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Shareholder's Equity Shareholder's Equity (Narrative)(Details) (USD $)
Share data in Millions, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2015
Jan. 31, 2014
Jan. 31, 2013
Jun. 04, 2010
Jun. 06, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]          
Share-based compensation expense $ 462,000,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense $ 388,000,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense $ 378,000,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense    
Income tax benefit recognized for share-based compensation 173,000,000us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitFromCompensationExpense 145,000,000us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitFromCompensationExpense 142,000,000us-gaap_EmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationTaxBenefitFromCompensationExpense    
Number of shares registered under the Securities Act of 1933       210us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardNumberOfSharesAuthorized  
Restricted stock and performance share units          
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]          
Share-based compensation expense 157,000,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= wmt_RestrictedStockAndPerformanceShareAwardsMember
141,000,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= wmt_RestrictedStockAndPerformanceShareAwardsMember
152,000,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= wmt_RestrictedStockAndPerformanceShareAwardsMember
   
Restricted stock and performance share units | Minimum          
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]          
Restricted stock and performance share awards vesting percentages 0.00%wmt_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardVestingPercentage
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= wmt_RestrictedStockAndPerformanceShareAwardsMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
       
Restricted stock and performance share awards vesting periods, in years 1 year        
Restricted stock and performance share units | Maximum          
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]          
Restricted stock and performance share awards vesting percentages 150.00%wmt_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardVestingPercentage
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= wmt_RestrictedStockAndPerformanceShareAwardsMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
       
Restricted stock and performance share awards vesting periods, in years 3 years        
Restricted stock units          
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]          
Share-based compensation expense 277,000,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
224,000,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
195,000,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
   
Restricted stock units vesting percentage, 3 years 50.00%wmt_Sharebasedcompensationarrangementbysharebasedpaymentawardvestingpercentageyear3
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
       
Restricted stock units vesting percentage, 5 years 50.00%wmt_Sharebasedcompensationarrangementbysharebasedpaymentawardvestingpercentageyear5
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
       
Weighted average discount for dividend yield 9.50%wmt_WeightedAverageDiscountForDividendYield
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
10.30%wmt_WeightedAverageDiscountForDividendYield
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
12.20%wmt_WeightedAverageDiscountForDividendYield
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_RestrictedStockMember
   
Restricted stock units | Minimum          
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]          
Restricted stock and performance share awards vesting periods, in years 3 years        
Restricted stock units | Maximum          
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]          
Restricted stock and performance share awards vesting periods, in years 5 years        
Other          
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]          
Share-based compensation expense 28,000,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_StockOptionMember
23,000,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_StockOptionMember
31,000,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis
= us-gaap_StockOptionMember
   
2013 Share repurchase program          
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]          
Share repurchase program, authorized amount         15,000,000,000us-gaap_StockRepurchaseProgramAuthorizedAmount1
/ us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis
= wmt_TwoThousandAndThirteenShareRepurchaseProgramMember
Stock repurchase program, remaining authorized repurchase amount 10,300,000,000us-gaap_StockRepurchaseProgramRemainingAuthorizedRepurchaseAmount1
/ us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis
= wmt_TwoThousandAndThirteenShareRepurchaseProgramMember
       
2011 Share repurchase program          
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]          
Share repurchase program, authorized amount         15,000,000,000us-gaap_StockRepurchaseProgramAuthorizedAmount1
/ us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis
= wmt_TwoThousandAndElevenShareRepurchaseProgramMember
Stock repurchase program, remaining authorized repurchase amount         $ 712,000,000us-gaap_StockRepurchaseProgramRemainingAuthorizedRepurchaseAmount1
/ us-gaap_ShareRepurchaseProgramAxis
= wmt_TwoThousandAndElevenShareRepurchaseProgramMember