Stockholders' Equity Components of Stockholders' Equity (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Unrealized translation		$ 129	$ 19	$ (428)
Change in AOCI		122	5	(380)
Defined Benefit Pension Plans
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Defined benefit and Other postretirement benefit plans, tax effect	[1]	(20)	(13)	(165)
Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, Defined Benefit Plan, Reclassification Adjustment from AOCI, after Tax		67	38	(41)
Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Defined benefit and Other postretirement benefit plans, tax effect	[1]	8	10	(28)
Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, Defined Benefit Plan, Reclassification Adjustment from AOCI, after Tax		(27)	(25)	51
Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Unrealized translation, before tax		98	21	(408)
Unrealized translation, tax effect	[1]	16	5	(25)
Unrealized translation		114	26	(433)
Unrecognized net actuarial loss and transition amount | Defined Benefit Pension Plans
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Funded status recognition, Defined benefit pension plans		24	(17)	(57)
Amortization, Defined benefit pension plans		41	44	47
Settlements and curtailments		49	46	134
Currency and other		(26)	(13)	29
Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, Reclassification Adjustment from AOCI, Pension Plans, before Tax		88	60	153
Unrecognized net actuarial loss and transition amount | Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Unrecognized net actuarial loss and transition amount and other		(35)	(35)	79
Unrecognized prior service cost/credit | Defined Benefit Pension Plans
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Settlements and curtailments		0	(1)	2
Amortization, Unrecognized prior service cost/credit		(4)	(5)	(8)
Currency and other		1	(2)	(1)
Other Comprehensive (Income) Loss, Reclassification Adjustment from AOCI, Pension Plans, before Tax		(1)	(9)	(29)
Funded status recognition, Unrecognized prior service cost/credit		(2)	1	22
Cash Flow Hedges and Other
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Currency and other		(5)	(1)	(2)
Recognition of effective portion of hedges		(32)	(23)	56
Amortization		(2)	(16)	12
Cash flow hedges and other, tax effect	[1]	7	6	(23)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Derivatives Qualifying as Hedges, Net of Tax		$ (32)	$ (34)	43
Stranded tax effects reclassified from AOCI to Retained Earnings | Defined Benefit Pension Plans
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Defined benefit and Other postretirement benefit plans, tax effect				125
Stranded tax effects reclassified from AOCI to Retained Earnings | Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Defined benefit and Other postretirement benefit plans, tax effect				5
Stranded tax effects reclassified from AOCI to Retained Earnings | Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Unrealized translation, tax effect				18
Stranded tax effects reclassified from AOCI to Retained Earnings | Cash Flow Hedges and Other
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Cash flow hedges and other, tax effect				$ 8

[1] The Tax effect for Unrealized translation, Defined benefit pension plans, Other postretirement benefit plans and Cash flow hedges and other includes reductions of $18, $125, $5 and $8, respectively, for stranded tax effects reclassified from AOCI to Retained earnings in 2018.