Background and Basis of Presentation (Policies)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
New Accounting Pronouncements	On January 1, 2017, Altria Group, Inc. adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting (“ASU No. 2016-09”) and ASU No. 2015-11, Inventory (Topic 330): Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory (“ASU No. 2015-11”). ASU No. 2016-09 simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. The adoption of ASU No. 2016-09 did not have a material impact on Altria Group, Inc.’s condensed consolidated financial statements. The portions of the guidance that have an impact on Altria Group, Inc.’s condensed consolidated financial statements have been adopted prospectively, with the exception of the classification of employee taxes paid by Altria Group, Inc. on the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows related to shares withheld by Altria Group, Inc. for tax withholding purposes, which has been adopted retrospectively. Altria Group, Inc. has made an accounting policy election to continue to estimate the number of share-based awards that are expected to vest, which includes estimating forfeitures. Certain prior-year amounts in the condensed consolidated statement of cash flows have been reclassified to conform with the current year’s presentation due to Altria Group, Inc.’s adoption of ASU No. 2016-09. ASU No. 2015-11 requires inventory that is measured using the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) or average cost methods to be measured at the lower of cost and net realizable value. Previous guidance required inventory that was measured using the FIFO or average cost methods to be measured at the lower of cost or market. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on Altria Group, Inc.’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

On January 1, 2017, Altria Group, Inc. adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting (“ASU No. 2016-09”) and ASU No. 2015-11, Inventory (Topic 330): Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory (“ASU No. 2015-11”).

ASU No. 2016-09 simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. The adoption of ASU No. 2016-09 did not have a material impact on Altria Group, Inc.’s condensed consolidated financial statements. The portions of the guidance that have an impact on Altria Group, Inc.’s condensed consolidated financial statements have been adopted prospectively, with the exception of the classification of employee taxes paid by Altria Group, Inc. on the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows related to shares withheld by Altria Group, Inc. for tax withholding purposes, which has been adopted retrospectively. Altria Group, Inc. has made an accounting policy election to continue to estimate the number of share-based awards that are expected to vest, which includes estimating forfeitures. Certain prior-year amounts in the condensed consolidated statement of cash flows have been reclassified to conform with the current year’s presentation due to Altria Group, Inc.’s adoption of ASU No. 2016-09.

ASU No. 2015-11 requires inventory that is measured using the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) or average cost methods to be measured at the lower of cost and net realizable value. Previous guidance required inventory that was measured using the FIFO or average cost methods to be measured at the lower of cost or market. The adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on Altria Group, Inc.’s condensed consolidated financial statements.