Employee benefits - Evolution of assets fair value (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Overfunded pension plans \| Fair value of assets
Evolution of assets fair value
Fair value of plan assets as at beginning of the year	$ 4,737	$ 4,828
Interest income	416	406
Employer contributions	27	35
Participant contributions		2
Benefits paid	(433)	(296)
Return on plan assets (excluding interest income)	757	479
Translation adjustment	(200)	(717)
Fair value of plan assets as at end of the year	5,304	4,737
Underfunded pension plans
Evolution of assets fair value
Fair value of plan assets as at beginning of the year	(656)
Fair value of plan assets as at end of the year	(695)	(656)
Underfunded pension plans \| Fair value of assets
Evolution of assets fair value
Fair value of plan assets as at beginning of the year	3,273	3,776
Interest income	123	127
Employer contributions	56	49
Benefits paid	(247)	(247)
Return on plan assets (excluding interest income)	382	(145)
Translation adjustment	139	(287)
Fair value of plan assets as at end of the year	3,726	3,273
Other benefits
Evolution of assets fair value
Fair value of plan assets as at beginning of the year	(1,280)
Fair value of plan assets as at end of the year	(1,504)	(1,280)
Other benefits \| Fair value of assets
Evolution of assets fair value
Employer contributions	62	60
Benefits paid	$ (62)	$ (60)

The decrease (increase) in net defined benefit liability (asset) resulting from contributions to a defined benefit plan by the employer. [Refer: Net defined benefit liability (asset); Defined benefit plans [member]]

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IAS
-Number 19
-IssueDate 2019-01-01
-Paragraph 141
-Subparagraph f
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- Definition

The decrease (increase) in the net defined benefit liability (asset) resulting from contributions to a defined benefit plan by plan participants. [Refer: Net defined benefit liability (asset); Defined benefit plans [member]]

+ References

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- Definition

Line items represent concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes of the table.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

The increase (decrease) in the net defined benefit liability (asset) resulting from changes in foreign exchange rates. [Refer: Net defined benefit liability (asset)]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IAS
-Number 19
-IssueDate 2019-01-01
-Paragraph 141
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- Definition

The increase (decrease) in the net defined benefit liability (asset) resulting from the passage of time. [Refer: Interest expense; Net defined benefit liability (asset)]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IAS
-Number 19
-IssueDate 2019-01-01
-Paragraph 141
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- Definition

The amount of deficit or surplus in a defined benefit plan, adjusted for any effect of limiting a net defined benefit asset to the asset ceiling. [Refer: Defined benefit plans [member]]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IAS
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-IssueDate 2019-01-01
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The decrease (increase) in the net defined benefit liability (asset) resulting from payments from the plan. [Refer: Net defined benefit liability (asset)]

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Name IAS
-Number 19
-IssueDate 2019-01-01
-Paragraph 141
-Subparagraph g
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- Definition

The decrease (increase) in the net defined benefit liability (asset) resulting from the return on plan assets, excluding amounts included in interest income or expense. The return on plans assets is interest, dividends and other revenue derived from the plan assets, together with realised and unrealised gains or losses on the plan assets, less any costs of managing plan assets and less any tax payable by the plan itself, other than tax included in the actuarial assumptions used to measure the present value of the defined benefit obligation. [Refer: Plan assets [member]; Net defined benefit liability (asset); Actuarial assumptions [member]; Interest expense (income), net defined benefit liability (asset)]

+ References

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