Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities		$ 8,391	$ 4,901	$ 3,826
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities
Capital expenditures		(238)	(199)	(189)
Acquisitions of businesses and assets		(15)	(415)	(45)
Payments to acquire investments		(12,800)		(1,578)
Proceeds from finance assets		37	133	231
Proceeds from AB InBev/SABMiller business combination		0	0	4,773
Proceeds from derivative financial instruments	$ 500	35	0	510
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0	0
Other, net		(7)	14	6
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities		(12,988)	(467)	3,708
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities
Proceeds from short-term borrowings		12,800	0	0
Long-term debt issued		0	0	1,976
Long-term debt repaid		(864)	0	(933)
Repurchases of common stock		(1,673)	(2,917)	(1,030)
Dividends paid on common stock		(5,415)	(4,807)	(4,512)
Changes in amounts due to/from Altria and subsidiaries		0	0	0
Premiums and fees related to early extinguishment of debt		0	0	(809)
Cash dividends paid to parent		0	0	0
Other		(132)	(47)	(21)
Net cash used in financing activities		4,716	(7,771)	(5,329)
Increase (decrease)		119	(3,337)	2,205
Balance at beginning of year		1,314	4,651	2,446
Balance at end of year		1,433	1,314	4,651
Reportable Legal Entities [Member]
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities
Cash dividends paid to parent				0
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Altria Group, Inc. [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities		6,907	6,910	4,356
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities
Capital expenditures		0	0	0
Acquisitions of businesses and assets		0	0	0
Payments to acquire investments		0		(1,578)
Proceeds from finance assets		0	0	0
Proceeds from AB InBev/SABMiller business combination				4,773
Proceeds from derivative financial instruments		35		510
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		(13,003)	(460)	(138)
Other, net		0	(5)	(3)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities		(12,968)	(465)	3,564
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities
Proceeds from short-term borrowings		12,800
Long-term debt issued				1,976
Long-term debt repaid		(864)		(933)
Repurchases of common stock		(1,673)	(2,917)	(1,030)
Dividends paid on common stock		(5,415)	(4,807)	(4,512)
Changes in amounts due to/from Altria and subsidiaries		1,415	(1,999)	(392)
Premiums and fees related to early extinguishment of debt				(809)
Cash dividends paid to parent		0	0
Other		(128)	(40)	(12)
Net cash used in financing activities		6,135	(9,763)	(5,712)
Increase (decrease)		74	(3,318)	2,208
Balance at beginning of year		1,203	4,521	2,313
Balance at end of year		1,277	1,203	4,521
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | PM USA [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities		7,580	4,028	5,143
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities
Capital expenditures		(57)	(34)	(45)
Acquisitions of businesses and assets		0	0	0
Payments to acquire investments		0		0
Proceeds from finance assets		0	0	0
Proceeds from AB InBev/SABMiller business combination				0
Proceeds from derivative financial instruments		0		0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0	0
Other, net		0	4	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities		(57)	(30)	(45)
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities
Proceeds from short-term borrowings		0
Long-term debt issued				0
Long-term debt repaid		0		0
Repurchases of common stock		0	0	0
Dividends paid on common stock		0	0	0
Changes in amounts due to/from Altria and subsidiaries		(1,388)	1,410	(28)
Premiums and fees related to early extinguishment of debt				0
Cash dividends paid to parent		(6,097)	(5,429)	(5,064)
Other		0	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities		(7,485)	(4,019)	(5,092)
Increase (decrease)		38	(21)	6
Balance at beginning of year		62	83	77
Balance at end of year		100	62	83
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities		1,354	841	319
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities
Capital expenditures		(181)	(165)	(144)
Acquisitions of businesses and assets		(15)	(415)	(45)
Payments to acquire investments		(12,800)		0
Proceeds from finance assets		37	133	231
Proceeds from AB InBev/SABMiller business combination				0
Proceeds from derivative financial instruments		0		0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0	0
Other, net		(7)	15	9
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities		(12,966)	(432)	51
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities
Proceeds from short-term borrowings		0
Long-term debt issued				0
Long-term debt repaid		0		0
Repurchases of common stock		0	0	0
Dividends paid on common stock		0	0	0
Changes in amounts due to/from Altria and subsidiaries		12,976	1,049	558
Premiums and fees related to early extinguishment of debt				0
Cash dividends paid to parent		(1,353)	(1,449)	(928)
Other		(4)	(7)	(9)
Net cash used in financing activities		11,619	(407)	(379)
Increase (decrease)		7	2	(9)
Balance at beginning of year		49	47	56
Balance at end of year		56	49	47
Total Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by operating activities		(7,450)	(6,878)	(5,992)
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities
Capital expenditures		0	0	0
Acquisitions of businesses and assets		0	0	0
Payments to acquire investments		0		0
Proceeds from finance assets		0	0	0
Proceeds from AB InBev/SABMiller business combination				0
Proceeds from derivative financial instruments		0		0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		13,003	460	138
Other, net		0	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities		13,003	460	138
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities
Proceeds from short-term borrowings		0
Long-term debt issued				0
Long-term debt repaid		0		0
Repurchases of common stock		0	0	0
Dividends paid on common stock		0	0	0
Changes in amounts due to/from Altria and subsidiaries		(13,003)	(460)	(138)
Premiums and fees related to early extinguishment of debt				0
Cash dividends paid to parent		7,450	6,878	5,992
Other		0	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities		(5,553)	6,418	5,854
Increase (decrease)		0	0	0
Balance at beginning of year		0	0	0
Balance at end of year		$ 0	$ 0	$ 0