Business Segment Information (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) segment	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Business Segment Information
Number of reportable segments | segment										5
Segment Reporting Information, Revenue for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Net sales	$ 2,523.0	$ 2,752.0	$ 2,030.0	$ 1,756.0	$ 1,805.0	$ 2,097.0	$ 2,172.0	$ 1,923.0		$ 9,061.0	$ 7,997.0	$ 8,570.0
Segment Reporting Information, Operating Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Reportable segment comparable operating earnings										1,068.0	864.0	954.0
Reconciling items
Other										(92.0)	(63.0)	(34.0)
Business consolidation and other activities		63.0	(28.0)							(337.0)	(195.0)	(81.0)
Amortization of acquired Rexam intangibles										(104.0)	(39.0)	(41.0)
Cost of sales associated with Rexam inventory step-up										(84.0)
Egyptian pound devaluation										(27.0)
Earnings before interest and taxes		132.0	279.0							463.0	606.0	839.0
Interest expense										(229.0)	(143.0)	(160.0)
Debt refinancing and other costs										(109.0)	(117.0)	(33.0)
Total interest expense										(338.0)	(260.0)	(193.0)
Earnings before taxes	92.0	50.0	192.0	(209.0)	63.0	17.0	238.0	28.0		125.0	346.0	646.0
Tax (provision) benefit		(23.0)	114.0							126.0	(47.0)	(150.0)
Equity in results of affiliates, net of tax										15.0	4.0	2.0
Net earnings		34.0	307.0							266.0	303.0	498.0
Less net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests										(3.0)	(22.0)	(28.0)
Net earnings attributable to Ball Corporation	52.0	$ 31.0	$ 307.0	$ (127.0)	55.0	$ 45.0	$ 160.0	$ 21.0		263.0	281.0	470.0
Undistributed corporate expenses										110.0	93.0	86.0
Segment depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization										453.0	286.0	281.0
Segment property, plant and equipment
Capital expenditures										606.0	528.0	391.0
Segment Assets
Assets	$ 16,173.0				$ 9,697.0					16,173.0	9,697.0
Aerospace
Reconciling items
Business consolidation and other activities											1.0	(14.0)
Other
Segment Reporting Information, Revenue for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Net sales										531.0	444.0	460.0
Segment depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization										50.0	26.0	26.0
Segment property, plant and equipment
Capital expenditures										92.0	42.0	46.0
Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information, Revenue for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Net sales										8,530.0	7,553.0	8,110.0
Segment depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization										403.0	260.0	255.0
Segment property, plant and equipment
Capital expenditures										514.0	486.0	345.0
Operating Segments | Beverage packaging, North And Central America
Segment Reporting Information, Revenue for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Net sales										3,612.0	3,202.0	3,187.0
Segment Reporting Information, Operating Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Reportable segment comparable operating earnings										469.0	402.0	388.0
Reconciling items
Business consolidation and other activities										(20.0)	(19.0)	(11.0)
Segment depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization										117.0	73.0	72.0
Segment property, plant and equipment
Capital expenditures										234.0	250.0	101.0
Operating Segments | Beverage packaging, South America
Segment Reporting Information, Revenue for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Net sales										1,014.0	591.0	588.0
Segment Reporting Information, Operating Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Reportable segment comparable operating earnings										185.0	80.0	95.0
Reconciling items
Business consolidation and other activities										(15.0)	(3.0)
Segment depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization										78.0	41.0	37.0
Segment property, plant and equipment
Capital expenditures										33.0	25.0	23.0
Operating Segments | Beverage packaging, Europe
Segment Reporting Information, Revenue for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Net sales										1,915.0	1,653.0	1,896.0
Segment Reporting Information, Operating Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Reportable segment comparable operating earnings										217.0	192.0	223.0
Reconciling items
Business consolidation and other activities										(24.0)	(10.0)	(9.0)
Segment depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization										121.0	60.0	63.0
Segment property, plant and equipment
Capital expenditures										126.0	122.0	109.0
Operating Segments | Food and aerosol packaging
Segment Reporting Information, Revenue for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Net sales										1,171.0	1,297.0	1,504.0
Segment Reporting Information, Operating Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Reportable segment comparable operating earnings										109.0	108.0	154.0
Reconciling items
Business consolidation and other activities										(26.0)		(42.0)
Segment depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization										57.0	59.0	57.0
Segment property, plant and equipment
Capital expenditures										80.0	61.0	82.0
Operating Segments | Aerospace
Segment Reporting Information, Revenue for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Net sales										818.0	810.0	935.0
Segment Reporting Information, Operating Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Reportable segment comparable operating earnings										88.0	82.0	94.0
Segment depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization										30.0	27.0	26.0
Segment property, plant and equipment
Capital expenditures										41.0	$ 28.0	$ 30.0
Rexam
Segment Reporting Information, Revenue for Reportable Segment [Abstract]
Net sales										2,300.0
Reconciling items
Amortization of acquired Rexam intangibles										$ (65.0)
Cost of sales associated with Rexam inventory step-up									$ (84.0)