Employee Postretirement Benefits (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Defined Benefit Postretirement Plans Disclosure [Abstract]

Benefit Cost Information or Defined Benefit Plan and Other Postretirement Benefit Plan

Summarized financial information about postretirement plans, excluding defined contribution retirement plans, is presented below:



	Pension Benefits						Other Benefits
	Year Ended December 31
	2017			2016			2017			2016
Change in Benefit Obligation
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	4,126		$	3,959		$	758		$	717
Service cost	41			42			12			11
Interest cost	129			148			32			33
Actuarial loss	20			501			16			41
Currency and other	221			(304		)	(3		)	9
Benefit payments from plans	(218		)	(202		)	—			—
Direct benefit payments	(8		)	(15		)	(50		)	(53		)
Settlements	(15		)	(3		)	—			—
Benefit obligation at end of year	4,296			4,126			765			758
Change in Plan Assets
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	3,534			3,508			—			—
Actual return on plan assets	333			413			—			—
Employer contributions	53			108			—			—
Currency and other	204			(290		)	—			—
Benefit payments	(218		)	(202		)	—			—
Settlements	(9		)	(3		)	—			—
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	3,897			3,534			—			—
Funded Status	$	(399	)	$	(592	)	$	(765	)	$	(758	)

Principal Plans and all Other Pension Plans

Information for the Principal Plans and All Other Pension Plans



	Principal Plans				All Other Pension Plans				Total
	Year Ended December 31
	2017		2016		2017		2016		2017		2016
Projected benefit obligation (“PBO”)	$	3,567	$	3,427	$	729	$	699	$	4,296	$	4,126
Accumulated benefit obligation (“ABO”)	3,513		3,378		658		622		4,171		4,000
Fair value of plan assets	3,312		3,011		585		523		3,897		3,534

Pension Plans with an ABO in Excess of Plan Assets

Information for Pension Plans with an ABO in Excess of Plan Assets



	December 31
	2017		2016
PBO	$	2,146	$	3,807
ABO	2,134		3,736
Fair value of plan assets	1,699		3,243

Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost



	Pension Benefits									Other Benefits
	Year Ended December 31
	2017			2016			2015			2017			2016			2015
Service cost	$	41		$	42		$	38		$	12		$	11		$	12
Interest cost	129			148			187			32			33			32
Expected return on plan assets^(a)	(156		)	(158		)	(215		)	—			—			—
Recognized net actuarial loss	57			52			75			1			—			—
Settlements	7			1			1,357			—			—			—
Other	(9		)	(9		)	(10		)	(2		)	(1		)	(1		)
Net periodic benefit cost	$	69		$	76		$	1,432		$	43		$	43		$	43


(a)	The expected return on plan assets is determined by multiplying the fair value of plan assets at the remeasurement date, typically the prior year-end adjusted for estimated current year cash benefit payments and contributions, by the expected long-term rate of return.

Weighted-Average Assumptions Used to Determine Net Cost

Weighted-Average Assumptions Used to Determine Net Cost for Years Ended December 31



	Pension Benefits								Other Benefits
	Projected 2018		2017		2016		2015		2017		2016		2015
Discount rate	3.10	%	3.19	%	3.91	%	3.86	%	4.29	%	4.59	%	4.28	%
Expected long-term return on plan assets	4.54	%	4.46	%	4.84	%	5.21	%	—		—		—
Rate of compensation increase	2.27	%	2.29	%	2.32	%	2.63	%	—		—		—

Weighted-Average Assumptions Used to Determine Benefit Obligations

Weighted-Average Assumptions Used to Determine Benefit Obligations at December 31



	Pension Benefits				Other Benefits
	2017		2016		2017		2016
Discount rate	3.10	%	3.19	%	3.91	%	4.29	%
Rate of compensation increase	2.27	%	2.29	%	—		—

Pension Plan Assets of the Principal Plans Measured at Fair Value



	Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2017^(a)
	Total Plan Assets		Assets at Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)		Assets at Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Held directly	$	28	$	28	$	—
Held through mutual and pooled funds measured at net asset value	24		—		—
Fixed Income
Held directly
U.S. government and municipals	522		522		—
Held through mutual and pooled funds measured at net asset value
U.S. government and municipals	150		—		—
U.S. corporate debt	686		—		—
International bonds	665		—		—
Equity
Held directly
U.S. equity	41		41		—
International equity	47		47		—
Held through mutual and pooled funds measured at net asset value
Non-U.S. equity	85		—		—
Global equity	730		—		—
Insurance Contracts	334		—		334
Total Plan Assets	$	3,312	$	638	$	334


(a)	There were no plan assets measured at Level 2.

For the U.S. pension plan, Treasury futures contracts are used when appropriate to manage duration targets. As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, the U.S. plan had Treasury futures contracts in place with a total notional value of approximately $138 and $216, respectively, and an insignificant fair value. During 2017 and 2016, the plan assets did not include a significant amount of Kimberly-Clark common stock.



	Fair Value Measurements at December 31, 2016^(a)
	Total Plan Assets		Assets at Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Held directly	$	33	$	33
Held through mutual and pooled funds measured at net asset value	17		—
Fixed Income
Held directly
U.S. government and municipals	122		122
Held through mutual and pooled funds measured at net asset value
U.S. government and municipals	128		—
U.S. corporate debt	648		—
International bonds	1,223		—
Equity
Held directly
U.S. equity	41		41
International equity	44		44
Held through mutual and pooled funds measured at net asset value
Non-U.S. equity	68		—
Global equity	687		—
Total Plan Assets	$	3,011	$	240


(a)	There were no plan assets measured at Level 2 or Level 3.

Estimated Future Benefit Payments

Over the next ten years, we expect that the following gross benefit payments will occur:



	Pension Benefits		Other Benefits
2018	$	245	$	58
2019	259		60
2020	263		60
2021	261		62
2022	272		63
2023-2027	1,322		299