Earnings Per Share Attributable to Common Shareholders - Basic Numerator (Detail) (USD $) In Millions	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Oct. 02, 2011		Oct. 03, 2010		Oct. 02, 2011		Oct. 03, 2010
EPS Numerator-Basic:
Income from continuing operations	$ 2,434		$ 856		$ 7,246		$ 5,324
Less: net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	11		5		31		24
Income from continuing operations attributable to Pfizer Inc.	2,423		851		7,215		5,300
Less: preferred stock dividends-net of tax			1		1		2
Income from continuing operations attributable to Pfizer Inc. common shareholders	2,423		850		7,214		5,298
Discontinued operations-net of tax	1,315		15		1,355		67
Net income attributable to Pfizer Inc. common shareholders	$ 3,738		$ 865		$ 8,569		$ 5,365
EPS Denominator:
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding-Basic	7,770		8,027		7,877		8,045
Common-share equivalents: stock options, stock issuable under employee compensation plans and convertible preferred stock	40		30		48		34
Weighted-average number of common shares outstanding-Diluted	7,810		8,057		7,925		8,079
Stock options that had exercise prices greater than the average market price of our common stock issuable under employee compensation plans	342	[1]	419	[1]	279	[1]	419	[1]

[1] These common stock equivalents were outstanding during the three and nine months ended October 2, 2011 and October 3, 2010, but were not included in the computation of diluted EPS for those periods because their inclusion would have had an anti-dilutive effect.