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Benefit Plans (Tables)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
Projected Benefit Obligations, Plan Assets and Funded Status of Pension Plans The benefit obligations, plan assets and funded status of Altria’s pension and postretirement plans at December 31, 2020 and 2019 were as follows:
PensionPostretirement
(in millions)2020201920202019
Change in benefit obligation:
    Benefit obligation at beginning of year$8,659 $7,726 $2,091 $2,040 
   Service cost
74 70 16 16 
   Interest cost
251 306 59 76 
   Benefits paid
(477)(493)(107)(126)
   Actuarial losses970 1,025 169 78 
       Settlement and curtailment— 25 — 7 
   Other(12)— 1 — 
Benefit obligation at end of year9,465 8,659 2,229 2,091 
Change in plan assets:
    Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year8,167 7,138 213 211 
   Actual return on plan assets
1,188 1,466 21 45 
   Employer contributions
33 56 — — 
   Benefits paid
(477)(493)(33)(43)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year8,911 8,167 201 213 
    Funded status at December 31
$(554)$(492)$(2,028)$(1,878)
Amounts recognized on Altria’s consolidated balance sheets were as follows:
    Other accrued liabilities
$(23)$(26)$(77)$(81)
    Accrued pension costs
(551)(473)— — 
    Other assets
20 7 — — 
    Accrued postretirement health care costs
— — (1,951)(1,797)
$(554)$(492)$(2,028)$(1,878)
Net Pension Liability Recognized in Consolidated Balance Sheets The benefit obligations, plan assets and funded status of Altria’s pension and postretirement plans at December 31, 2020 and 2019 were as follows:
PensionPostretirement
(in millions)2020201920202019
Change in benefit obligation:
    Benefit obligation at beginning of year$8,659 $7,726 $2,091 $2,040 
   Service cost
74 70 16 16 
   Interest cost
251 306 59 76 
   Benefits paid
(477)(493)(107)(126)
   Actuarial losses970 1,025 169 78 
       Settlement and curtailment— 25 — 7 
   Other(12)— 1 — 
Benefit obligation at end of year9,465 8,659 2,229 2,091 
Change in plan assets:
    Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year8,167 7,138 213 211 
   Actual return on plan assets
1,188 1,466 21 45 
   Employer contributions
33 56 — — 
   Benefits paid
(477)(493)(33)(43)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year8,911 8,167 201 213 
    Funded status at December 31
$(554)$(492)$(2,028)$(1,878)
Amounts recognized on Altria’s consolidated balance sheets were as follows:
    Other accrued liabilities
$(23)$(26)$(77)$(81)
    Accrued pension costs
(551)(473)— — 
    Other assets
20 7 — — 
    Accrued postretirement health care costs
— — (1,951)(1,797)
$(554)$(492)$(2,028)$(1,878)
Assumptions used to Determine Benefit Obligations
The following assumptions were used to determine Altria’s pension and postretirement benefit obligations at December 31:
PensionPostretirement
2020201920202019
Discount rate2.7 %3.4 %2.6 %3.4 %
Rate of compensation increase4.0 4.0 — — 
Health care cost trend rate assumed for next year— — 6.5 6.5 
    Ultimate trend rate— — 5.0 5.0 
 Year that the rate reaches the ultimate trend rate— — 20272025
Schedule of Net Benefit Costs Net periodic benefit cost (income) consisted of the following for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018:
PensionPostretirement
(in millions)202020192018202020192018
Service cost$74 $70 $81 $16 $16 $18 
Interest cost251 306 276 59 76 70 
Expected return on plan assets(502)(576)(585)(14)(15)(19)
Amortization:
Net loss134 159 225 10 5 21 
Prior service cost (credit)5 6 4 (30)(30)(42)
Settlement and curtailment 10 27 16 — 5 — 
Net periodic benefit cost (income)$(28)$(8)$17 $41 $57 $48 
Schedule Of Termination Settlement And Curtailment Cost
The amounts included in settlement and curtailment in the table above were comprised of the following changes:
PensionPostretirement
(in millions)2020201920182019
Benefit obligation$— $6 $— $10 
Other comprehensive earnings/losses:
Net loss 10 20 13 — 
Prior service cost (credit)
— 1 3 (5)
$10 $27 $16 $5 
Schedule Of Assumptions To Determine Net Periodic Benefit Cost
The following assumptions were used to determine Altria’s net periodic benefit cost for the years ended December 31:
PensionPostretirement
202020192018202020192018
Discount rates:
     Service cost
3.7 %4.6 %3.8 %3.6 %4.5 %3.8 %
     Interest cost
3.0 4.0 3.3 3.0 4.0 3.3 
Expected rate of return on plan assets
6.6 7.8 7.8 7.7 7.8 7.8 
Rate of compensation increase
4.0 4.0 4.0 — — — 
Health care cost trend rate
— — — 6.5 6.5 7.0 
Schedule of Fair Value of Plan Assets by Asset Category
The actual composition of Altria’s plan assets at December 31, 2020 was broadly characterized with the following allocation:
PensionPostretirement
Equity securities31 %58 %
Corporate bonds
53 %31 %
U.S. Treasury and foreign government securities
16 %11 %
The fair values of the pension plan assets by asset category at December 31, 2020 and 2019 were as follows:
20202019
(in millions)Level 1Level 2TotalLevel 1Level 2Total
U.S. and foreign government securities or their agencies:
U.S. government and agencies$— $950 $950 $— $811 $811 
U.S. municipal bonds
— 64 64 — 57 57 
Foreign government and agencies
— 90 90 — 98 98 
Corporate debt instruments:
Above investment grade
— 3,760 3,760 — 3,523 3,523 
Below investment grade and no rating
— 868 868 — 521 521 
Common stock:
International equities
316 — 316 296 — 296 
U.S. equities970 — 970 1,263 — 1,263 
Other, net21 356 377 (4)479 475 
$1,307 $6,088 $7,395 $1,555 $5,489 $7,044 
Investments measured at NAV as a practical expedient for fair value:
Collective investment funds
U.S. large cap
$924 $825 
U.S. small cap 455 386 
International developed markets114 106 
Total investments measured at NAV$1,493 $1,317 
Other23 (194)
Fair value of plan assets, net$8,911 $8,167 
Level 3 holdings and transactions were immaterial to total plan assets at December 31, 2020 and 2019.
