Contingencies (Overview of Altria Group, Inc. and/or PM USA Tobacco-Related Litigation Narrative) (Details) - case		12 Months Ended	219 Months Ended
	Apr. 27, 2017	Dec. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2017	Apr. 25, 2016	Apr. 20, 2015
Health Care Cost Recovery Actions [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending				1	1
Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending				5	5
Individual Smoking And Health Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending				62	64
Lights Ultra Lights Class Actions [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending				11	12
Subsequent Event [Member] | Health Care Cost Recovery Actions [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending	1
Subsequent Event [Member] | Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending	5
Subsequent Event [Member] | Individual Smoking And Health Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending	80
Subsequent Event [Member] | Lights Ultra Lights Class Actions [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending	5
Philip Morris USA and Altria Group [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | Health Care Cost Recovery Actions [Member] | Canada [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending	8
Philip Morris USA and Altria Group [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] | Canada [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending	7
PM USA [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of verdicts returned			61
Number of favorable verdicts			41
Number of unfavorable verdicts			20
Number of claims resolved			18
PM USA [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] | ALASKA [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts			1
PM USA [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] | CALIFORNIA [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts			7
PM USA [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] | Florida [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts			10
Number cases with granted new trial			1
PM USA [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] | LOUISIANA [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts			1
PM USA [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] | Massachusetts [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts			2
PM USA [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] | MISSISSIPPI [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts			1
PM USA [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] | MISSOURI [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts			4
PM USA [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] | NEW HAMPSHIRE [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts			1
PM USA [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] | NEW JERSEY [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts			1
PM USA [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] | NEW YORK [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts			5
PM USA [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] | OHIO [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts			2
PM USA [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] | PENNSYLVANIA [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts			1
PM USA [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] | RHODE ISLAND [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts			1
PM USA [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] | TENNESSEE [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts			2
PM USA [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] | WEST VIRGINIA [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of favorable verdicts			2
PM USA [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases, Federal [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of claims resolved		415
PM USA [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | Health Care Cost Recovery Actions [Member] | Canada [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending	10
PM USA [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending	3
Number of cases set for trial	6
Number of verdicts returned	108
Number of favorable verdicts	45
Number of unfavorable verdicts	60
PM USA [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | Individual Smoking And Health Cases [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases set for trial	0
PM USA [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | Lights Ultra Lights Class Actions [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases set for trial	0
PM USA [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases, Federal [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of cases pending	13
Number of favorable verdicts	9