Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Consumer products
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 4,156	$ 3,270	$ 3,432	$ 2,314
Receivables	244	268
Inventories:
Leaf tobacco	932	934
Other raw materials	178	170
Work in process	310	316
Finished product	410	359
Inventory, net	1,830	1,779
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries
Deferred income taxes	1,207	1,207
Other current assets	456	607
Total current assets	7,893	7,131
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	4,737	4,728
Less accumulated depreciation	2,572	2,512
Property, plant and equipment, net	2,165	2,216
Goodwill	5,174	5,174
Other intangible assets, net	12,093	12,098
Investment in SABMiller	5,965	5,509
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries
Other assets	1,235	1,257
Total consumer products assets	34,525	33,385
Financial services
Finance assets, net	3,247	3,559
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries
Other assets	43	18
Total financial services assets	3,290	3,577
TOTAL ASSETS	37,815	36,962
Consumer products
Current portion of long-term debt	600	600
Accounts payable	328	503
Accrued liabilities:
Marketing	474	430
Taxes, except income taxes	280	220
Employment costs	75	225
Settlement charges	4,538	3,513
Other	1,338	1,311
Income taxes	309
Dividends payable	839	841
Total current liabilities	8,781	7,643
Long-term debt	13,089	13,089
Deferred income taxes	4,932	4,751
Accrued pension costs	1,154	1,662
Accrued postretirement health care costs	2,367	2,359
Other liabilities	590	602
Total consumer products liabilities	30,913	30,106
Financial services
Deferred income taxes	2,514	2,811
Other liabilities	652	330
Total financial services liabilities	3,166	3,141
Total liabilities	34,079	33,247
Contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	32	32
Stockholders' Equity
Common stock	935	935
Additional paid-in capital	5,633	5,674
Earnings reinvested in the business	23,720	23,583
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	(1,685)	(1,887)
Cost of repurchased stock	(24,902)	(24,625)
Total stockholders' equity attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	3,701	3,680
Noncontrolling interests	3	3
Total stockholders' equity	3,704	3,683		5,195
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY	37,815	36,962
Altria Group, Inc. [Member]
Consumer products
Cash and cash equivalents	4,140	3,245	3,417	2,298
Receivables	164	174
Inventories:
Leaf tobacco
Other raw materials
Work in process
Finished product
Inventory, net
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	709	403
Deferred income taxes	9	9
Other current assets	249	6
Total current assets	5,271	3,837
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	2	2
Less accumulated depreciation	2	2
Property, plant and equipment, net
Goodwill
Other intangible assets, net
Investment in SABMiller	5,965	5,509
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	9,085	7,009
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	4,500	6,500
Other assets	947	941
Total consumer products assets	25,768	23,796
Financial services
Finance assets, net
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries
Other assets
Total financial services assets
TOTAL ASSETS	25,768	23,796
Consumer products
Accounts payable	69	69
Accrued liabilities:
Employment costs	23	29
Other	389	384
Dividends payable	839	841
Due to Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	5,545	3,792
Total current liabilities	6,865	5,115
Long-term debt	12,790	12,790
Deferred income taxes	1,947	1,787
Accrued pension costs	237	236
Other liabilities	228	188
Total consumer products liabilities	22,067	20,116
Financial services
Total liabilities	22,067	20,116
Contingencies
Stockholders' Equity
Common stock	935	935
Additional paid-in capital	5,633	5,674
Earnings reinvested in the business	23,720	23,583
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	(1,685)	(1,887)
Cost of repurchased stock	(24,902)	(24,625)
Total stockholders' equity attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	3,701	3,680
Total stockholders' equity	3,701	3,680
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY	25,768	23,796
PM USA [Member]
Consumer products
Cash and cash equivalents
Receivables	14	16
Inventories:
Leaf tobacco	556	565
Other raw materials	128	128
Work in process	9	4
Finished product	180	126
Inventory, net	873	823
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	4,419	3,007
Deferred income taxes	1,157	1,157
Other current assets	345	430
Total current assets	6,808	5,433
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	3,293	3,280
Less accumulated depreciation	2,046	2,005
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,247	1,275
Goodwill
Other intangible assets, net	2	2
Investment in SABMiller
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	3,029	3,035
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries
Other assets	570	586
Total consumer products assets	11,656	10,331
Financial services
Finance assets, net
