Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Operating activities
Net income attributable to the controlling and noncontrolling interests	$ 1,427	$ 2,159	$ 3,353
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	1	1,002	2,380
Income from continuing operations	1,426	1,157	973
Adjustments to reconcile to cash from operations:
Depreciation and amortization	495	476	452
Defined benefit pension expense	96	68	107
Business restructuring	140	0	98
Environmental remediation charge	0	138	101
Stock-based compensation expense	56	73	81
Equity affiliate losses/(earnings), net of dividends	63	(56)	17
Deferred income taxes	0	(89)	(16)
Cash contributions to pension plans	(289)	(41)	(174)
Restructuring cash spending	(45)	(57)	(86)
Debt refinancing charge	0	317	0
Change in certain asset and liability accounts (net of acquisitions):
Receivables	(149)	(119)	(25)
Inventories	46	(95)	44
Other current assets	(82)	(68)	(34)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	75	215	5
Noncurrent assets and liabilities, net	(100)	(130)	(17)
Taxes and interest payable	122	64	19
Other	(17)	(46)	17
Cash from operating activities - continuing operations	1,837	1,807	1,562
Cash (used for)/from operating activities - discontinued operations	0	(279)	229
Cash from operating activities	1,837	1,528	1,791
Investing activities
Additions to property and investments	(476)	(587)	(494)
Business acquisitions, net of cash balances acquired (See Note 2)	(320)	(2,113)	(983)
Net proceeds from the 2014 sale of Transitions Optical and sunlens business and the 2013 separation of the commodity chemicals business	47	1,625	940
Proceeds from maturity of short-term investments	402	1,298	1,796
Purchase of short-term investments	(97)	(1,204)	(1,227)
Payments on cross currency swap contracts	(34)	(45)	(42)
Proceeds from cross currency swap contracts	37	37	37
Proceeds from net investment hedges	19	49	0
Other	27	84	(5)
Cash (used for)/from investing activities - continuing operations	(395)	(856)	22
Cash used for investing activities - discontinued operations	0	(1)	(19)
Cash (used for)/from investing activities	(395)	(857)	3
Financing activities
Net change in borrowings with maturities of three months or less	(32)	89	(7)
Net (payments)/proceeds on commercial paper and short-term debt	(528)	932	0
Proceeds from long term debt (net of discount and issuance costs) (See Note 8)	1,242	1,163	0
Repayment of long-term debt (See Note 8)	(340)	(1,489)	(605)
Repayment of acquired debt (See Note 8)	0	(314)	0
Premium paid for redemption of securities	0	(222)	0
Purchase of treasury stock	(751)	(750)	(1,000)
Issuance of treasury stock	53	57	68
Dividends paid on PPG common stock	(383)	(361)	(345)
Other	(15)	(34)	(4)
Cash used for financing activities - continuing operations	(754)	(929)	(1,893)
Cash used for financing activities - discontinued operations	0	(40)	(86)
Cash used for financing activities	(754)	(969)	(1,979)
Effect of currency exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(63)	(132)	(5)
Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	625	(430)	(190)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year	686	1,116
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	1,311	686	1,116
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:
Interest paid, net of amount capitalized	115	218	201
Taxes paid, net of refunds	$ 383	$ 642	$ 319