Label	Element	Value
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Registrant Name	dei_EntityRegistrantName	iSHARES INC
Prospectus Date	rr_ProspectusDate	Oct. 17, 2011
iShares Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond Fund \| iShares Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Management Fees	rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets	0.60%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees	rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets	none
Other Expenses	rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets	none
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses	rr_ExpensesOverAssets	0.60%
1 Year	rr_ExpenseExampleYear01	61
3 Years	rr_ExpenseExampleYear03	192
iShares Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond Fund
Risk/Return:	rr_RiskReturnAbstract
Risk/Return [Heading]	rr_RiskReturnHeading	iSHARES^® EMERGING MARKETS LOCAL CURRENCY BOND FUND Ticker: LEMB Stock Exchange: NYSE Arca
Objective [Heading]	rr_ObjectiveHeading	Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block]	rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock	The iShares Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond Fund (the "Fund") seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Barclays Capital Emerging Markets Broad Local Currency Bond Index (the "Underlying Index").
Expense [Heading]	rr_ExpenseHeading	Fees and Expenses
Expense Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseNarrativeTextBlock	The following table describes the fees and expenses that you will incur if you own shares of the Fund. The investment advisory agreement between iShares, Inc. (the "Company") and BlackRock Fund Advisors ("BFA") (the "Investment Advisory Agreement") provides that BFA will pay all operating expenses of the Fund, except interest expenses, taxes, brokerage expenses, future distribution fees or expenses and extraordinary expenses. You may also incur usual and customary brokerage commissions when buying or selling shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the example that follows:
Operating Expenses Caption [Text]	rr_OperatingExpensesCaption	Annual Fund Operating Expenses (ongoing expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investments)
Portfolio Turnover [Heading]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverHeading	Portfolio Turnover.
Portfolio Turnover [Text Block]	rr_PortfolioTurnoverTextBlock	The Fund may pay transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance.
Expense Exchange Traded Fund Commissions [Text]	rr_ExpenseExchangeTradedFundCommissions	You may also incur usual and customary brokerage commissions when buying or selling shares of the Fund, which are not reflected in the example that follows:
Expense Example [Heading]	rr_ExpenseExampleHeading	Example.
Expense Example Narrative [Text Block]	rr_ExpenseExampleNarrativeTextBlock	This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of owning shares of the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
Strategy [Heading]	rr_StrategyHeading	Principal Investment Strategies
Strategy Narrative [Text Block]	rr_StrategyNarrativeTextBlock	The Underlying Index measures the performance of local currency-denominated sovereign bond markets of emerging market countries. As of September 30, 2011, there were 289 issues in the Underlying Index. Securities included in the Underlying Index must be issued by countries that satisfy certain eligibility requirements for emerging market countries, and meet separate security-specific requirements. Eligible issuer countries must have a sovereign rating of A1/A+ or lower using the middle foreign currency long-term debt rating of Moody's^® Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's"), Standard & Poor's^® (a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.) ("S&P") or Fitch, Inc. ("Fitch") or be classified by the World Bank as a Low, Low/Middle or Upper/Middle Income country. Countries that are part of the euro area are excluded from the Underlying Index, regardless of their rating or World Bank classification. Eligible issuer countries must also have at least the local currency equivalent of US $5 billion face amount of aggregate local currency treasury debt with maturities greater than one year outstanding as of July 1 of the preceding year. Each security issued by an eligible emerging market country included in the Underlying Index must separately have the local currency equivalent of US $1 billion face amount outstanding and meet certain pricing and maturity requirements. Treasury bills and strips, floating-rate issues, inflation-linked bonds, dual currency bonds, and private placements are excluded from the Underlying Index. As of September 30, 2011, the Underlying Index included securities issued by Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand and Turkey. BFA uses a "passive" or indexing approach to try to achieve the Fund's investment objective. Unlike many investment companies, the Fund does not try to "beat" the index it tracks and does not seek temporary defensive positions when markets decline or appear overvalued. Indexing may eliminate the chance that the Fund will substantially outperform the Underlying Index but also may reduce some of the risks of active management, such as poor security selection. Indexing seeks to achieve lower costs and better after-tax performance by keeping portfolio turnover low in comparison to actively managed investment companies. BFA uses a representative sampling indexing strategy to manage the Fund. "Representative sampling" is an indexing