Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Common Stock [Member]	Class B Convertible Common Stock [Member]	Capital In Excess of Par Value [Member]	Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit) [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Total Vishay Stockholders' Equity [Member]	Noncontrolling Interests [Member]	Total
Cumulative effect of accounting change for adoption of ASU	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 2,210	$ 0	$ 2,210	$ 0	$ 2,210
Balance at January 1, 2015 at Dec. 31, 2015	13,546	1,213	2,058,492	(319,448)	(131,327)	1,622,476	5,567	1,628,043
Net earnings (loss)	0	0	0	48,792	0	48,792	581	49,373
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	0	0	36,675	36,675	0	36,675
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0	0	0	(707)	(707)
Acquisition of noncontrolling interests								0
Share repurchase	(175)	0	(22,984)	0	0	(23,159)	0	(23,159)
Temporary equity reclassification	0	0	(88,659)	0	0	(88,659)	0	(88,659)
Restricted stock issuances	11	0	(553)	0	0	(542)	0	(542)
Dividends declared	0	0	36	(36,761)	0	(36,725)	0	(36,725)
Stock compensation expense	0	0	6,380	0	0	6,380	0	6,380
Stock options exercised	3	0	353	0	0	356	0	356
Tax effects of stock plan	0	0	(77)	0	0	(77)	0	(77)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2016	13,385	1,213	1,952,988	(305,207)	(94,652)	1,567,727	5,441	1,573,168
Cumulative effect of accounting change for adoption of ASU	0	0	0	386	0	386	0	386
Net earnings (loss)	0	0	0	(20,344)	0	(20,344)	784	(19,560)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	0	0	120,366	120,366	0	120,366
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0	0	0	(1,140)	(1,140)
Acquisition of noncontrolling interests	0	0	(1,047)	0	0	(1,047)	(3,053)	(4,100)
Share repurchase	(225)	0	(39,719)	0	0	(39,944)	0	(39,944)
Temporary equity reclassification	0	0	(163,411)	0	0	(163,411)	0	(163,411)
Restricted stock issuances	20	0	(1,991)	0	0	(1,971)	0	(1,971)
Dividends declared	0	0	40	(37,089)	0	(37,049)	0	(37,049)
Stock compensation expense	0	0	4,394	0	0	4,394	0	4,394
Stock options exercised	8	0	1,252	0	0	1,260	0	1,260
Balance at Dec. 31, 2017	13,188	1,213	1,752,506	(362,254)	25,714	1,430,367	2,032	1,432,399
Cumulative effect of accounting change for adoption of ASU	0	0	0	1,801	(1,801)	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	0	0	0	345,758	0	345,758	779	346,537
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	0	0	0	(30,704)	(30,704)	0	(30,704)
Conversions from Class B to common stock	3	(3)	0	0	0	0	0	0
Distributions to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0	0	0	(525)	(525)
Acquisition of noncontrolling interests								0
Temporary equity reclassification	0	0	2,330	0	0	2,330	0	2,330
Restricted stock issuances	21	0	(2,318)	0	0	(2,297)	0	(2,297)
Dividends declared	0	0	54	(46,563)	0	(46,509)	0	(46,509)
Stock compensation expense	0	0	4,817	0	0	4,817	0	4,817
Issuance of convertible debentures	0	0	85,262	0	0	85,262	0	85,262
Repurchase of convertible debentures	0	0	(406,640)	0	0	(406,640)	0	(406,640)
Balance at Dec. 31, 2018	$ 13,212	$ 1,210	$ 1,436,011	$ (61,258)	$ (6,791)	$ 1,382,384	$ 2,286	$ 1,384,670