Properties, Plants, and Equipment, Net - Schedule of Properties, Plants, and Equipment, Net (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Land and land rights, including mines	$ 639	$ 676
Structures	11,890	12,198
Machinery and equipment	22,770	23,509
Properties, plants, and equipment, gross	35,299	36,383
Less: accumulated depreciation, depletion, and amortization	19,227	19,190
Properties, plants, and equipment excluding construction work-in-progress	16,072	17,193
Construction work-in-progress	1,567	1,754
Properties, plants, and equipment, net	17,639	18,947
Global Rolled Products [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Structures	1,256	1,232
Machinery and equipment	5,374	5,174
Engineered Products and Solutions [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Structures	693	678
Machinery and equipment	2,481	2,415
Other [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Structures	755	760
Machinery and equipment	859	883
Alumina [Member] | Alumina Refining [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Structures	3,049	3,319
Machinery and equipment	4,685	5,279
Alumina [Member] | Bauxite Mining [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Structures	1,591	1,563
Machinery and equipment	596	650
Primary Metals [Member] | Aluminum Smelting [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Structures	3,863	4,042
Machinery and equipment	7,674	8,114
Primary Metals [Member] | Power Generation [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Structures	683	604
Machinery and equipment	$ 1,101	$ 994