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Income Taxes (Details 3) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Reconciliation of Effective Income Tax Rate      
Statutory U.S. tax rate 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate 35.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
State income taxes--net of federal benefit 0.90%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes 0.90%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes 0.90%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationStateAndLocalIncomeTaxes
International income taxes - net (5.80%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential (6.30%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential (4.20%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationForeignIncomeTaxRateDifferential
U.S. research and development credit (0.40%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxCreditsResearch (0.70%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxCreditsResearch 0.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxCreditsResearch
Reserves for tax contingencies 0.60%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationPriorYearIncomeTaxes 1.20%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationPriorYearIncomeTaxes (1.90%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationPriorYearIncomeTaxes
Domestic manufacturer's deduction (1.30%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationDeductionsQualifiedProductionActivities (1.60%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationDeductionsQualifiedProductionActivities (1.20%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationDeductionsQualifiedProductionActivities
All other--net (0.10%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationOtherAdjustments (0.40%)us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationOtherAdjustments 0.40%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationOtherAdjustments
Effective tax rate (as a percent) 28.90%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations 28.10%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations 29.00%us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations
Federal, State and Foreign Tax      
Gross UTB Balance at January 1 $ 659us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits $ 528us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits $ 594us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year 201us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesResultingFromCurrentPeriodTaxPositions 97us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesResultingFromCurrentPeriodTaxPositions 80us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesResultingFromCurrentPeriodTaxPositions
Additions for tax positions of prior years 30us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions 158us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions 114us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions
Reductions for tax positions of prior years (74)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions (29)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions (120)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromPriorPeriodTaxPositions
Settlements (UTB decreases) (154)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromSettlementsWithTaxingAuthorities (17)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromSettlementsWithTaxingAuthorities (50)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsDecreasesResultingFromSettlementsWithTaxingAuthorities
Reductions due to lapse of applicable statute of limitations (79)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsReductionsResultingFromLapseOfApplicableStatuteOfLimitations (78)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsReductionsResultingFromLapseOfApplicableStatuteOfLimitations (90)us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsReductionsResultingFromLapseOfApplicableStatuteOfLimitations
Gross UTB Balance at December 31 583us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 659us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits 528us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefits
Income tax      
Net UTB impacting the effective tax rate 265us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate 262us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate 185us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsThatWouldImpactEffectiveTaxRate
Period discussed over which the Company is not able to reasonably estimate the amount by which the liability for unrecognized tax benefits could change as a result of ongoing income tax authority examinations 12 months    
Interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits, expense (benefit) recognized on a gross basis (14)us-gaap_TaxAdjustmentsSettlementsAndUnusualProvisions 22us-gaap_TaxAdjustmentsSettlementsAndUnusualProvisions (12)us-gaap_TaxAdjustmentsSettlementsAndUnusualProvisions
Interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits, accrued on a gross basis 44us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued 62us-gaap_UnrecognizedTaxBenefitsIncomeTaxPenaltiesAndInterestAccrued  
Change in effective income tax rate from prior reporting period to current reporting period (as a percent) 0.80%mmm_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateChangeFromPriorReportingPeriodToCurrentReportingPeriod (0.90%)mmm_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateChangeFromPriorReportingPeriodToCurrentReportingPeriod  
Impact of factors that decreased the effective tax rate from prior reporting period to current reporting period (as a percent) (0.80%)mmm_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateChangeFromPriorReportingPeriodToCurrentReportingPeriodDecrease (4.00%)mmm_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateChangeFromPriorReportingPeriodToCurrentReportingPeriodDecrease  
Impact of factors that increased the effective tax rate from prior reporting period to current reporting period (as a percent) 1.60%mmm_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateChangeFromPriorReportingPeriodToCurrentReportingPeriodIncrease 3.10%mmm_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateChangeFromPriorReportingPeriodToCurrentReportingPeriodIncrease  
Amount of years inclusion of US R&D credit due to reinstatement in 2013   2 years  
Deferred tax assets valuation allowance 22us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance 23us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsValuationAllowance  
Federal      
Tax effected operating loss, capital loss, and tax credit carryovers      
Tax effected operating loss, capital loss, and tax credit carryovers 24us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOtherTaxCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= us-gaap_DomesticCountryMember
   
Federal | Maximum      
Tax effected operating loss, capital loss, and tax credit carryovers      
Tax effected operating loss, capital loss, and tax credit carryovers, expiration date 16 years    
Federal | Minimum      
Tax effected operating loss, capital loss, and tax credit carryovers      
Tax effected operating loss, capital loss, and tax credit carryovers, expiration date 15 years    
State      
Tax effected operating loss, capital loss, and tax credit carryovers      
Tax effected operating loss, capital loss, and tax credit carryovers 3us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOtherTaxCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= us-gaap_StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember
   
State | Maximum      
Tax effected operating loss, capital loss, and tax credit carryovers      
Tax effected operating loss, capital loss, and tax credit carryovers, expiration date 10 years    
State | Minimum      
Tax effected operating loss, capital loss, and tax credit carryovers      
Tax effected operating loss, capital loss, and tax credit carryovers, expiration date 5 years    
International      
Tax effected operating loss, capital loss, and tax credit carryovers      
Tax effected operating loss, capital loss, and tax credit carryovers $ 148us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOtherTaxCarryforwards
/ us-gaap_TaxCreditCarryforwardAxis
= us-gaap_ForeignCountryMember
   
Tax effected operating loss, capital loss, and tax credit carryovers, expiration dates majority of high end of range 5 years    
International | Minimum      
Tax effected operating loss, capital loss, and tax credit carryovers      
Tax effected operating loss, capital loss, and tax credit carryovers, expiration date 1 year