Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements of Earnings and Comprehensive Earnings) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit)	$ (9)	$ (11)	$ (16)	$ (19)
Net revenues	6,305	6,663	12,413	12,746
Cost of sales	1,738	1,954	3,472	3,767
Excise taxes on products	1,426	1,595	2,864	3,089
Gross profit	3,141	3,114	6,077	5,890
Marketing, administration and research costs	641	574	1,259	1,107
Asset impairment and exit costs	2	12	4	16
Operating (expense) income	2,498	2,528	4,814	4,767
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	178	177	344	356
Net periodic benefit cost (income), excluding service cost	(9)	(11)	(16)	(19)
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev	(228)	(140)	(570)	(163)
Loss (gain) on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination	0	(408)	33	(408)
Earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	2,557	2,910	5,023	5,001
Provision for income taxes	680	920	1,251	1,609
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net earnings	1,877	1,990	3,772	3,392
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	(1)	(2)	(2)
Net earnings attributable to Altria	1,876	1,989	3,770	3,390
Net earnings	1,877	1,990	3,772	3,392
Other comprehensive earnings, net of deferred income taxes	275	374	245	214	$ 155
Comprehensive earnings	2,152	2,364	4,017	3,606
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	(1)	(2)	(2)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria	2,151	2,363	4,015	3,604
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Altria Group, Inc. [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit)				1
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	0	0
Marketing, administration and research costs	39	39	77	79
Asset impairment and exit costs	0	0	0	0
Operating (expense) income	(39)	(39)	(77)	(79)
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	129	130	251	253
Net periodic benefit cost (income), excluding service cost	1	1	2
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev	(228)	(140)	(570)	(163)
Loss (gain) on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination		(408)	33	(408)
Earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	59	378	207	238
Provision for income taxes	59	32	46	(40)
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	1,876	1,643	3,609	3,112
Net earnings	1,876	1,989	3,770	3,390
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria	1,876	1,989	3,770	3,390
Net earnings	1,876	1,989	3,770	3,390
Other comprehensive earnings, net of deferred income taxes	275	374	245	214
Comprehensive earnings	2,151	2,363	4,015	3,604
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria	2,151	2,363	4,015	3,604
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | PM USA [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit)				(14)
Net revenues	5,314	5,713	10,528	10,984
Cost of sales	1,443	1,681	2,930	3,220
Excise taxes on products	1,371	1,536	2,754	2,982
Gross profit	2,500	2,496	4,844	4,782
Marketing, administration and research costs	460	419	909	801
Asset impairment and exit costs	0	0	0	0
Operating (expense) income	2,040	2,077	3,935	3,981
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	(8)	(6)	(17)	(6)
Net periodic benefit cost (income), excluding service cost	(9)	(9)	(15)
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev	0	0	0	0
Loss (gain) on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination		0	0	0
Earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	2,057	2,092	3,967	4,001
Provision for income taxes	516	734	998	1,397
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	102	80	191	152
Net earnings	1,643	1,438	3,160	2,756
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria	1,643	1,438	3,160	2,756
Net earnings	1,643	1,438	3,160	2,756
Other comprehensive earnings, net of deferred income taxes	4	4	8	7
Comprehensive earnings	1,647	1,442	3,168	2,763
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria	1,647	1,442	3,168	2,763
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit)				(6)
Net revenues	999	960	1,903	1,780
Cost of sales	303	283	560	565
Excise taxes on products	55	59	110	107
Gross profit	641	618	1,233	1,108
Marketing, administration and research costs	142	116	273	227
Asset impairment and exit costs	2	12	4	16
Operating (expense) income	497	490	956	865
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	57	53	110	109
Net periodic benefit cost (income), excluding service cost	(1)	(3)	(3)
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev	0	0	0	0
Loss (gain) on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination		0	0	0
Earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	441	440	849	762
Provision for income taxes	105	154	207	252
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net earnings	336	286	642	510
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	(1)	(2)	(2)
Net earnings attributable to Altria	335	285	640	508
Net earnings	336	286	642	510
Other comprehensive earnings, net of deferred income taxes	34	28	73	56
Comprehensive earnings	370	314	715	566
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	(1)	(2)	(2)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria	369	313	713	564
Total Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit)
Net revenues	(8)	(10)	(18)	(18)
Cost of sales	(8)	(10)	(18)	(18)
Excise taxes on products	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Marketing, administration and research costs	0	0	0	0
Asset impairment and exit costs	0	0	0	0
Operating (expense) income	0	0	0	0
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	0	0	0	0
Net periodic benefit cost (income), excluding service cost	0	0	0
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev	0	0	0	0
Loss (gain) on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination		0	0	0
Earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Provision for income taxes	0	0	0	0
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	(1,978)	(1,723)	(3,800)	(3,264)
Net earnings	(1,978)	(1,723)	(3,800)	(3,264)
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria	(1,978)	(1,723)	(3,800)	(3,264)
Net earnings	(1,978)	(1,723)	(3,800)	(3,264)
Other comprehensive earnings, net of deferred income taxes	(38)	(32)	(81)	(63)
Comprehensive earnings	(2,016)	(1,755)	(3,881)	(3,327)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria	$ (2,016)	$ (1,755)	$ (3,881)	$ (3,327)