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Represents the fair value of plan assets (net of liabilities other than for benefits) measured on a recurring basis using the fair value hierarchy. Excludes plan assets and liabilities not measured at fair value.

No definition available.

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The percentage of domestic pension plan equity investments that are actively managed.

No definition available.

Name:	bmy_DefinedBenefitPlanPercentageEquityInvestmentsActivelyManaged
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This element represents the percentage of employer common stock in total pension and postretirement plan assets.

No definition available.

Name:	bmy_DefinedBenefitPlanPercentagePlanInvestmentsEmployerStock
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Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

No definition available.

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Assets, usually stocks, bonds, and other investments, that have been segregated and restricted (usually in a trust) to provide benefits, at their fair value as of the measurement date. Plan assets include amounts contributed by the employer (and by employees for a contributory plan) and amounts earned from investing the contributions, less benefits paid. If a plan has liabilities other than for benefits, those non-benefit obligations may be considered as reductions of plan assets.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 30
-Section 35
-Paragraph 50
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49178875&loc=d3e12355-114930

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=58740216&loc=d3e1928-114920

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Target allocation of investments of this type to total plan assets presented on a weighted average basis.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (c)(i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=58740216&loc=d3e2446-114920

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (d)(i)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=58740216&loc=d3e1928-114920

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A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

No definition available.

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Amount of gain (loss) recognized in the income statement for financial instrument classified as an asset measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36462937&loc=d3e19207-110258

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Amount of purchases, (sales), issuances and (settlements) of financial instrument classified as an asset measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph c
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36462937&loc=d3e19207-110258

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Fair value of financial instrument classified as an asset measured using unobservable inputs that reflect the entity's own assumption about the assumptions market participants would use in pricing.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 820
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=36462937&loc=d3e19207-110258

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Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanByPlanAssetCategoriesAxis=bmy_InsuranceContractsMember
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Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanByPlanAssetCategoriesAxis=us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesMember
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