Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements of Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 7,837	$ 8,391	$ 4,901
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities
Capital expenditures	(246)	(238)	(199)
Investment in Cronos	(1,899)	0	0
Acquisitions of businesses and assets	(421)	(15)	(415)
Investment in JUUL	(5)	(12,800)
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0
Other, net	173	65	147
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(2,398)	(12,988)	(467)
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities
Repayment of short-term borrowings	(12,800)	0	0
Proceeds from short-term borrowings	0	12,800	0
Long-term debt issued	16,265	0	0
Long-term debt repaid	(1,144)	(864)	0
Repurchases of common stock	(845)	(1,673)	(2,917)
Dividends paid on common stock	(6,069)	(5,415)	(4,807)
Changes in amounts due to/from Altria and subsidiaries	0	0	0
Cash dividends paid to parent	0	0	0
Other	(119)	(132)	(47)
Net cash used in financing activities	(4,712)	4,716	(7,771)
Increase (decrease)	727	119	(3,337)
Balance at beginning of year	1,433	1,314	4,651
Balance at end of year	2,160	1,433	1,314
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 (used in) operating activities	7,769	6,907	6,910
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities
Capital expenditures	0	0	0
Investment in Cronos	0
Acquisitions of businesses and assets	0	0	0
Investment in JUUL	0	0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	(2,518)	(13,003)	(460)
Other, net	41	35	(5)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(2,477)	(12,968)	(465)
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities
Repayment of short-term borrowings	(12,800)
Proceeds from short-term borrowings		12,800
Long-term debt issued	16,265
Long-term debt repaid	(1,144)	(864)
Repurchases of common stock	(845)	(1,673)	(2,917)
Dividends paid on common stock	(6,069)	(5,415)	(4,807)
Changes in amounts due to/from Altria and subsidiaries	169	1,415	(1,999)
Cash dividends paid to parent	0	0
Other	(123)	(128)	(40)
Net cash used in financing activities	(4,547)	6,135	(9,763)
Increase (decrease)	745	74	(3,318)
Balance at beginning of year	1,277	1,203	4,521
Balance at end of year	2,022	1,277	1,203
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | PM USA [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	6,936	7,580	4,028
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities
Capital expenditures	(56)	(57)	(34)
Investment in Cronos	0
Acquisitions of businesses and assets	0	0	0
Investment in JUUL	0	0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0
Other, net	1	0	4
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(55)	(57)	(30)
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities
Repayment of short-term borrowings	0
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	(137)	(1,388)	1,410
Cash dividends paid to parent	(6,801)	(6,097)	(5,429)
Other	0	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(6,938)	(7,485)	(4,019)
Increase (decrease)	(57)	38	(21)
Balance at beginning of year	100	62	83
Balance at end of year	43	100	62
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	1,362	1,354	841
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities
Capital expenditures	(190)	(181)	(165)
Investment in Cronos	(1,899)
Acquisitions of businesses and assets	(421)	(15)	(415)
Investment in JUUL	(5)	(12,800)
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0
Other, net	131	30	148
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(2,384)	(12,966)	(432)
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities
Repayment of short-term borrowings	0
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	2,486	12,976	1,049
Cash dividends paid to parent	(1,429)	(1,353)	(1,449)
Other	4	(4)	(7)
Net cash used in financing activities	1,061	11,619	(407)
Increase (decrease)	39	7	2
Balance at beginning of year	56	49	47
Balance at end of year	95	56	49
Total Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(8,230)	(7,450)	(6,878)
Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities
Capital expenditures	0	0	0
Investment in Cronos	0
Acquisitions of businesses and assets	0	0	0
Investment in JUUL	0	0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	2,518	13,003	460
Other, net	0	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	2,518	13,003	460
Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities
Repayment of short-term borrowings	0
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	(2,518)	(13,003)	(460)
Cash dividends paid to parent	8,230	7,450	6,878
Other	0	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	5,712	(5,553)	6,418
Increase (decrease)	0	0	0
Balance at beginning of year	0	0	0
Balance at end of year	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0