Increase (decrease) in net sales due to product changes between business segments.

No definition available.

Name:	mmm_IncreaseDecreaseInNetSalesDueToProductChangesBetweenBusinessSegments
Namespace Prefix:	mmm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Increase (decrease) in operating income due to product line reporting change.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mmm_IncreaseDecreaseInOperatingIncomeDueToProductChangesBetweenBusinessSegments
Namespace Prefix:	mmm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This element represents the number of business segments that had product line reporting changes in the period referenced.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mmm_NumberOfBusinessSegmentsWithProductLineReportingChanges
Namespace Prefix:	mmm_
Data Type:	xbrli:pureItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of segments reported by the entity. A reportable segment is a component of an entity for which there is an accounting requirement to report separate financial information on that component in the entity's financial statements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Definition

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.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=mmm_IndustrialMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=mmm_ElectronicsAndEnergyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Business Segments (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Business Segments (Details) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016 segment	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Business Segment Information
Number of business segments \| segment		5
Number of business segments with product line reporting changes	2
Industrial
Business Segment Information
Increase (decrease) in net sales due to product line reporting changes			$ (33)
Increase (decrease) in operating income due to product line reporting changes			(7)
Electronics and Energy
Business Segment Information
Increase (decrease) in net sales due to product line reporting changes			33
Increase (decrease) in operating income due to product line reporting changes			$ 7