Impact of Adopting ASC 606 on Income Statement (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jul. 01, 2018	Apr. 01, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Oct. 01, 2017	Jul. 02, 2017	Apr. 02, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Revenue, Initial Application Period Cumulative Effect Transition [Line Items]
Sales to Unaffiliated Customers	$ 1,355,616	$ 1,364,762	$ 1,366,373	$ 1,304,187	$ 1,299,018	$ 1,324,634	$ 1,240,674	$ 1,172,324	$ 5,390,938	$ 5,036,650	$ 4,782,877
Cost of sales									4,349,932	4,077,998	3,836,594
Gross profit	254,308	259,636	276,460	250,602	242,420	252,879	238,385	222,979	1,041,006	958,652	946,283
Operating profit									437,629	412,409	504,643
Income before income taxes									378,531	314,554	441,277
Provision for income taxes									75,008	146,589	164,631
Income before equity in earnings of affiliates									303,523	167,965	276,646
Net income									314,739	177,447	287,881
Net income attributable to Sonoco	$ 77,678	$ 72,415	$ 89,412	74,055	$ 5,675	$ 72,812	$ 43,125	$ 53,733	313,560	$ 175,345	$ 286,434
Balances without Adoption of ASC 606
Revenue, Initial Application Period Cumulative Effect Transition [Line Items]
Sales to Unaffiliated Customers									5,391,316
Cost of sales									4,349,379
Gross profit									1,041,937
Operating profit									438,560
Income before income taxes									379,462
Provision for income taxes									75,250
Income before equity in earnings of affiliates									304,212
Net income									315,428
Net income attributable to Sonoco									314,249
Adjustments | Accounting Standards Update 2014-09
Revenue, Initial Application Period Cumulative Effect Transition [Line Items]
Sales to Unaffiliated Customers				$ 1,721					378
Cost of sales									(553)
Gross profit									931
Operating profit									931
Income before income taxes									931
Provision for income taxes									242
Income before equity in earnings of affiliates									689
Net income									689
Net income attributable to Sonoco									$ 689