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Employee benefits - Change in benefit obligation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Dec. 31, 2020 | Dec. 31, 2019
Overfunded pension plans |  |
Change in benefit obligation |  |
Benefit obligation (Plan assets) as at beginning of the year | $ 1,298 | $ 1,220
Interest costs | 74 | 110
Translation adjustment | 1,172 | (91)
Benefit obligation (Plan assets) as at end of the year | 2,266 | 1,298
Overfunded pension plans | Present value of actuarial liabilities |  |
Change in benefit obligation |  |
Benefit obligation (Plan assets) as at beginning of the year | 4,006 | 3,577
Service costs | 7 | 6
Interest costs | 222 | 305
Benefits paid | (368) | (433)
Effect of changes in the actuarial assumptions | 118 | 718
Translation adjustment | (880) | (167)
Benefit obligation (Plan assets) as at end of the year | 3,105 | 4,006
Underfunded pension plans |  |
Change in benefit obligation |  |
Benefit obligation (Plan assets) as at beginning of the year | 695 |
Benefit obligation (Plan assets) as at end of the year | 641 | 695
Underfunded pension plans | Present value of actuarial liabilities |  |
Change in benefit obligation |  |
Benefit obligation (Plan assets) as at beginning of the year | 4,421 | 3,929
Service costs | 53 | 55
Interest costs | 134 | 153
Benefits paid | (248) | (249)
Effect of changes in the actuarial assumptions | 271 | 373
Translation adjustment | 1 | 160
Benefit obligation (Plan assets) as at end of the year | 4,632 | 4,421
Other benefits |  |
Change in benefit obligation |  |
Benefit obligation (Plan assets) as at beginning of the year | 1,504 |
Benefit obligation (Plan assets) as at end of the year | 1,733 | 1,504
Other benefits | Present value of actuarial liabilities |  |
Change in benefit obligation |  |
Benefit obligation (Plan assets) as at beginning of the year | 1,505 | 1,280
Service costs | 18 | 10
Interest costs | 64 | 59
Benefits paid | (53) | (62)
Effect of changes in the actuarial assumptions | 243 | 176
Translation adjustment | (44) | 42
Benefit obligation (Plan assets) as at end of the year | $ 1,733 | $ 1,505

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- Definition The decrease (increase) in a net defined benefit liability (asset) resulting from actuarial gains (losses) arising from changes in financial assumptions that result in remeasurements of the net defined benefit liability (asset). Financial assumptions deal with items such as: (a) the discount rate; (b) benefit levels, excluding any cost of the benefits to be met by employees, and future salary; (c) in the case of medical benefits, future medical costs, including claim handling costs (ie the costs that will be incurred in processing and resolving claims, including legal and adjuster's fees); and (d) taxes payable by the plan on contributions relating to service before the reporting date or on benefits resulting from that service. [Refer: Net defined benefit liability (asset)] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 19 -IssueDate 2020-01-01 -Paragraph 141 -Subparagraph c -Clause iii -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=19&code=ifrs-tx-2020-en-r&anchor=para_141_c_iii&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2020-01-01 + Details
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- Definition The increase (decrease) in the net defined benefit liability (asset) resulting from employee service in the current period. [Refer: Net defined benefit liability (asset)] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 19 -IssueDate 2020-01-01 -Paragraph 141 -Subparagraph a -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=19&code=ifrs-tx-2020-en-r&anchor=para_141_a&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2020-01-01 + Details
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- Definition The increase (decrease) in the net defined benefit liability (asset) resulting from changes in foreign exchange rates. [Refer: Net defined benefit liability (asset)] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 19 -IssueDate 2020-01-01 -Paragraph 141 -Subparagraph e -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=19&code=ifrs-tx-2020-en-r&anchor=para_141_e&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2020-01-01 + Details
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- Definition The increase (decrease) in the net defined benefit liability (asset) resulting from the passage of time. [Refer: Interest expense; Net defined benefit liability (asset)] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 19 -IssueDate 2020-01-01 -Paragraph 141 -Subparagraph b -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=19&code=ifrs-tx-2020-en-r&anchor=para_141_b&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2020-01-01 + Details
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- Definition The amount of deficit or surplus in a defined benefit plan, adjusted for any effect of limiting a net defined benefit asset to the asset ceiling. [Refer: Defined benefit plans [member]] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 19 -IssueDate 2020-01-01 -Paragraph 140 -Subparagraph a -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=19&code=ifrs-tx-2020-en-r&anchor=para_140_a&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2020-01-01 + Details
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- Definition The decrease (increase) in the net defined benefit liability (asset) resulting from payments from the plan. [Refer: Net defined benefit liability (asset)] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 19 -IssueDate 2020-01-01 -Paragraph 141 -Subparagraph g -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/xifrs-link?type=IAS&num=19&code=ifrs-tx-2020-en-r&anchor=para_141_g&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2020-01-01 + Details
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