Represents additional contribution to collaboration

No definition available.

Name:	abbv_AdditionalContributionToCollaboration
Namespace Prefix:	abbv_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Additional Contribution to Collaboration By Partner

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	abbv_AdditionalContributionToCollaborationByPartner
Namespace Prefix:	abbv_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of additional payments that could be required for the achievement of certain milestones under a product agreement during the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	abbv_PotentialPaymentsUnderAgreementCertainMilestones
Namespace Prefix:	abbv_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Price of a single share of a number of saleable stocks paid or offered to be paid in a business combination.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionSharePrice
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	dtr-types:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of consideration transferred, consisting of acquisition-date fair value of assets transferred by the acquirer, liabilities incurred by the acquirer, and equity interest issued by the acquirer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 30
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116859721&loc=d3e6613-128477

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120321790&loc=d3e6927-128479

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 30
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=116859721&loc=d3e6578-128477

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

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.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_CollaborativeArrangementsAndNoncollaborativeArrangementTransactionsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The net amount of other operating income and expenses, the components of which are not separately disclosed on the income statement, from items that are associated with the entity's normal revenue producing operations.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherOperatingIncomeExpenseNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of cash outflow to acquire investments classified as other.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 13
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123570139&loc=d3e3213-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireOtherInvestments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of the write-off for research and development assets that were acquired in a transaction other than a business combination.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66006027&loc=d3e16265-109275

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentAssetAcquiredOtherThanThroughBusinessCombinationWrittenOff
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	srt_StatementScenarioAxis=srt_ScenarioForecastMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis=abbv_SolitonIncMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_CounterpartyNameAxis=abbv_TeneoOneMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_TypeOfArrangementAxis=us-gaap_CollaborativeArrangementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=us-gaap_InProcessResearchAndDevelopmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_RangeAxis=srt_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_CounterpartyNameAxis=abbv_CalicoLifeSciencesLLCMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_CounterpartyNameAxis=abbv_REGENXBIOIncMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_CounterpartyNameAxis=abbv_GenmabASMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Licensing, Acquisitions, and Other Arrangements - Other Licensing & Acquisitions Activity (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions		3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Nov. 02, 2021	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2021	Sep. 30, 2020
Collaborative and license agreements
Cash outflows related to other acquisitions and investments					$ (837)	$ (1,072)
Acquired in-process research and development		$ 390	$ 45		557	898
Additional contribution from Calico		500
Other operating expense, net		500	$ 0		432	$ 0
Forecast \| Soliton, Inc.
Collaborative and license agreements
Cash per share received by Soliton shareholders (in dollars per share)	$ 22.60
Total consideration	$ 550
TeneoOne and TNB-383B \| Collaborative arrangement \| In-process research and development
Collaborative and license agreements
Acquired in-process research and development		400
TeneoOne and TNB-383B \| Collaborative arrangement \| Maximum
Collaborative and license agreements
Potential payments under agreement certain milestones		250			$ 250
Calico Life Sciences LLC \| Collaborative arrangement
Collaborative and license agreements
Additional contribution from AbbVie		500
Other operating expense, net		$ 500
REGENXBIO Inc. \| Collaborative arrangement \| Forecast \| In-process research and development
Collaborative and license agreements
Acquired in-process research and development	370
REGENXBIO Inc. \| Collaborative arrangement \| Maximum \| Forecast
Collaborative and license agreements
Potential payments under agreement certain milestones	$ 1,400
Genmab A/S \| Collaborative arrangement \| In-process research and development
Collaborative and license agreements
Acquired in-process research and development				$ 750
Genmab A/S \| Collaborative arrangement \| Maximum
Collaborative and license agreements
Potential payments under agreement certain milestones				$ 3,200