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Derivative Financial Instruments (Narrative) (Details)
12 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2015
USD ($)
Jan. 31, 2014
USD ($)
Jan. 31, 2015
Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
USD ($)
Jan. 31, 2014
Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
USD ($)
Jan. 31, 2015
Net Investment Hedging [Member]
United Kingdom [Member]
GBP (£)
Jan. 31, 2014
Net Investment Hedging [Member]
United Kingdom [Member]
GBP (£)
Jan. 31, 2015
Net Investment Hedging [Member]
JAPAN
JPY (¥)
Jan. 31, 2014
Net Investment Hedging [Member]
JAPAN
JPY (¥)
Derivative [Line Items]                
Derivative Liability, Collateral, Right to Reclaim Cash, Offset $ 323,000,000us-gaap_DerivativeLiabilityCollateralRightToReclaimCashOffset $ 641,000,000us-gaap_DerivativeLiabilityCollateralRightToReclaimCashOffset            
Threshold of derivative liability position requiring cash collateral 150,000,000wmt_ThresholdOfDerivativeLiabilityPositionRequiringCashCollateral              
Debt designated as United Kingdom net investment hedge         2,500,000,000wmt_DebtDesignatedAsUnitedKingdomInvestmentHedge
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis
= us-gaap_NetInvestmentHedgingMember
/ invest_InvestmentGeographicRegionAxis
= country_GB
2,500,000,000wmt_DebtDesignatedAsUnitedKingdomInvestmentHedge
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis
= us-gaap_NetInvestmentHedgingMember
/ invest_InvestmentGeographicRegionAxis
= country_GB
   
Cash payments received from/(paid to) counterparties     96,000,000wmt_Cashpaymentsreceivedfrompaidtocounterparties
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= us-gaap_CashFlowHedgingMember
(74,000,000)wmt_Cashpaymentsreceivedfrompaidtocounterparties
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis
= us-gaap_CashFlowHedgingMember
       
Debt designated as Japanese net investment hedge             ¥ 100,000,000,000wmt_DebtDesignatedAsJapaneseInvestmentHedge
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis
= us-gaap_NetInvestmentHedgingMember
/ invest_InvestmentGeographicRegionAxis
= country_JP
¥ 200,000,000,000wmt_DebtDesignatedAsJapaneseInvestmentHedge
/ us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis
= us-gaap_NetInvestmentHedgingMember
/ invest_InvestmentGeographicRegionAxis
= country_JP