Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements Of Earnings And Comprehensive Earnings) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	$ 6,487	$ 5,920	$ 12,134	$ 11,563
Cost of sales	2,086	2,030	3,878	3,825
Excise taxes on products	1,907	1,918	3,560	3,618
Gross profit	2,494	1,972	4,696	4,120
Marketing, administration and research costs	596	671	1,130	1,272
Asset impairment and exit costs	16	1	37	3
Amortization of intangibles	5	5	10	11
Operating (expense) income	1,877	1,295	3,519	2,834
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	293	294	586	572
Earnings from equity investment in SABMiller	(223)	(155)	(743)	(344)
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	1,807	1,156	3,676	2,606
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	581	712	1,255	1,224
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	1,226	444	2,421	1,382
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	0	(1)	(1)	(2)
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,225	444	2,420	1,381
Net earnings (loss)	1,226	444	2,421	1,382
Other comprehensive earnings, net of deferred income taxes	11	112	213	205	(403)
Comprehensive earnings	1,237	556	2,634	1,587
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	0	(1)	(1)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,236	556	2,633	1,586
Altria Group, Inc. [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	0	0	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Excise taxes on products	0	0	0	0
Gross profit			0	0
Marketing, administration and research costs	53	39	87	84
Asset impairment and exit costs	0	0	0	0
Amortization of intangibles	0	0	0	0
Operating (expense) income	(53)	(39)	(87)	(84)
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	182	175	367	340
Earnings from equity investment in SABMiller	(223)	(155)	(743)	(344)
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	(12)	(59)	289	(80)
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	(29)	(41)	55	(71)
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	1,208	462	2,186	1,390
Net earnings (loss)	1,225		2,420	1,381
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0		0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,225	444	2,420	1,381
Net earnings (loss)	1,225		2,420	1,381
Other comprehensive earnings, net of deferred income taxes	11	112	213	205
Comprehensive earnings	1,236		2,633	1,586
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0		0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,236	556	2,633	1,586
PM USA [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	5,724	5,687	10,646	10,698
Cost of sales	1,876	1,838	3,475	3,455
Excise taxes on products	1,834	1,833	3,411	3,452
Gross profit	2,014	2,016	3,760	3,791
Marketing, administration and research costs	487	554	918	1,052
Asset impairment and exit costs	16	1	36	3
Amortization of intangibles	0	0	0	0
Operating (expense) income	1,511	1,461	2,806	2,736
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	0	6	(1)	4
Earnings from equity investment in SABMiller	0	0	0	0
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	1,511	1,455	2,807	2,732
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	558	543	1,040	1,016
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	58	42	107	67
Net earnings (loss)	1,011	954	1,874	1,783
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0		0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,011	954	1,874	1,783
Net earnings (loss)	1,011	954	1,874	1,783
Other comprehensive earnings, net of deferred income taxes	7	3	6	7
Comprehensive earnings	1,018		1,880	1,790
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0		0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,018	957	1,880	1,790
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	769	239	1,500	877
Cost of sales	216	198	415	382
Excise taxes on products	73	85	149	166
Gross profit	480	(44)	936	329
Marketing, administration and research costs	56	78	125	136
Asset impairment and exit costs	0	0	1	0
Amortization of intangibles	5	5	10	11
Operating (expense) income	419	(127)	800	182
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	111	113	220	228
Earnings from equity investment in SABMiller	0	0	0	0
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	308	(240)	580	(46)
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	52	210	160	279
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	256	(450)	420	(325)
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)		(1)	(1)
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	255	(450)	419	(326)
Net earnings (loss)	256	(450)	420	(325)
Other comprehensive earnings, net of deferred income taxes	30	27	51	53
Comprehensive earnings	286		471	(272)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)		(1)	(1)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	285	(423)	470	(273)
Total Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	(6)	(6)	(12)	(12)
Cost of sales	(6)	(6)	(12)	(12)
Excise taxes on products	0	0	0	0
Gross profit			0	0
Marketing, administration and research costs	0	0	0	0
Asset impairment and exit costs	0	0	0	0
Amortization of intangibles	0	0	0	0
Operating (expense) income	0		0	0
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	0	0	0	0
Earnings from equity investment in SABMiller	0	0	0	0
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	0		0	0
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	0	0	0	0
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	(1,266)	(504)	(2,293)	(1,457)
Net earnings (loss)	(1,266)	(504)	(2,293)	(1,457)
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0		0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	(1,266)	(504)	(2,293)	(1,457)
Net earnings (loss)	(1,266)	(504)	(2,293)	(1,457)
Other comprehensive earnings, net of deferred income taxes	(37)	(30)	(57)	(60)
Comprehensive earnings	(1,303)		(2,350)	(1,517)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0		0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	$ (1,303)	$ (534)	$ (2,350)	$ (1,517)