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries
Other assets
Total financial services assets
TOTAL ASSETS	11,656	10,331
Consumer products
Accounts payable	125	159
Accrued liabilities:
Marketing	456	390
Taxes, except income taxes	265	209
Employment costs	7	12
Settlement charges	4,532	3,508
Other	543	620
Income taxes	495
Due to Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	337	474
Total current liabilities	6,760	5,372
Accrued postretirement health care costs	1,561	1,562
Other liabilities	211	216
Total consumer products liabilities	8,532	7,150
Financial services
Total liabilities	8,532	7,150
Contingencies
Stockholders' Equity
Additional paid-in capital	3,321	3,283
Earnings reinvested in the business	116	210
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	(313)	(312)
Total stockholders' equity attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	3,124	3,181
Total stockholders' equity	3,124	3,181
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY	11,656	10,331
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Consumer products
Cash and cash equivalents	16	25	15	16
Receivables	66	78
Inventories:
Leaf tobacco	376	369
Other raw materials	50	42
Work in process	301	312
Finished product	230	233
Inventory, net	957	956
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	1,458	1,765
Deferred income taxes	41	41
Other current assets	105	247
Total current assets	2,643	3,112
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	1,442	1,446
Less accumulated depreciation	524	505
Property, plant and equipment, net	918	941
Goodwill	5,174	5,174
Other intangible assets, net	12,091	12,096
Investment in SABMiller
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries
Other assets	99	111
Total consumer products assets	20,925	21,434
Financial services
Finance assets, net	3,247	3,559
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	628	292
Other assets	43	18
Total financial services assets	3,918	3,869
TOTAL ASSETS	24,843	25,303
Consumer products
Current portion of long-term debt	600	600
Accounts payable	134	275
Accrued liabilities:
Marketing	18	40
Taxes, except income taxes	15	11
Employment costs	45	184
Settlement charges	6	5
Other	406	383
Income taxes	57
Due to Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	1,332	1,201
Total current liabilities	2,613	2,699
Long-term debt	299	299
Deferred income taxes	3,366	3,345
Accrued pension costs	917	1,426
Accrued postretirement health care costs	806	797
Due to Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	4,500	6,500
Other liabilities	151	198
Total consumer products liabilities	12,652	15,264
Financial services
Deferred income taxes	2,514	2,811
Other liabilities	652	330
Total financial services liabilities	3,166	3,141
Total liabilities	15,818	18,405
Contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	32	32
Stockholders' Equity
Common stock	9	9
Additional paid-in capital	10,212	8,238
Earnings reinvested in the business	397	265
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	(1,628)	(1,649)
Total stockholders' equity attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	8,990	6,863
Noncontrolling interests	3	3
Total stockholders' equity	8,993	6,866
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY	24,843	25,303
Total Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Consumer products
Cash and cash equivalents
Receivables
Inventories:
Leaf tobacco
Other raw materials
Work in process
Finished product
Inventory, net
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	(6,586)	(5,175)
Other current assets	(243)	(76)
Total current assets	(6,829)	(5,251)
Property, plant and equipment, at cost
Less accumulated depreciation
Property, plant and equipment, net
Goodwill
Other intangible assets, net
Investment in SABMiller
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	(12,114)	(10,044)
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	(4,500)	(6,500)
Other assets	(381)	(381)
Total consumer products assets	(23,824)	(22,176)
Financial services
Finance assets, net
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	(628)	(292)
Other assets
Total financial services assets	(628)	(292)
TOTAL ASSETS	(24,452)	(22,468)
Accrued liabilities:
Other		(76)
Income taxes	(243)
Due to Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	(7,214)	(5,467)
Total current liabilities	(7,457)	(5,543)
Deferred income taxes	(381)	(381)
Due to Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	(4,500)	(6,500)
Total consumer products liabilities	(12,338)	(12,424)
Financial services
Total liabilities	(12,338)	(12,424)
Contingencies
Stockholders' Equity
Common stock	(9)	(9)
Additional paid-in capital	(13,533)	(11,521)
Earnings reinvested in the business	(513)	(475)
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	1,941	1,961
Total stockholders' equity attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	(12,114)	(10,044)
Total stockholders' equity	(12,114)	(10,044)
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY	$ (24,452)	$ (22,468)