic
Income from continuing operations	$ 3,110		$ 2,325		$ 8,028		$ 6,982
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	6		11		22		31
Income from continuing operations attributable to Pfizer Inc.	3,104		2,314		8,006		6,951
Less: Preferred stock dividends-net of tax	1		0		1		1
Income from continuing operations attributable to Pfizer Inc. common shareholders	3,103		2,314		8,005		6,950
Discontinued operations-net of tax	104		1,424		249		1,619
Net income attributable to Pfizer Inc. common shareholders	$ 3,207		$ 3,738		$ 8,254		$ 8,569
EPS Denominator
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding-Basic	7,436	[1]	7,770	[1]	7,483	[1]	7,877	[1]
Common-share equivalents: stock options, stock issuable under employee compensation plans and convertible preferred stock	72		40		67		48
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding-Diluted	7,508	[1]	7,810	[1]	7,550	[1]	7,925	[1]
Stock options that had exercise prices greater than the average market price of our common stock issuable under employee compensation plans	180	[2]	342	[2]	180	[2]	279	[2]

[1] EPS amounts may not add due to rounding.

[2] These common stock equivalents were outstanding for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 and October 2, 2011, but were not included in the computation of diluted EPS for those periods because their inclusion would have had an anti-dilutive effect.