Earnings Per Share Attributable To International Paper Company Common Shareholders (Reconciliation Of Earnings Per Share) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013		Sep. 30, 2013		Jun. 30, 2013		Mar. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Sep. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2012		Mar. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Line Items]
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations																	$ 1,350		$ 749		$ 1,273
Effect of dilutive securities																	0		0		0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations –assuming dilution																	$ 1,350		$ 749		$ 1,273
Average common shares outstanding																	443.3		435.2		432.2
Average common shares outstanding – assuming dilution																	448.1		440.2		437.0
Basic earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations	$ 0.98	[1]	$ 0.88	[2]	$ 0.53	[3]	$ 0.66	[4]	$ 0.52	[5]	$ 0.51	[6]	$ 0.27	[7]	$ 0.42	[8]	$ 3.05	[1],[2],[3],[4]	$ 1.72	[5],[6],[7],[8]	$ 2.95
Diluted earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations	$ 0.97	[1]	$ 0.87	[2]	$ 0.52	[3]	$ 0.65	[4]	$ 0.51	[5]	$ 0.51	[6]	$ 0.27	[7]	$ 0.42	[8]	$ 3.01	[1],[2],[3],[4]	$ 1.70	[5],[6],[7],[8]	$ 2.92
Restricted Stock Performance Share Plan [Member]
Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Line Items]
Effect of dilutive securities (a)																	4.5	[9]	5.0	[9]	4.8	[9]
Stock Option [Member]
Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Line Items]
Effect of dilutive securities (a)																	0.3	[10],[9]	0	[10],[9]	0	[10],[9]

[1] Includes a pre-tax charge of $12 million ($7 million after taxes) for integration costs associated with the acquisition of Temple-Inland, a pre-tax charge of $67 million ($41 million after taxes) for costs associated with the announced shutdown of our Courtland mill, a pre-tax charge of $8 million ($5 million after taxes) for costs associated with the spin-off of the xpedx operations, a pre-tax charge of $4 million ($3 million after taxes) for costs associated with the restructuring of the Asia Box operations, a pre-tax charge of $400 million ($366 million after taxes) for the impairment of goodwill in the Company's xpedx business, a pre-tax charge of $127 million ($122 million after taxes) for the impairment of goodwill and a trade name intangible asset of the Company's India Papers business, a pre- tax charge of $2 million ($1 million after taxes) for an adjustment associated with the Company's divestiture of the Shorewood operations, and a net pre-tax loss of $0 million ($1 million after taxes) for other items.

[2] Includes a pre-tax charge of $24 million ($15 million after taxes) for integration costs associated with the acquisition of Temple-Inland, a pre-tax charge of $51 million ($31 million after taxes) for costs associated with the announced shutdown of our Courtland mill, a pre-tax charge of $15 million ($9 million after taxes) for debt extinguishment costs, a pre-tax charge of $6 million ($4 million after taxes for costs associated with the restructuring of our xpedx operations, a pre-tax charge of $11 million ($7 million after taxes) for costs associated with the spin-off of the xpedx operations, a pre-tax gain of $9 million ($6 million after taxes) associated with the sale of the Bellevue box plant facility which was closed in 2010, a pre-tax charge of $1 million ($0 million after taxes) for costs associated with the divestiture of three containerboard mills in 2012 and charges of $2 million (before and after taxes) for other items.

[3] Includes a pre-tax charge of $6 million ($4 million after taxes) for an environmental reserve related to the Company's property in Cass Lake, Minnesota, a pre-tax charge of $14 million ($8 million after taxes) for integration costs associated with the acquisition of Temple-Inland, a pre-tax charge of $9 million ($5 million after taxes) to adjust the value of two Company airplanes to market value, a pre-tax gain of $30 million ($19 million after taxes) for insurance reimbursements related to the 2012 Guaranty Bank legal settlement, a pre-tax charge of $3 million ($2 million after taxes) for debt extinguishment costs, a pre-tax charge of $17 million ($10 million after taxes) for costs associated with the restructuring of our xpedx operations, a pre-tax charge of $3 million ($2 million after taxes) for costs associated with the spin-off of the xpedx operations, a gain of $13 million (before and after taxes) related to a bargain purchase adjustment on the first-quarter 2013 acquisition of a majority share of our operations in Turkey, and charges of $3 million (before and after taxes) for other items.

