v3.3.1.900

Eaton Shareholders' Equity Eaton Shareholders' Equity (Textuals) (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions |  |  | 12 Months Ended |  |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Feb. 24, 2016 $ / shares | Sep. 28, 2011 USD ($) shares | Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) $ / shares shares | Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) $ / shares shares | Dec. 31, 2013 $ / shares shares | Dec. 31, 2012 shares | Mar. 18, 2016 $ / shares | Dec. 31, 2015 € / shares | Oct. 22, 2013 shares
Subsequent Event [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Quarterly dividends, per share, declared | $ / shares |  |  | $ 2.20 | $ 1.96 | $ 1.68 |  |  |  |
Shareholders Equity Textuals Abstract |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ordinary shares authorized |  |  | 750,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |
Eaton Corporation plc ordinary share par value | $ / shares |  |  | $ 0.01 |  |  |  |  |  |
Ordinary shares issued and outstanding |  |  | 458,800,000 | 467,900,000 |  |  |  |  |
Deferred ordinary shares authorized |  |  | 40,000 |  |  |  |  |  |
Deferred ordinary shares par value | € / shares |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | € 1.00 |
Deferred ordinary shares, shares issued and outstanding |  |  | 40,000 | 40,000 |  |  |  |  |
Preferred A Shares authorized |  |  | 10,000 |  |  |  |  |  |
Preferred A Shares par value | $ / shares |  |  | $ 1.00 |  |  |  |  |  |
Preferred A Shares, Shares Issued |  |  | 10,000 | 10,000 |  |  |  |  |
Preferred A Shares, Shares Outstanding |  |  | 10,000 | 10,000 |  |  |  |  |
Serial preferred shares authorized |  |  | 10,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |
Serial preferred share par value per share | $ / shares |  |  | $ 0.01 |  |  |  |  |  |
Serial preferred shares, shares issued and outstanding |  |  | 0 | 0 |  |  |  |  |
Number of holders of record of Eaton ordinary shares |  |  | 18,538 |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of current and former employees who were shareholders through various Eaton plans |  |  | 23,559 |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of Repurchase Agreements [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
2011 Retired Stock Repurchase Program, Number of Shares Authorized to be Repurchased |  | 20,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
2011 share repurchase program, maximum aggregate purchase price of shares authorized | $ |  | $ 1,250 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
2011 share repurchase progam, shares purchased |  |  |  |  |  | 0 |  |  |
2013 share repurchase program, number of shares authorized to be repurchased |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 40,000,000
2013 stock repurchase program, authorized repurchase price as percent of Eaton closing share price, low range |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 70.00%
2013 stock repurchase program, authorized repurchase price as percent of Eaton closing share price, high range |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 120.00%
2013 share repurchase program, shares purchased - shares |  |  | 11,300,000 | 9,600,000 | 0 |  |  |  |
2013 share repurchase program, shares purchased - cost | $ |  |  | $ 682 | $ 650 |  |  |  |  |
Employee Trust [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Deferred compensation plan trust of shares and marketable secutities | $ |  |  | $ 16 | $ 19 |  |  |  |  |
Earnings Per Share, Diluted, Other Disclosures [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of net income per ordinary share |  |  | 1,600,000 | 500,000 | 200,000 |  |  |  |
Subsequent Event [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Subsequent Event [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Quarterly dividends payable, amount per share | $ / shares |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0.57 |  |
Quarterly dividends, per share, declared | $ / shares | $ 0.57 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

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- Definition Securities (including those issuable pursuant to contingent stock agreements) that could potentially dilute basic earnings per share (EPS) or earnings per unit (EPU) in the future that were not included in the computation of diluted EPS or EPU because to do so would increase EPS or EPU amounts or decrease loss per share or unit amounts for the period presented. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Antidilution -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6505113 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Diluted Earnings Per Share -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6510752 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Contingent Stock Agreement -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6508534 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 260 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6371337&loc=d3e3550-109257 + Details
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