Earnings Per Share Attributable to Common Shareholders - Basic Numerator (Detail) (USD $) In Millions	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Jul. 03, 2011		Jul. 04, 2010		Jul. 03, 2011		Jul. 04, 2010
EPS Numerator-Basic:
Income from continuing operations	$ 2,588		$ 2,454		$ 4,812		$ 4,468
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	8		10		20		19
Income from continuing operations attributable to Pfizer Inc.	2,580		2,444		4,792		4,449
Less: Preferred stock dividends-net of tax			1		1		1
Income from continuing operations attributable to Pfizer Inc. common shareholders	2,580		2,443		4,791		4,448
Discontinued operations-net of tax	30		31		40		52
Net income attributable to Pfizer Inc. common shareholders	$ 2,610		$ 2,474		$ 4,831		$ 4,500
EPS Denominator:
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding-Basic	7,875		8,046		7,929		8,053
Common-share equivalents: stock options, stock issuable under employee compensation plans and convertible preferred stock	60		26		51		32
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding-Diluted	7,935		8,072		7,980		8,085
Stock options that had exercise prices greater than the average market price of our common stock issuable under employee compensation plans	280	[1]	427	[1]	281	[1]	427	[1]

[1] These common stock equivalents were outstanding during the three and six months ended July 3, 2011 and July 4, 2010, but were not included in the computation of diluted EPS for those periods because their inclusion would have had an anti-dilutive effect.