strategy that involves investing in a representative sample of securities that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Underlying Index. The securities selected are expected to have, in the aggregate, investment characteristics (based on factors such as market capitalization and industry weightings), fundamental characteristics (such as return variability, duration, maturity or credit ratings and yield) and liquidity measures similar to those of the Underlying Index. The Fund may or may not hold all of the securities in the Underlying Index. The Fund generally invests at least 80% of its assets in the securities of the Underlying Index or in depositary receipts representing securities of the Underlying Index. The Fund may invest the remainder of its assets in securities not included in the Underlying Index, but which BFA believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index. The Fund may invest its other assets in futures contracts, options on futures contracts, options, and swaps related to the Underlying Index, as well as cash and cash equivalents, including shares of money market funds advised by BFA or its affiliates. The Fund may lend securities representing up to one-third of the value of the Fund's total assets (including the value of the collateral received). The Underlying Index is sponsored by an organization (the "Index Provider") that is independent of the Fund and BFA. The Index Provider determines the composition and relative weightings of the securities in the Underlying Index and publishes information regarding the market value of the Underlying Index. The Fund's Index Provider is Barclays Capital Inc. ("Barclays Capital"). Industry Concentration Policy. The Fund will concentrate its investments (i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that the Underlying Index is concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities), repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities, and securities of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
Strategy Portfolio Concentration [Text]	rr_StrategyPortfolioConcentration	Industry Concentration Policy. The Fund will concentrate its investments (i.e., hold 25% or more of its total assets) in a particular industry or group of industries to approximately the same extent that the Underlying Index is concentrated. For purposes of this limitation, securities of the U.S. government (including its agencies and instrumentalities), repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities, and securities of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions are not considered to be issued by members of any industry.
Risk [Heading]	rr_RiskHeading	Summary of Principal Risks
Risk Narrative [Text Block]	rr_RiskNarrativeTextBlock	As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the Fund's performance could trail that of other investments. The Fund is subject to the principal risks noted below, any of which may adversely affect the Fund's net asset value per share ("NAV"), trading price, yield, total return and ability to meet its investment objective. Asset Class Risk. Securities in the Underlying Index or in the Fund's portfolio may underperform in comparison to the general securities markets or other asset classes. Call Risk. During periods of falling interest rates, an issuer of a callable bond held by the Fund may "call" or repay the security before its stated maturity, and the Fund may have to reinvest the proceeds at lower interest rates, resulting in a decline in the Fund's income. *Concentration Risk.* To the extent that the Fund's investments are concentrated in a particular region, country, market, industry or asset class, the Fund may be susceptible to loss due to adverse occurrences affecting that region, country, market, industry or asset class. Credit Risk. The Fund is subject to the risk that debt issuers and other counterparties may not honor their obligations. Currency Risk. Because the Fund's NAV is determined in U.S. dollars, the Fund's NAV could decline if the currency of a non-U.S. market in which the Fund invests depreciates against the U.S. dollar. Generally, an increase in the value of the U.S. dollar against a foreign currency will reduce the value of a security denominated in that foreign currency, thereby decreasing the Fund's overall NAV. Custody Risk. Less developed markets are more likely to experience problems with the clearing and settling of trades and the holding of securities by local banks, agents and depositories. Emerging Markets Risk. The Fund's investments in emerging markets may be subject to a greater risk of loss than its investments in more developed markets. Emerging markets may be more likely to experience inflation, political turmoil and rapid changes in economic conditions than more developed markets. Emerging markets often have less uniformity in accounting and reporting requirements, unreliable securities valuation and greater risk associated with custody of securities. Geographic Risk. A natural or other disaster could occur in a geographic region in which the Fund invests which could affect the economy or particular business operations of the specific geographic region, causing an adverse impact on the Fund's investments in the affected region. *High Yield Securities Risk.* Securities that are rated below investment grade (commonly referred to as "junk bonds," including those bonds rated lower than "BBB-" by S&P and Fitch, "Baa3" by Moody's, or "BBBL" by Dominion Bond Rating Service Limited ("Dominion")) or are unrated, but judged by BFA to be of comparable quality at the time of purchase, may be deemed speculative and more volatile than higher-rated securities of similar maturity. Interest Rate Risk. An increase in interest rates may cause the value of fixed-income securities held by the Fund to decline. Issuer Risk. Fund performance depends on the performance of individual securities to which the Fund has exposure. Changes to the financial condition or credit rating of an issuer of those securities may cause the value of the securities to decline. Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell. This can reduce the Fund's returns because the Fund may be unable to transact at advantageous times or prices. Management Risk. As the Fund may not fully replicate the Underlying Index, it is subject to the risk that BFA's investment management strategy may not produce the intended results. Market Risk. The Fund could lose money over short periods due to short-term market movements and over longer periods during market downturns. Market Trading Risk. The Fund faces numerous market trading risks, including the potential lack of an active market for Fund shares, losses from trading in secondary markets, periods of high volatility and disruption in the creation/redemption process of the Fund. ANY OF THESE FACTORS, AMONG OTHERS, MAY LEAD TO THE FUND'S SHARES TRADING AT A PREMIUM OR DISCOUNT TO NAV. Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund may invest a large percentage of its assets in securities issued by or representing a small number of issuers. As a result, the Fund's performance may depend on the performance of a small number of issuers. *Non-U.S. Issuers Risk.* Non-U.S. issuers carry different risks from bonds issued by U.S. issuers. These include differences in accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations, political instability, regulatory and economic differences, and potential restrictions on the flow of international capital. The Fund is specifically exposed to Asian Economic Risk, Central and South American Economic Risk and European Economic Risk. Passive Investment Risk. The Fund is not actively managed and BFA does not attempt to take defensive positions under any market conditions, including declining markets. Reliance on Trading Partners Risk. The Fund invests in countries whose economies are heavily dependent upon trading with key partners. Any reduction in this trading may have an adverse impact on the Fund's investments. *Securities Lending Risk.* The Fund may engage in securities lending. Securities lending involves the risk that the Fund may lose money because the borrower of the Fund's loaned securities fails to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. The Fund could also lose money in the event of a decline in the value of the collateral provided for loaned securities or a decline in the value of any investments made with cash collateral. These events could also trigger adverse tax consequences for the Fund. Security Risk. Some countries and regions in which the Fund invests have experienced security concerns. Incidents involving a country's or region's security may cause uncertainty in these markets and may adversely affect their economies and the Fund's investments. South Korean Securities Risk. The Fund's investments in South Korean issuers may subject the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, and economic risk specific to South Korea. In addition, economic and political developments of South Korean neighbors may have an adverse effect on the South Korean economy. As a result, such risks may adversely affect the value of the Fund's investments. *Sovereign Obligations Risk.* The Fund invests in securities issued by or guaranteed by non-U.S. sovereign governments, which may be unable or unwilling to repay principal or interest when due. In times of economic uncertainty, the prices of these securities may be more volatile than those of corporate debt obligations or of other government debt obligations. Structural Risk. The countries in which the Fund invests may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability. Tracking Error Risk. The performance of the Fund may diverge from that of the Underlying Index. Because the Fund employs a representative sampling strategy, the Fund may experience tracking error to a greater extent than a fund that seeks to replicate an index. Valuation Risk. The value of the securities in the Fund's portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund's shares.
Risk Lose Money [Text]	rr_RiskLoseMoney	As with any investment, you could lose all or part of your investment in the Fund, and the Fund's performance could trail that of other investments.
Risk Nondiversified Status [Text]	rr_RiskNondiversifiedStatus	Non-Diversification Risk. The Fund may invest a large percentage of its assets in securities issued by or representing a small number of issuers. As a result, the Fund's performance may depend on the performance of a small number of issuers.
Bar Chart and Performance Table [Heading]	rr_BarChartAndPerformanceTableHeading	Performance Information
Performance Narrative [Text Block]	rr_PerformanceNarrativeTextBlock	As of the date of the Fund's prospectus (the "Prospectus"), the Fund has been in operation for less than one full calendar year and therefore does not report its performance information.
Performance One Year or Less [Text]	rr_PerformanceOneYearOrLess	As of the date of the Fund's prospectus (the "Prospectus"), the Fund has been in operation for less than one full calendar year and therefore does not report its performance information