Name:	mmm_DecreaseInProjectedPensionObligationLiabilityDueToRetireeWelfareBenefitPlanRemeasurement
Namespace Prefix:	mmm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

The percentage of company contribution to eligible 3M Japan employee's defined contribution plan effective July 2015 after March 2015 Japan Limited Defined Benefit Corporate Pension Plan modification.

No definition available.

Name:	mmm_JapanLimitedDefinedBenefitCorporatePensionPlanCompanyProvidedContributionMatchPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	mmm_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

The percentage of WG Trading Company holdings in relation to total fair value of the company's total plan assets (maximum).

No definition available.

Name:	mmm_LimitedPartnershipInterestsWithWGTradingCompanyMaximum
Namespace Prefix:	mmm_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

This element represents the net period benefit cost annual impact from the accounting change to the spot yield curve approach prospectively from date of adoption.

No definition available.

Name:	mmm_NetPeriodicBenefitCostAnnualImpact
Namespace Prefix:	mmm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

The number of additional limited partners of WG Trading Company, in addition to 3M, who objected and appealed the court's order to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

No definition available.

Name:	mmm_NumberOfAdditionalLimitedPartnersOfWGTradingCompanyInAdditionTo3MWhoObjectedAndAppealedCourtsOrderToUnitedStatesCourtOfAppealsForSecondCircuit
Namespace Prefix:	mmm_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

The original percentage that the Company would credit the Retiree Medical Saving Account and the Medicare Health Reimbursement Arrangement as an inflation indexation.

No definition available.

Name:	mmm_OriginalPercentageMedicalInflationIndexationByCompanyInYear
Namespace Prefix:	mmm_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

The revised percentage that the Company would credit the Retiree Medical Savings Account and the Medicare Health Reimbursement arrangement as an inflation indexation.

No definition available.

Name:	mmm_RevisedPercentageMedicalInflationIndexationByCompanyInYear
Namespace Prefix:	mmm_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

The interest rate used to adjust for the time value of money for the plan.

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationDiscountRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

The interest rate used to adjust for the time value of money.

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostDiscountRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Amount of contributions made by the employer to defined benefit plans.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (d)(5)(ii)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65897934&loc=d3e1928-114920

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 60
-Section 35
-Paragraph 123
-Subparagraph B
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64937487&loc=d3e36068-114959

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 30
-Section 35
-Paragraph 63
-Subparagraph B
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64937038&loc=d3e12551-114930

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65897934&loc=d3e1928-114920

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (d)(5)(iv)(01)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65897934&loc=d3e1928-114920

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanContributionsByEmployer
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanDisclosureLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanWeightedAverageAssumptionsUsedInCalculatingBenefitObligationAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanWeightedAverageAssumptionsUsedInCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Amount of employer's best estimate of contributions expected to be paid to the plan in the current remaining fiscal period.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansEstimatedFutureEmployerContributionsInCurrentFiscalYear
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

Number of defendants named in a legal action.

No definition available.

Name:	us-gaap_LossContingencyNumberOfDefendants
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis=us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis=us-gaap_OtherPostretirementBenefitPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis=mmm_UnitedStatesQualifiedPensionMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis=mmm_InternationalPensionWeightedAverageMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis=mmm_UnitedStatesPostretirementMedicalMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Name:	mmm_NetPeriodicBenefitCostComponentsAxis=mmm_ServiceCostMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: