| **Other (Income)/Deductions - Net - Footnotes - Royalty Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |     | 12 Months Ended |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----|-----------------|
||
| **Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |     |            |   |   |   |
| Royalty income                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | [1] |            | $ 905 | $ 922 | $ 1,002 |
| Xtandi [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |     |            |   |   |   |
| **Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |     |            |   |   |   |
| Royalty income                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | [1] |            | 63 |   |   |
| Collaborative Arrangement, Co-promotion [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |     |            |   |   |   |
| **Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |     |            |   |   |   |
| Royalty revenue, term                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |     | 36 months       |   |   |   |
| Collaborative Arrangement, Co-promotion [Member] | Enbrel [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |     |            |   |   |   |
| **Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |     |            |   |   |   |
| Decrease in royalty revenue                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | [1] |            | $ (54) |   |   |
| Royalty revenue, term                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | [1] |            | 36 months |   |   |
| Venezuela [Member]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |     |            |   |   |   |
| **Collaborative Arrangements and Non-collaborative Arrangement Transactions [Line Items]**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |     |            |   |   |   |
| Reduction in labor force, percentage                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |     |            |   | 36.00% |   |
|                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| [1]Royalty-related income decreased in 2016, reflecting lower royalty income for Enbrel of $54 million, resulting from the expiration on October 31, 2016 of the 36-month royalty period under the collaboration agreement for Enbrel in the U.S. and Canada (the collaboration period under the agreement expired on October 31, 2013), and the expiration of other royalty agreements, partially offset by Xtandi royalty-related income of $63 million. |

| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Decrease in Royalty Revenue
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**pfe_DecreaseinRoyaltyRevenue**Namespace Prefix:**pfe_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**debit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Restructuring and Related Cost, Number of Positions Eliminated, Percentage of Labor Force
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**pfe_RestructuringandRelatedCostNumberofPositionsEliminatedPercentageofLaborForce**Namespace Prefix:**pfe_**Data Type:**num:percentItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Royalty Revenue, Term
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**pfe_RoyaltyRevenueTerm**Namespace Prefix:**pfe_**Data Type:**xbrli:durationItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
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.
+ References
No definition available.
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_CollaborativeArrangementsAndNoncollaborativeArrangementTransactionsLineItems**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Definition
Revenue earned during the period from the leasing or otherwise lending to a third party the entity's rights or title to certain property. Royalty revenue is derived from a percentage or stated amount of sales proceeds or revenue generated by the third party using the entity's property. Examples of property from which royalties may be derived include patents and oil and mineral rights.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 225 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.1(e)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_RoyaltyRevenue**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:monetaryItemType**Balance Type:**credit**Period Type:**duration |
| X                                                                                                                                     |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=pfe_XtandiMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                                                       |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_TypeOfArrangementAxis=us-gaap_CollaborativeArrangementCopromotionMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                     |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis=pfe_EnbrelMember**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |
| X                                                                                                                                    |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=country_VE**Namespace Prefix:****Data Type:**na**Balance Type:****Period Type:** |