Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements of Earnings and Comprehensive Earnings) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	$ 6,101	$ 6,729	$ 6,663	$ 6,083	$ 6,252	$ 6,905	$ 6,521	$ 6,066	$ 25,576	$ 25,744	$ 25,434
Cost of sales									7,543	7,746	7,740
Excise taxes on products									6,082	6,407	6,580
Gross profit	2,870	3,183	3,119	2,779	2,828	3,150	2,957	2,656	11,951	11,591	11,114
Marketing, administration and research costs									2,362	2,650	2,708
Reduction of PMI tax-related receivable									0	0	41
Asset impairment and exit costs									33	179	4
Operating (expense) income									9,556	8,762	8,361
Interest and other debt expense, net									705	747	817
Loss on early extinguishment of debt					0	823	0	0	0	823	228
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev									(532)	(795)	(757)
Gain on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination	0	(37)	(408)	0	(13,660)	(48)	(117)	(40)	(445)	(13,865)	(5)
Earnings before income taxes									9,828	21,852	8,078
Provision for income taxes									(399)	7,608	2,835
Equity earnings of subsidiaries									0	0	0
Net earnings	4,968	1,867	1,990	1,402	10,278	1,094	1,654	1,218	10,227	14,244	5,243
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests									(5)	(5)	(2)
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	$ 4,966	$ 1,866	$ 1,989	$ 1,401	$ 10,276	$ 1,093	$ 1,653	$ 1,217	10,222	14,239	5,241
Other comprehensive (losses) earnings, net of deferred income taxes									155	1,228	(598)
Comprehensive earnings									10,382	15,472	4,645
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests									(5)	(5)	(2)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.									10,377	15,467	4,643
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Altria Group, Inc. [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues									0	0	0
Cost of sales									0	0	0
Excise taxes on products									0	0	0
Gross profit									0	0	0
Marketing, administration and research costs									173	165	189
Reduction of PMI tax-related receivable											41
Asset impairment and exit costs									0	5	0
Operating (expense) income									(173)	(170)	(230)
Interest and other debt expense, net									510	519	560
Loss on early extinguishment of debt										823	228
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev									(532)	(795)	(757)
Gain on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination									(445)	(13,865)	(5)
Earnings before income taxes									294	13,148	(256)
Provision for income taxes									(2,624)	4,453	(184)
Equity earnings of subsidiaries									7,304	5,544	5,313
Net earnings									10,222	14,239	5,241
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.									10,222	14,239	5,241
Other comprehensive (losses) earnings, net of deferred income taxes									155	1,228	(598)
Comprehensive earnings									10,377	15,467	4,643
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.									10,377	15,467	4,643
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | PM USA [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues									21,826	22,146	22,133
Cost of sales									6,414	6,628	6,664
Excise taxes on products									5,864	6,187	6,369
Gross profit									9,548	9,331	9,100
Marketing, administration and research costs									1,710	1,996	2,094
Reduction of PMI tax-related receivable											0
Asset impairment and exit costs									1	97	0
Operating (expense) income									7,837	7,238	7,006
Interest and other debt expense, net									(20)	10	33
Loss on early extinguishment of debt										0	0
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev									0	0	0
Gain on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination									0	0	0
Earnings before income taxes									7,857	7,228	6,973
Provision for income taxes									3,127	2,631	2,536
Equity earnings of subsidiaries									558	268	268
Net earnings									5,288	4,865	4,705
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.									5,288	4,865	4,705
Other comprehensive (losses) earnings, net of deferred income taxes									3	(16)	86
Comprehensive earnings									5,291	4,849	4,791
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.									5,291	4,849	4,791
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues									3,787	3,633	3,342
Cost of sales									1,166	1,153	1,117
Excise taxes on products									218	220	211
Gross profit									2,403	2,260	2,014
Marketing, administration and research costs									479	489	425
Reduction of PMI tax-related receivable											0
Asset impairment and exit costs									32	77	4
Operating (expense) income									1,892	1,694	1,585
Interest and other debt expense, net									215	218	224
Loss on early extinguishment of debt										0	0
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev									0	0	0
Gain on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination									0	0	0
Earnings before income taxes									1,677	1,476	1,361
Provision for income taxes									(902)	524	483
Equity earnings of subsidiaries									0	0	0
Net earnings									2,579	952	878
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests									(5)	(5)	(2)
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.									2,574	947	876
Other comprehensive (losses) earnings, net of deferred income taxes									214	(28)	(69)
Comprehensive earnings									2,793	924	809
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests									(5)	(5)	(2)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.									2,788	919	807
Total Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues									(37)	(35)	(41)
Cost of sales									(37)	(35)	(41)
Excise taxes on products									0	0	0
Gross profit									0	0	0
Marketing, administration and research costs									0	0	0
Reduction of PMI tax-related receivable											0
Asset impairment and exit costs									0	0	0
Operating (expense) income									0	0	0
Interest and other debt expense, net									0	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt										0	0
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev									0	0	0
Gain on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination									0	0	0
Earnings before income taxes									0	0	0
Provision for income taxes									0	0	0
Equity earnings of subsidiaries									(7,862)	(5,812)	(5,581)
Net earnings									(7,862)	(5,812)	(5,581)
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.									(7,862)	(5,812)	(5,581)
Other comprehensive (losses) earnings, net of deferred income taxes									(217)	44	(17)
Comprehensive earnings									(8,079)	(5,768)	(5,598)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.									$ (8,079)	$ (5,768)	$ (5,598)