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Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Registrant Name dei_EntityRegistrantName iSHARES INC
Prospectus Date rr_ProspectusDate Jul. 09, 2012
iShares Emerging Markets High Yield Bond Fund
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Risk/Return [Heading] rr_RiskReturnHeading

iSHARES® EMERGING MARKETS HIGH YIELD BOND FUND

Ticker: EMHYStock Exchange: BATS
Objective [Heading] rr_ObjectiveHeading Investment Objective
Objective, Primary [Text Block] rr_ObjectivePrimaryTextBlock The iShares Emerging Markets High Yield Bond Fund (the “Fund”) seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Morningstar Emerging Markets High Yield 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 tracks the performance of the below-investment-grade U.S. dollar-denominated emerging market sovereign and corporate high-yield bond market. High-yield bonds are also known as “junk bonds.” All bonds included in the Underlying Index are selected according to a set of rules-based inclusion criteria regarding issue size, bond type, maturity, and liquidity. The securities included in the Underlying Index are rebalanced on the first business day of each month. Eligible countries included in the Underlying Index are rebalanced annually at the end of September.

The Underlying Index includes bonds issued by corporations, sovereignties and quasi-sovereign corporations (more than 50% government ownership) based in Latin American, Eastern European, Middle Eastern/African, and Asian (excluding Japan) countries that meet certain criteria to be classified as emerging market countries by Morningstar, Inc.’s (“Morningstar”) proprietary index methodology. Eligible individual securities must have a minimum outstanding face value of $500 million or more, and eligible issuers must have aggregate outstanding debt of $1 billion or more to be included in the Underlying Index. All securities included in the Underlying Index must be U.S. dollar-denominated fixed rate bonds with a remaining maturity of 13 months or more at the time of rebalancing and a minimum of 36 months to maturity or greater at time of issuance. Bonds must have a composite rating of BB+ or lower to be included in the Underlying Index and must have at least one credit rating from either Moody’s® Investors Services, Inc. (“Moody’s”), Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC (a subsidiary of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.) (“S&P”) or Fitch, Inc. (“Fitch”). The Underlying Index employs a weight capping algorithm to limit exposure to single issuers. Single issuers are capped at 23% of the Underlying Index portfolio, and the sum of all issuers over 5% is capped at 48%. Issuer’s under 5% are capped at 4.7% . In instances where an issuer exceeds the capping threshold, the weight is modified and allocated on a pro rata basis to the remaining constituents.

Sovereign bond ratings are the lower of Moody’s or S&P. Corporate bond ratings are the average of Fitch, Moody’s and S&P. As of March 1, 2012, the Underlying Index included issuers located in Argentina, Belarus, Brazil, China, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Serbia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Venezuela and Vietnam. Component issues, which include energy and industrials companies and sovereign obligations, may change over time.

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 and in investments that provide substantially similar exposure to the securities in the Underlying Index. The Fund may at times invest up to 20% of its assets in certain futures, options and swap contracts, cash and cash equivalents, including money market funds advised by BFA or its affiliates, as well as in bonds not included in the Underlying Index, but which BFA believes will help the Fund track the Underlying Index.

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 Morningstar.

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, which may include large-, mid- or small-capitalization companies, 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, which may include large-, mid- or small-capitalization companies, 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 or may have their debt downgraded by ratings agencies.

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 investments in more developed markets. Emerging markets may be more likely to experience inflation risk, 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.

Energy Sector Risk. The value of securities issued by companies in the energy sector may decline for many reasons, including, without limitation, changes in commodity prices, government regulations, energy conservation efforts and potential civil liabilities.

Extension Risk. During periods of rising interest rates, certain obligations will be paid off substantially more slowly than originally anticipated and the value of those securities may fall sharply, resulting in a decline to the Fund’s income and potentially in the value of the Fund’s investments.

Geographic Risk. A natural or other disaster could occur in a geographic region in which the Fund invests.

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, or “Baa3” by Moody’s), or are unrated, may be deemed speculative and more volatile than higher-rated securities of similar maturity.

Industrials Sector Risk. The industrials sector may be affected by changes in the supply and demand for products and services, product obsolescence, claims for environmental damage or product liability and general economic conditions, among other factors.

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. Securities issued by non-U.S. issuers carry different risks from securities 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 Central and South American Economic Risk and Middle Eastern 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.

Privately-Issued Securities Risk. The Fund will invest in privately-issued securities, including those that are normally purchased pursuant to Rule 144A or Regulation S promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). Privately-issued securities are securities that have not been registered under the 1933 Act and as a result are subject to legal restrictions on resale. Privately-issued securities are not traded on established markets and may be illiquid, difficult to value and subject to wide fluctuations in value. Delay or difficulty in selling such securities may result in a loss to the Fund.

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. The Fund is specifically exposed to European Economic Risk and U.S. Economic Risk.

Risks of Investing in Venezuela. The Fund’s investments in Venezuela may subject the Fund to legal, regulatory, political, currency, security, expropriation and/or nationalization of assets and economic risk specific to Venezuela. Venezuela is heavily dependent on export of commodities. Accordingly, Venezuela’s economy is strongly affected by international commodity prices and is particularly vulnerable to global demand for these products. These factors, among others, can have a negative impact on its economy and, as a result, 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.

Sovereign and Quasi-Sovereign Obligations Risk. The Fund invests in securities issued by or guaranteed by non-U.S. sovereign governments and by companies owned or controlled 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.

Structural Risk. The countries in which the Fund invests may be subject to considerable degrees of economic, political and social instability.

Tracking Error Risk. Tracking error is the divergence of the Fund’s performance from that of the Underlying Index. Tracking error may occur because of imperfect correlation between the Fund’s holdings of portfolio securities and those in the Underlying Index, pricing differences, the Fund’s holding of cash, differences on timing of the accrual of dividends, changes to the Underlying Index or the need to meet various regulatory requirements. This risk may be heightened during times of increased market volatility or other unusual market conditions. Tracking error also may result because the Fund incurs fees and expenses, while the Underlying Index does not. BFA expects that the Fund may experience higher tracking error than is typical for similar index ETFs. BFA expects that the Fund may experience higher tracking error until the Fund reaches sufficient scale and further broadens its holdings.

Valuation Risk. The sales price the Fund could receive for a security may differ from the Fund’s valuation of the security and may differ from the value used by the Underlying Index, particularly for securities that trade in low volume or volatile markets or that are valued using a fair value methodology. In addition, 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.
iShares Emerging Markets High Yield Bond Fund | iShares Emerging Markets High Yield Bond Fund
  
Risk/Return: rr_RiskReturnAbstract  
Management Fees rr_ManagementFeesOverAssets 0.65%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees rr_DistributionAndService12b1FeesOverAssets none
Other Expenses rr_OtherExpensesOverAssets none
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses rr_ExpensesOverAssets 0.65%
1 Year rr_ExpenseExampleYear01 66
3 Years rr_ExpenseExampleYear03 208