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Post Retirement Benefit Plans - Actuarial Assumptions Used for the Measurement of Benefit Obligations and Pension Costs (Detail)	Oct. 31, 2014	Oct. 31, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Actuarial assumptions used to measure the year-end benefit obligations and the pension costs	3.69%gef_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationAndNetPeriodicPensionCostsDiscountRate	4.30%gef_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationAndNetPeriodicPensionCostsDiscountRate	3.92%gef_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationAndNetPeriodicPensionCostsDiscountRate
USA [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Actuarial assumptions used to measure the year-end benefit obligations and the pension costs	4.22%gef_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationAndNetPeriodicPensionCostsDiscountRate / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember	4.75%gef_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationAndNetPeriodicPensionCostsDiscountRate / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember	4.00%gef_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationAndNetPeriodicPensionCostsDiscountRate / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
Postretirement Health Care and Life Insurance Benefits [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Actuarial assumptions used to measure the year-end benefit obligations and the pension costs	4.45%gef_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationAndNetPeriodicPensionCostsDiscountRate / us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanTypeAxis = gef_PostretirementHealthCareAndLifeInsuranceBenefitsMember	4.67%gef_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationAndNetPeriodicPensionCostsDiscountRate / us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanTypeAxis = gef_PostretirementHealthCareAndLifeInsuranceBenefitsMember
Postretirement Health Care and Life Insurance Benefits [Member] | USA [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
Actuarial assumptions used to measure the year-end benefit obligations and the pension costs	3.70%gef_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationAndNetPeriodicPensionCostsDiscountRate / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember / us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanTypeAxis = gef_PostretirementHealthCareAndLifeInsuranceBenefitsMember	3.95%gef_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationAndNetPeriodicPensionCostsDiscountRate / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember / us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanTypeAxis = gef_PostretirementHealthCareAndLifeInsuranceBenefitsMember
South Africa [Member] | Postretirement Health Care and Life Insurance Benefits [Member] | Non-United States [Member]
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items]
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- Definition

Defined benefit plan assumptions used calculating benefit obligation and net periodic pension costs discount rate.

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