Consolidated Statement Of Changes In Equity - USD ($)	Total	Issued	Paid-in Capital	Retained Earnings	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Treasury	Total International Paper Shareholders’ Equity	Noncontrolling Interests
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2014	$ 5,263,000,000	$ 449,000,000	$ 6,245,000,000	$ 4,409,000,000	$ (4,646,000,000)	$ 1,342,000,000	$ 5,115,000,000	$ 148,000,000
Issuance of stock for various plans, net	233,000,000	0	35,000,000	0	0	(198,000,000)	233,000,000	0
Repurchase of stock	(605,000,000)	0	0	0	0	605,000,000	(605,000,000)	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(698,000,000)	0	0	(698,000,000)	0	0	(698,000,000)	0
Transactions of equity method investees	(37,000,000)	0	(37,000,000)	0	0	0	(37,000,000)	0
Divestiture of noncontrolling interests	(96,000,000)	0	0	0	0	0	0	(96,000,000)
Comprehensive income (loss)	(151,000,000)	0	0	938,000,000	(1,062,000,000)	0	(124,000,000)	(27,000,000)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2015	3,909,000,000	449,000,000	6,243,000,000	4,649,000,000	(5,708,000,000)	1,749,000,000	3,884,000,000	25,000,000
Issuance of stock for various plans, net	122,000,000	0	(6,000,000)	0	0	(128,000,000)	122,000,000	0
Repurchase of stock	(132,000,000)	0	0	0	0	132,000,000	(132,000,000)	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(743,000,000)	0	0	(743,000,000)	0	0	(743,000,000)	0
Transactions of equity method investees	(48,000,000)	0	(48,000,000)	0	0	0	(48,000,000)	0
Divestiture of noncontrolling interests	(3,000,000)	0	0	0	0	0	0	(3,000,000)
Other	8,000,000	0	0	8,000,000	0	0	8,000,000	0
Comprehensive income (loss)	1,246,000,000	0	0	904,000,000	346,000,000	0	1,250,000,000	(4,000,000)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2016	4,359,000,000	449,000,000	6,189,000,000	4,818,000,000	(5,362,000,000)	1,753,000,000	4,341,000,000	18,000,000
Issuance of stock for various plans, net	162,000,000	0	42,000,000	0	0	(120,000,000)	162,000,000	0
Repurchase of stock	(47,000,000)	0	0	0	0	47,000,000	(47,000,000)	0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(782,000,000)	0	0	(782,000,000)	0	0	(782,000,000)	0
Transactions of equity method investees	(25,000,000)	0	(25,000,000)	0	0	0	(25,000,000)	0
Comprehensive income (loss)	2,874,000,000	0	0	2,144,000,000	729,000,000	0	2,873,000,000	1,000,000
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 6,541,000,000	$ 449,000,000	$ 6,206,000,000	$ 6,180,000,000	$ (4,633,000,000)	$ 1,680,000,000	$ 6,522,000,000	$ 19,000,000