Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity - USD ($) $ in Millions	Total	Total Shareholders' Equity Attributable to CRH plc Shareholders	Preferred Stock	Common Stock	Treasury Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	Retained Earnings	Noncontrolling Interests
Shares, outstanding, beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2020			900,000	1,590,200,000
Balance at the beginning of the year at Dec. 31, 2020	$ 20,412	$ 19,765	$ 1	$ 333	$ (386)	$ 7,937	$ (344)	$ 12,224	$ 647
Treasury stock, common, shares beginning balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2020					(10,300,000)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	2,664	2,630						2,630	34
Other comprehensive loss	(116)	(81)					(81)		(35)
Share-based compensation	110	110				110
Repurchase of common stock (in shares)					(18,200,000)
Repurchases of common stock	(896)	(896)			$ (896)
Retirement of treasury stock (in shares)				(21,000,000.0)	(21,000,000.0)
Retirement of treasury stock	0			$ (8)	$ 951			(943)
Repurchase and retirement of common stock (in shares)				(795,100,000)
Repurchases and retirement of common stock	0			$ (16)		16
Reduction in additional paid-in capital	0					(7,493)		7,493
Shares issued under employee share plans (in shares)					3,800,000
Shares issued under employee share plans	13	13			$ 136	(112)		(11)
Dividends declared on common stock	(909)	(909)						(909)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(14)								(14)
Adjustment of redeemable noncontrolling interests to redemption value	(18)	(18)						(18)
Shares, outstanding, ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2021			900,000	774,100,000
Balance at the end of the year at Dec. 31, 2021	21,246	20,614	$ 1	$ 309	$ (195)	458	(425)	20,466	632
Treasury stock, common, shares ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2021					(3,700,000)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	3,862	3,862						3,862
Other comprehensive loss	(408)	(362)					(362)		(46)
Share-based compensation	$ 101	101				101
Repurchase of common stock (in shares)	(29,755,861)				(30,000,000.0)
Repurchases of common stock	$ (1,178)	(1,178)			$ (1,178)
Retirement of treasury stock (in shares)	(22,000,000)			(22,000,000.0)	(22,000,000.0)
Retirement of treasury stock	$ 0			$ (7)	$ 879			(872)
Shares issued under employee share plans (in shares)					4,000,000.0
Shares issued under employee share plans	11	11			$ 197	(116)		(70)
Dividends declared on common stock	(931)	(931)						(931)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(8)								(8)
Transactions involving noncontrolling interests	(3)								(3)
Adjustment of redeemable noncontrolling interests to redemption value	40	40						40
Shares, outstanding, ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2022			900,000	752,100,000
Balance at the end of the year at Dec. 31, 2022	$ 22,732	22,157	$ 1	$ 302	$ (297)	443	(787)	22,495	575
Treasury stock, common, shares ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2022	7,712,885				(7,700,000)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	$ 3,044	3,178						3,178	(134)
Other comprehensive loss	174	171					171		3
Share-based compensation	$ 123	123				123
Repurchase of common stock (in shares)	(54,900,928)				(38,200,000)
Repurchases of common stock	$ (2,019)	(2,019)			$ (2,019)
Retirement of treasury stock (in shares)	(17,620,740)
Repurchase and retirement of common stock (in shares)				(17,600,000)
Repurchases and retirement of common stock	$ (1,048)	(1,048)		$ (6)				(1,042)
Shares issued under employee share plans (in shares)					3,500,000
Shares issued under employee share plans	4	4			$ 117	(112)		(1)
Dividends declared on common stock	(1,688)	(1,688)						(1,688)
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	(8)								(8)
Transactions involving noncontrolling interests	(2)								(2)
Adjustment of redeemable noncontrolling interests to redemption value	(24)	(24)						(24)
Shares, outstanding, ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2023			900,000	734,500,000
Balance at the end of the year at Dec. 31, 2023	$ 21,288	$ 20,854	$ 1	$ 296	$ (2,199)	$ 454	$ (616)	$ 22,918	$ 434
Treasury stock, common, shares ending balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2023	42,419,281				(42,400,000)