Employee Benefit Obligations - Components of net periodic benefit cost (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017
Defined Benefit Pension Plans
Ball-sponsored plans:
Service cost	$ 16	$ 15	$ 32	$ 30
Interest cost	55	20	110	39
Expected return on plan assets	(59)	(23)	(118)	(45)
Recognized net actuarial loss	10	9	20	18
Settlements/curtailments/special termination		80		80
Net periodic benefit cost	22	101	44	122
Multi-employer plans:
Net periodic benefit cost for multiemployer plans	1		2	1
Total net periodic benefit cost	23	101	46	123
Defined Benefit Pension Plan Not Including German Swedish And Certain U S Plans | unfunded plan
Multi-employer plans:
Contributions to pension plans			110	28
Defined Benefit Pension Plan Not Including German Swedish And Certain U S Plans | Forecast | unfunded plan
Multi-employer plans:
Expected contributions to pension plans for the full year					$ 190
U.S.
Ball-sponsored plans:
Service cost	12	12	24	24
Interest cost	33	15	66	30
Expected return on plan assets	(33)	(18)	(66)	(36)
Recognized net actuarial loss	9	8	18	15
Net periodic benefit cost	21	17	42	33
Multi-employer plans:
Net periodic benefit cost for multiemployer plans	1		2	1
Total net periodic benefit cost	22	17	44	34
Foreign Plans
Ball-sponsored plans:
Service cost	4	3	8	6
Interest cost	22	5	44	9
Expected return on plan assets	(26)	(5)	(52)	(9)
Recognized net actuarial loss	1	1	2	3
Settlements/curtailments/special termination		80
Net periodic benefit cost	1		2	89
Multi-employer plans:
Total net periodic benefit cost	$ 1	84	2	89
Defined Benefit German Swedish And Certain U S Plans | unfunded plan
Multi-employer plans:
Payments to participants			$ 12	9
Minimum | Defined Benefit German Swedish And Certain U S Plans | Forecast | unfunded plan
Multi-employer plans:
Expected benefit payments to plan participants for the full year					20
Maximum | Defined Benefit German Swedish And Certain U S Plans | Forecast | unfunded plan
Multi-employer plans:
Expected benefit payments to plan participants for the full year					$ 24
Divestment Business | Foreign Plans
Ball-sponsored plans:
Settlements/curtailments/special termination				$ 80
Net periodic benefit cost		$ 84