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Earnings Per Share (Details Textual) (USD $) In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified | 9 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
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Jul. 31, 2012 | Jul. 31, 2011 | Apr. 30, 2012 | Jul. 31, 2012 Class A common stock [Member] | Jul. 31, 2012 Class A common stock [Member] | Apr. 30, 2012 Class A common stock [Member] | Jul. 31, 2012 Class B common stock [Member] | Jul. 31, 2012 Class B common stock [Member] | Apr. 30, 2012 Class B common stock [Member]
Earnings Per Share (Textual) [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Calculation of EPS |  |  |  |  | (i) multiply 40 percent times the average Class A shares outstanding, then divide that amount by the product of 40 percent of the average Class A shares outstanding plus 60 percent of the average Class B shares outstanding to get a percentage, (ii) divide undistributed net income attributable to Greif, Inc. by the average Class A shares outstanding, then (iii) multiply item (i) by item (ii), and finally (iv) add item (iii) to the Class A cash dividend per share |  |  | (i) multiply 60 percent times the average Class B shares outstanding, then divide that amount by the product of 40 percent of the average Class A shares outstanding plus 60 percent of the average Class B shares outstanding to get a percentage, (ii) divide undistributed net income attributable to Greif, Inc. by the average Class B shares outstanding,then (iii) multiply item (i) by item (ii), and finally (iv) add item (iii) to the Class B cash dividend per share |
Numerator multiply percentage of average Class A shares outstanding for calculation of Class A EPS |  |  |  |  | 40.00% |  |  |  |
Denominator multiply percentage of average Class A shares outstanding for calculation of EPS |  |  |  |  | 40.00% |  |  | 40.00% |
Additional denominator multiply percentage of average Class B shares outstanding for calculation of EPS |  |  |  |  | 60.00% |  |  | 60.00% |
Numerator multiply percentage of average Class B shares outstanding for calculation of Class B EPS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 60.00% |
Cumulative dividend per year |  |  |  |  | $ 0.01 |  |  |  |
Non-cumulative dividend per year |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0.005 |
Repurchase of common stock |  |  | 3,184,272 | 0 | 0 | 1,425,452 | 0 | 1,000 | 1,758,820
Proportional distribution of cumulative dividend per year |  |  |  |  | $ 0.01 |  |  |  |
Proportional distribution of non cumulative dividend per year |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0.015 |
Earnings Per Share (Additional Textual) [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Value of shares authorized to be purchased | up to four million shares of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock or any combination of the foregoing |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of shares authorized to be purchased | 4,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total cost of the shares repurchased | $ 15.1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Antidilutive stock options |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

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