Earnings Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
BASIC EARNINGS PER SHARE
Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders (Income)	$ 126	$ 142
Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders (Shares)	661	704
Income from continuing operations attributable to The AES Corporation common stockholders, net of tax	$ 0.19	$ 0.20
EFFECT OF DILUTIVE SECURITIES
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Options and Restrictive Stock Units	$ 0	$ 0
Restricted stock units (Shares)	2	2
Dilutive Securities Effect On Basic EPS, dilutive Restricted Stock Units, per diluted share	$ 0.00	$ 0.00
Diluted Earnings Per Share (Income)	$ 126	$ 142
Diluted Earnings Per Share (Shares)	663	706
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Per Diluted Share	$ 0.19	$ 0.20
Earnings Per Share, Diluted	$ 0.19	$ 0.20
Convertible Debt Securities [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	15	15
Stock Compensation Plan [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	8	6

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Income from continuing operations attributable to the parent plus adjustments resulting from the assumption that dilutive convertible securities were converted, options or warrants were exercised, or that other shares were issued upon the satisfaction of certain conditions.

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Amount of increase (decrease) to net income used for calculating diluted earnings per share (EPS), resulting from the assumed exercise of stock options or restrictive stock units (RSUs).

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Securities (including those issuable pursuant to contingent stock agreements) that could potentially dilute basic earnings per share (EPS) or earnings per unit (EPU) in the future that were not included in the computation of diluted EPS or EPU because to do so would increase EPS or EPU amounts or decrease loss per share or unit amounts for the period presented.

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Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

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The amount of net income (loss) for the period available to each share of common stock or common unit outstanding during the reporting period and to each share or unit that would have been outstanding assuming the issuance of common shares or units for all dilutive potential common shares or units outstanding during the reporting period.

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Amount of income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to the parent. Also defined as revenue less expenses and taxes from ongoing operations before extraordinary items but after deduction of those portions of income or loss from continuing operations that are allocable to noncontrolling interests.

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The amount of net income (loss) from continuing operations per each share of common stock or unit outstanding during the reporting period.

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Additional shares included in the calculation of diluted EPS as a result of the potentially dilutive effect of share based payment arrangements using the treasury stock method.

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The average number of shares or units issued and outstanding that are used in calculating diluted EPS or earnings per unit (EPU), determined based on the timing of issuance of shares or units in the period.

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Number of [basic] shares or units, after adjustment for contingently issuable shares or units and other shares or units not deemed outstanding, determined by relating the portion of time within a reporting period that common shares or units have been outstanding to the total time in that period.

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