[4] Includes a pre-tax charge of $12 million ($8 million after taxes) for integration costs associated with the acquisition of Temple-Inland, a pre-tax charge of $44 million ($27 million after taxes) for costs associated with the permanent shutdown of a paper machine at our Augusta mill, a pre-tax charge of $6 million ($4 million after taxes) for debt extinguishment costs, a pre-tax charge of $7 million ($4 million after taxes) for costs associated with the restructuring of our xpedx operations, interest income of $6 million ($4 million after taxes) related to the closing of a U.S. federal income tax audit, and pre-tax charges of $2 million ($1 million after taxes) for other items.

[5] Includes a pre-tax charge of $28 million ($19 million after taxes) for integration costs associated with the acquisition of Temple-Inland, a pre-tax charge of $9 million ($6 million after taxes) for debt extinguishment costs, a pre-tax charge of $7 million ($4 million after taxes) for costs associated with the restructuring of our xpedx operations, a gain of $2 million (before and after taxes) for proceeds associated with the 2010 sale of the Arizona Chemical business, a gain of $2 million (before and after taxes) for adjustments related to the sale of the Company's Shorewood operations, a charge of $1 million (before and after taxes) for costs associated with the containerboard mill divestitures, and pre-tax charges of $5 million ($4 million after taxes) for other items.

[6] ncludes a pre-tax charge of $9 million ($5 million after taxes) for an inventory write-off, severance and other charges related to the restructuring of the Company's xpedx operations, a pre-tax charge of $58 million ($34 million after taxes) for integration costs associated with the acquisition of Temple-Inland, a pre-tax charge of $13 million ($8 million after taxes) for debt extinguishment costs, a pre-tax charge of $16 million ($11 million after taxes) for costs associated with the restructuring of the Company's Packaging business in EMEA, a pre-tax charge of $19 million ($49 million after taxes) for costs associated with the containerboard mill divestitures and a pre-tax gain of $5 million ($0 million after taxes) for other items.

[7] Includes a pre-tax charge of $12 million ($8 million after taxes) for an inventory write-off, severance and other charges related to the restructuring of the Company's xpedx operations, a pre-tax charge of $35 million ($22 million after taxes) for integration costs associated with the acquisition of Temple-Inland, a pre-tax charge of $10 million ($6 million after taxes) for debt extinguishment costs, a pre-tax charge of $62 million ($38 million after taxes) to adjust the long-lived assets of the Hueneme mill in Oxnard, California to their fair value in anticipation of its divestiture, a pre-tax charge of $9 million ($5 million after taxes) for costs associated with the third-quarter 2012 divestiture of the Hueneme mill and two other containerboard mills, a pre-tax charge of $6 million ($4 million after taxes) for an adjustment related to the sale of Shorewood, and charges of $2 million (before and after taxes) for other items.

[8] Includes a pre-tax charge of $20 million ($12 million after taxes) related to the write-up of the Temple-Inland inventories to fair value, a pre-tax charge of $21 million ($16 million after taxes) for an inventory write-off, severance and other charges related to the restructuring of the Company's xpedx operations, a pre-tax charge of $43 million ($33 million after taxes) for integration costs associated with the acquisition of Temple-Inland, a pre-tax charge of $16 million ($10 million after taxes) for early debt extinguishment costs, a pre-tax gain of $7 million ($6 million after taxes) for adjustments related to the sale of the Shorewood business, and a gain of $1 million (before and after taxes) for other items.

[9] Securities are not included in the table in periods when antidilutive.

[10] Options to purchase 0.0 million, 9.1 million and 15.6 million shares for the years ended December 31,2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively, were not included in the computation of diluted common shares outstanding because their exercise price exceeded the average market price of the Company’s common stock for each respective reporting date.