The fair value of the postretirement plan assets at December 31, 2020 and 2019 were as follows:
20202019
(in millions)Level 1Level 2TotalLevel 1Level 2Total
U.S. and foreign government securities or their agencies:
U.S. government and agencies$— $6 $6 $— $11 $11 
Foreign government and agencies
— 4 4 — 5 5 
Corporate debt instruments:
Above investment grade
— 55 55 — 63 63 
Below investment grade and no rating
— 11 11 — 9 9 
Other, net— 7 7 — 7 7 
$— $83 $83 $— $95 $95 
Investments measured at NAV as a practical expedient for fair value:
Collective investment funds:
U.S. large cap
$97 $97 
International developed markets25 24 
Total investments measured at NAV$122 $121 
Other
(4)(3)
Fair value of plan assets, net$201 $213 
Estimated Future Benefit Payments
Estimated future benefit payments at December 31, 2020 were as follows:
(in millions)PensionPostretirement
2021$495 $120 
2022483 118 
2023483 115 
2024483 113 
2025485 112 
2026-20302,437 563 
Schedule of Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
The amounts recorded in accumulated other comprehensive losses at December 31, 2020 consisted of the following:
(in millions)PensionPost-
retirement		Post-
employment		Total
Net loss$(2,689)$(541)$(44)$(3,274)
Prior service (cost) credit
(27)41 (5)9 
Deferred income taxes
702 132 11 845 
Amounts recorded in accumulated other comprehensive losses
$(2,014)$(368)$(38)$(2,420)
The amounts recorded in accumulated other comprehensive losses at December 31, 2019 consisted of the following:
(in millions)PensionPost-
retirement		Post-
employment		Total
Net loss$(2,565)$(389)$(45)$(2,999)
Prior service (cost) credit
(27)72 (5)40 
Deferred income taxes
670 86 11 767 
Amounts recorded in accumulated other comprehensive losses
$(1,922)$(231)$(39)$(2,192)
Movements in Other Comprehensive Earnings/Losses
The movements in other comprehensive earnings/losses during the year ended December 31, 2020 were as follows:
(in millions)PensionPost-
retirement		Post-
employment		Total
Amounts reclassified to net earnings (losses) as components of net periodic
benefit cost:
Amortization:
Net loss$134 $10 $19 $163 
Prior service cost/credit5 (30)— (25)
Other expense (income):
Net loss
10 — — 10 
Prior service cost/credit— — — — 
Deferred income taxes
(37)5 (5)(37)
$112 $(15)$14 $111 
Other movements during the year:
Net loss$(268)$(162)$(18)$(448)
Prior service cost/credit
(5)(1)— (6)
Deferred income taxes
69 41 5 115 
$(204)$(122)$(13)$(339)
Total movements in other comprehensive earnings/losses
$(92)$(137)$1 $(228)

The movements in other comprehensive earnings/losses during the year ended December 31, 2019 were as follows:
(in millions)PensionPost-retirementPost-employmentTotal
Amounts reclassified to net earnings (losses) as components of net periodic
 benefit cost:
Amortization:
Net loss$159 $5 $20 $184 
Prior service cost/credit6 (30)1 (23)
Other expense (income):
Net loss
20 — (4)16 
Prior service cost/credit1 (5)— (4)
Deferred income taxes
(47)7 (4)(44)
$139 $(23)$13 $129 
Other movements during the year:
Net loss$(153)$(67)$17 $(203)
Prior service cost/credit
— (1)— (1)
Deferred income taxes
38 18 (5)51 
$(115)$(50)$12 $(153)
Total movements in other comprehensive earnings/losses
$24 $(73)$25 $(24)
The movements in other comprehensive earnings/losses during the year ended December 31, 2018 were as follows:
(in millions)PensionPost-
retirement		Post-
employment		Total
Amounts reclassified to net earnings (losses) as components of net periodic
    benefit cost:
Amortization:
Net loss$225 $21 $17 $263 
Prior service cost/credit4 (42)— (38)
Other expense (income):
Net loss
13 — — 13 
Prior service cost/credit
3 — — 3 
Deferred income taxes
(61)4 (4)(61)
$184 $(17)$13 $180 
Other movements during the year:
Adoption of ASU 2018-02 (1)
$(330)$(55)$(12)$(397)
Net loss(336)264 (2)(74)
Prior service cost/credit
(26)(45)(6)(77)
Deferred income taxes
91 (54)2 39 
$(601)$110 $(18)$(509)
Total movements in other comprehensive earnings/losses
$(417)$93 $(5)$(329)
(1) Reflects the reclassification of the stranded income tax effects of the Tax Reform Act.