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Percentage of retiree health liability.

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Amount of decrease in service and interest cost components of net periodic postretirement benefit cost from one-percentage-point decrease in assumed health care cost trend rate.

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Amount of contributions expected to be received by defined benefit plan from employer in next fiscal year following latest fiscal year.

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Fair value of assets that have been segregated and restricted to provide pension or postretirement benefits. Assets include, but are not limited to, stocks, bonds, other investments, earnings from investments, and contributions by the employer and employees.

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Employee Benefit Plans - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			96 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) year	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plans, accumulated benefit obligation		$ 1,810,462	$ 1,738,196		$ 1,810,462
Projected benefit obligation (PBO) with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets		1,554,395	1,474,993		1,554,395
Accumulated benefit obligation (ABO) with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets		1,538,350	1,446,624		1,538,350
Fair value of plan assets for pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets		$ 1,186,789	1,019,094		1,186,789
Percentage of retiree health liability		96.00%
Effect of one percentage point increase on postretirement benefit obligation		$ 176
Effect of one percentage point increase of health care cost trend rate on total of service and interest cost		15
Effect of one percentage point decrease on postretirement benefit obligation		163
Effect of one percentage point decrease of health care cost trend rate on total of service and interest cost		13
Total postretirement benefit plan assets		1,521,890	1,349,237		1,521,890
Projected contributions to retirement plan		38,500			38,500
Retirement Plans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Reduction in accumulated postretirement benefit obligation				$ 2,273
Retiree Health and Life Insurance Plans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total postretirement benefit plan assets		1,521,890			1,521,890
Retirement Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Total postretirement benefit plan assets		$ 1,494,713	1,325,389	1,298,186	$ 1,494,713
Canada Defined Benefit Plan \| Equity securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Current target allocation for investment portfolio		60.00%			60.00%
Canada Defined Benefit Plan \| Debt securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Current target allocation for investment portfolio		39.00%			39.00%
Canada Defined Benefit Plan \| Alternative
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Current target allocation for investment portfolio		0.00%			0.00%
Canada Defined Benefit Plan \| Cash and short-term investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Current target allocation for investment portfolio		1.00%			1.00%
United States
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Terminated vested participants, percentage	15.00%
Election rates, percentage	47.00%
Non-cash settlement charges		$ 32,761
Total postretirement benefit plan assets		$ 1,124,453			$ 1,124,453
United States \| Retirement Plan \| Equity securities \| Inactive Plan Investment Portfolio
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Current target allocation for investment portfolio		49.00%			49.00%
United States \| Retirement Plan \| Equity securities \| Active Plan Investment Portfolio
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Current target allocation for investment portfolio		57.00%			57.00%
United States \| Retirement Plan \| Debt securities \| Inactive Plan Investment Portfolio
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Current target allocation for investment portfolio		40.00%			40.00%
United States \| Retirement Plan \| Debt securities \| Active Plan Investment Portfolio
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Current target allocation for investment portfolio		30.00%			30.00%
United States \| Retirement Plan \| Alternative \| Inactive Plan Investment Portfolio
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Current target allocation for investment portfolio		11.00%			11.00%
United States \| Retirement Plan \| Alternative \| Active Plan Investment Portfolio
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Current target allocation for investment portfolio		13.00%			13.00%
United States \| Retirement Plan \| Cash and short-term investments \| Inactive Plan Investment Portfolio
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Current target allocation for investment portfolio		0.00%			0.00%
United States \| Retirement Plan \| Cash and short-term investments \| Active Plan Investment Portfolio
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Current target allocation for investment portfolio		0.00%			0.00%
Foreign Plan \| Equity securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Current target allocation for investment portfolio		48.00%			48.00%
Foreign Plan \| Debt securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Current target allocation for investment portfolio		52.00%			52.00%
Foreign Plan \| Alternative
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Current target allocation for investment portfolio		0.00%			0.00%
Foreign Plan \| Cash and short-term investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Current target allocation for investment portfolio		0.00%			0.00%
Sonoco Investment and Retirement Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Companies expense related to the plan		$ 14,540	13,655	14,970
Contribution rate of annual eligible earnings under companies investment and retirement plan		4.00%
Contribution rate of annual eligible earnings in excess of social security wage base under companies investment and retirement plan		4.00%
Vesting period		3 years
Age limit of participants \| year		55
Cash contributions to the SIRP		$ 14,066	13,352	12,865
Sonoco Savings Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined contribution plan contribution percentage, Minimum		1.00%
Defined contribution plan contribution percentage, Maximum		100.00%
Percentage of participants modified matching contribution to be matched towards safe Harbor under companies savings plan					50.00%
Modify matching employee contribution to profit sharing under companies savings plan					4.00%
Companies expense related to the plan		$ 11,200	$ 11,400	$ 11,500