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Earnings Per Share - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified | 6 Months Ended | 18 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended
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Apr. 30, 2013 | Apr. 30, 2013 | Apr. 30, 2013 Class A Common Stock [Member] | Apr. 30, 2012 Class A Common Stock [Member] | Apr. 30, 2012 Class B Common Stock [Member] | Apr. 30, 2013 Class B Common Stock [Member] | Apr. 30, 2012 Class B Common Stock [Member]
Class of Stock [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Calculation of EPS |  |  | (i) multiply 40% times the average Class A shares outstanding, then divide that amount by the product of 40% of the average Class A shares outstanding plus 60% 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. Diluted shares are factored into the Class A calculation. |  |  | (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) undistributed net income divided by the average Class B shares outstanding, (iii) multiply item (i) by item (ii), (iv) add item (iii) to the Class B cash dividend. Class B diluted EPS is identical to Class B basic EPS. |
Percentage Of Shares Outstanding Used In Two Class Method Calculation |  |  | 40.00% |  |  | 60.00% |
Number of shares authorized to be purchased | 4,000,000 | 4,000,000 |  |  |  |  |
Repurchase of common stock | 3,184,272 |  | 1,425,452 | 0 | 1,000 | 1,758,820 | 1,000
Total cost of the shares repurchased |  | $ 0.1 |  |  |  |  |

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- Definition Number of shares that have been repurchased during the period and have not been retired and are not held in treasury. Some state laws may govern the circumstances under which an entity may acquire its own stock and prescribe the accounting treatment therefore. This element is used when state law does not recognize treasury stock. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB) -Number 43 -Section B -Paragraph 11A -Chapter 1 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 02 -Paragraph 29, 30 -Article 5 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB) -Number 12 -Paragraph 10 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 04 -Article 3 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 505 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21463-112644 + Details
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