Restatement of Previously Reported Consolidated Annual Financial Statements - Summary of Restatement - Statement of Income (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								6 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Net sales	$ 3,682	$ 3,776	$ 3,804	$ 3,486	$ 3,417	$ 3,660	$ 3,782	$ 3,411	$ 7,290		$ 11,066		$ 14,748	$ 14,270	$ 14,241
Cost of sales, exclusive of depreciation and amortization	2,119	2,101	2,082	1,905	1,910	1,978	1,988	1,817	3,987		6,088		8,207	7,693	7,786
Selling, general and administrative	908	902	872	882	868	893	930	897	1,754		2,656		3,564	3,588	3,584
Other charges	25	13	12	14	117	12	29	17	26		39		64	175	90
Other income	(41)	(16)	(69)	(24)	(47)	(21)	(45)	(14)	(93)		(109)		(150)	(127)	(110)
Business restructuring					191	0	0	0					0	191	136
Income before income taxes	377	523	659	446	131	(426)	630	444	1,105	$ 1,074	1,628	$ 648	2,005	779	1,745
Income tax expense	224	124	157	110	40	(220)	285	109	267		391		615	214	413
Income from continuing operations	153	399	502	336	91	(206)	345	335	838		1,237		1,390	565	1,332
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	3	217	(1)	6	253	27	31	19	5		222		225	330	95
Net income attributable to the controlling and noncontrolling interests	156	616	501	342	344	(179)	376	354	843		1,459		1,615	895	1,427
Less: net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	5	6	5	5	4	5	6	7	10		16		21	22	21
Net income (attributable to PPG)	151	610	496	337	340	(184)	370	347	833		1,443		1,594	873	1,406
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	148	393	497	331	87	(211)	339	328	828		1,221		1,369	543	1,311
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	$ 3	$ 217	$ (1)	$ 6	$ 253	$ 27	$ 31	$ 19	$ 5		$ 222		$ 225	$ 330	$ 95
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.59	$ 1.53	$ 1.93	$ 1.29	$ 0.34	$ (0.79)	$ 1.26	$ 1.23	$ 3.22		$ 4.75		$ 5.34	$ 2.05	$ 4.83
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	0.01	0.85	0.00	0.02	0.96	0.10	0.12	0.07	0.02		0.86		0.88	1.24	0.35
Net Income (attributable to PPG) (in dollars per share)	0.60	2.38	1.93	1.31	1.30	(0.69)	1.38	1.30	3.24		5.61		6.22	3.29	5.18
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	0.58	1.52	1.92	1.28	0.33	(0.79)	1.25	1.22	3.19		4.72		5.31	2.04	4.79
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	0.01	0.84	0.00	0.02	0.96	0.10	0.12	0.07	0.02		0.86		0.87	1.23	0.35
Net Income (attributable to PPG) (in dollars per share)	0.59	2.36	1.92	1.30	1.29	(0.69)	1.37	1.29	3.21		5.58		$ 6.18	$ 3.27	$ 5.14
Common stock, dividends, per share, declared	$ 0.45	$ 0.45	$ 0.40	$ 0.40	$ 0.40	$ 0.40	$ 0.40	$ 0.36	$ 0.80		$ 1.25
As Previously Reported
Net sales			$ 3,806	$ 3,486					$ 7,292		$ 11,068		$ 14,750
Cost of sales, exclusive of depreciation and amortization	$ 2,117	$ 2,100									6,087		8,204
Selling, general and administrative	912	905	865	888	$ 861				1,753		2,658		3,570	$ 3,581
Other charges				14					26		39		64
Other income	(42)		(72)		(51)				(96)		(112)		(154)	(131)
Business restructuring					195									195
Income before income taxes	376	521	671	440	138				1,111		1,632		2,008	786
Income tax expense	224	123	162	107	43				269		392		616	217
Income from continuing operations	152	398	509	333	95				842		1,240		1,392	569
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	217	(3)	6	253				3		220		220	330
Net income attributable to the controlling and noncontrolling interests	152	615	506	339	348				845		1,460		1,612	899
Less: net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(5)	(6)	(5)	(5)	(4)				(10)		(16)		21	22
Net income (attributable to PPG)	147	609	501	334	344				835		1,444		1,591	877
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	147	392	504	328	91				832		1,224		1,371	547
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0	$ 217	$ (3)	$ 6	$ 253				$ 3		$ 220		$ 220	$ 330
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.58	$ 1.53	$ 1.96	$ 1.28	$ 0.35				$ 3.23		$ 4.76		$ 5.35	$ 2.06
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	0.00	0.85	(0.01)	0.02	0.96				0.01		0.86		0.86	1.24
Net Income (attributable to PPG) (in dollars per share)	0.58	2.38	1.95	1.30	1.31				3.24		5.62		6.21	3.30
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	0.58	1.52	1.95	1.27	0.34				3.21		4.73		5.32	2.05
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	0.00	0.84	(0.01)	0.02	0.96				0.01		0.85		0.85	1.23
Net Income (attributable to PPG) (in dollars per share)	0.58	2.36	1.94	1.29	1.30				3.22		5.58		$ 6.17	$ 3.28
Common stock, dividends, per share, declared	$ 0.45	$ 0.45	$ 0.40	$ 0.40	$ 0.40				$ 0.80		$ 1.25
Restatement Adjustment
Net sales			$ (2)	$ 0					$ (2)		$ (2)		$ (2)
Cost of sales, exclusive of depreciation and amortization	$ 2	$ 1									1		3
Selling, general and administrative	(4)	(3)	7	(6)	$ 7				1		(2)		(6)	$ 7
Other charges				0					0		0		0
Other income	1		3		4				3		3		4	4
Business restructuring					(4)									(4)
Income before income taxes	1	2	(12)	6	(7)				(6)		(4)		(3)	(7)
Income tax expense	0	1	(5)	3	(3)				(2)		(1)		(1)	(3)
Income from continuing operations	1	1	(7)	3	(4)				(4)		(3)		(2)	(4)
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	3	0	2	0	0				2		2		5	0
Net income attributable to the controlling and noncontrolling interests	4	1	(5)	3	(4)				(2)		(1)		3	(4)
Less: net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0	0				0		0		0	0
Net income (attributable to PPG)	4	1	(5)	3	(4)				(2)		(1)		3	(4)
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	1	1	(7)	3	(4)				(4)		(3)		(2)	(4)
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	$ 3	$ 0	$ 2	$ 0	$ 0				$ 2		$ 2		$ 5	$ 0
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.00	$ (0.03)	$ 0.01	$ (0.01)				$ (0.01)		$ (0.01)		$ (0.01)	$ (0.01)
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	0.01	0.00	0.01	0.00	0.00				0.01		0.00		0.02	0.00
Net Income (attributable to PPG) (in dollars per share)	0.02	0.00	(0.02)	0.01	(0.01)				0.00		(0.01)		0.01	(0.01)
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	0.00	0.00	(0.03)	0.01	(0.01)				(0.02)		(0.01)		(0.01)	(0.01)
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	0.01	0.00	0.01	0.00	0.00				0.01		0.01		0.02	0.00
Net Income (attributable to PPG) (in dollars per share)	0.01	0.00	(0.02)	0.01	(0.01)				(0.01)		0.00		$ 0.01	$ (0.01)
Common stock, dividends, per share, declared	$ 0.00	$ 0.00	$ 0.00	$ 0.00	$ 0.00				$ 0.00		$ 0.00