Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements of Earnings and Comprehensive Earnings) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	$ 6,114	$ 6,837	$ 6,305	$ 6,108	$ 6,101	$ 6,729	$ 6,663	$ 6,083	$ 25,364	$ 25,576	$ 25,744
Cost of sales									7,373	7,531	7,765
Excise taxes on products									5,737	6,082	6,407
Gross profit	2,922	3,255	3,141	2,936	2,902	3,171	3,114	2,776	12,254	11,963	11,572
Marketing, administration and research costs									2,756	2,338	2,662
Asset impairment and exit costs									383	32	149
Operating (expense) income									9,115	9,593	8,761
Interest and other debt expense, net									665	705	747
Loss on early extinguishment of debt									0	0	823
Net periodic benefit (income) cost, excluding service cost									(34)	37	(1)
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev/SABMiller									(890)	(532)	(795)
Loss (gain) on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination	0	0	0	33	0	(37)	(408)	0	33	(445)	(13,865)
Earnings before income taxes									9,341	9,828	21,852
(Benefit) provision for income taxes									2,374	(399)	7,608
Equity earnings of subsidiaries									0	0	0
Net earnings	1,251	1,944	1,877	1,895	4,968	1,867	1,990	1,402	6,967	10,227	14,244
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests									(4)	(5)	(5)
Net earnings attributable to Altria	$ 1,250	$ 1,943	$ 1,876	$ 1,894	$ 4,966	$ 1,866	$ 1,989	$ 1,401	6,963	10,222	14,239
Other comprehensive earnings (losses), net of deferred income taxes									(242)	155	1,228
Comprehensive earnings									6,725	10,382	15,472
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests									(4)	(5)	(5)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria									6,721	10,377	15,467
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									219	161	160
Asset impairment and exit costs									0	0	5
Operating (expense) income									(219)	(161)	(165)
Interest and other debt expense, net									511	510	519
Loss on early extinguishment of debt											823
Net periodic benefit (income) cost, excluding service cost									16	12	5
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev/SABMiller									(890)	(532)	(795)
Loss (gain) on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination									33	(445)	(13,865)
Earnings before income taxes									111	294	13,148
(Benefit) provision for income taxes									36	(2,624)	4,453
Equity earnings of subsidiaries									6,888	7,304	5,544
Net earnings									6,963	10,222	14,239
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria									6,963	10,222	14,239
Other comprehensive earnings (losses), net of deferred income taxes									(242)	155	1,228
Comprehensive earnings									6,721	10,377	15,467
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria									6,721	10,377	15,467
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | PM USA [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues									21,422	21,826	22,146
Cost of sales									6,153	6,394	6,641
Excise taxes on products									5,517	5,864	6,187
Gross profit									9,752	9,568	9,318
Marketing, administration and research costs									1,892	1,713	2,009
Asset impairment and exit costs									81	0	77
Operating (expense) income									7,779	7,855	7,232
Interest and other debt expense, net									(61)	(20)	10
Loss on early extinguishment of debt											0
Net periodic benefit (income) cost, excluding service cost									(41)	18	(6)
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev/SABMiller									0	0	0
Loss (gain) on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination									0	0	0
Earnings before income taxes									7,881	7,857	7,228
(Benefit) provision for income taxes									1,980	3,127	2,631
Equity earnings of subsidiaries									402	558	268
Net earnings									6,303	5,288	4,865
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria									6,303	5,288	4,865
Other comprehensive earnings (losses), net of deferred income taxes									104	3	(16)
Comprehensive earnings									6,407	5,291	4,849
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria									6,407	5,291	4,849
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues									3,980	3,787	3,633
Cost of sales									1,258	1,174	1,159
Excise taxes on products									220	218	220
Gross profit									2,502	2,395	2,254
Marketing, administration and research costs									645	464	493
Asset impairment and exit costs									302	32	67
Operating (expense) income									1,555	1,899	1,694
Interest and other debt expense, net									215	215	218
Loss on early extinguishment of debt											0
Net periodic benefit (income) cost, excluding service cost									(9)	7	0
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev/SABMiller									0	0	0
Loss (gain) on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination									0	0	0
Earnings before income taxes									1,349	1,677	1,476
(Benefit) provision for income taxes									358	(902)	524
Equity earnings of subsidiaries									0	0	0
Net earnings									991	2,579	952
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests									(4)	(5)	(5)
Net earnings attributable to Altria									987	2,574	947
Other comprehensive earnings (losses), net of deferred income taxes									(54)	214	(28)
Comprehensive earnings									937	2,793	924
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests									(4)	(5)	(5)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria									933	2,788	919
Total Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues									(38)	(37)	(35)
Cost of sales									(38)	(37)	(35)
Excise taxes on products									0	0	0
Gross profit									0	0	0
Marketing, administration and research costs									0	0	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
Net periodic benefit (income) cost, excluding service cost									0	0	0
Earnings from equity investment in AB InBev/SABMiller									0	0	0
Loss (gain) on AB InBev/SABMiller business combination									0	0	0
Earnings before income taxes									0	0	0
(Benefit) provision for income taxes									0	0	0
Equity earnings of subsidiaries									(7,290)	(7,862)	(5,812)
Net earnings									(7,290)	(7,862)	(5,812)
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria									(7,290)	(7,862)	(5,812)
Other comprehensive earnings (losses), net of deferred income taxes									(50)	(217)	44
Comprehensive earnings									(7,340)	(8,079)	(5,768)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests									0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria									$ (7,340)	$ (8,079)	$ (5,768)