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Share-based payments -Management Share Plans, Bonus Deferral Plans, Global Employee Share Plans and UK Share Plan (combined) (Detail) | 12 Months Ended |  |  |
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Dec. 31, 2017 GBP (£) | Dec. 31, 2017 AUD ($) | Dec. 31, 2016 GBP (£) | Dec. 31, 2016 AUD ($) | Dec. 31, 2017 AUD ($) | Dec. 31, 2016 AUD ($) | Dec. 31, 2015 GBP (£) | Dec. 31, 2015 AUD ($)
Share Incentive Plans | Rio Tinto plc [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Terms And Conditions Of Sharebased Payment Arrangement [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of non-vested shares at beginning balance | 3,473,092 |  | 3,305,966 |  | 3,473,092 | 3,305,966 | 3,211,727 | 3,211,727
Number of non-vested shares, awarded | 1,499,374 | 1,499,374 | 1,673,017 | 1,673,017 |  |  |  |
Number of non-vested shares, forfeited | 159,669 | 159,669 | 246,806 | 246,806 |  |  |  |
Number of non-vested shares, Cancelled | (51,773) | (51,773) |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of non-vested shares, vested | 1,120,806 | 1,120,806 | 1,331,972 | 1,331,972 |  |  |  |
Weighted average fair value at grant date, non-vested shares at beginning balance | £ 27.23 |  | £ 26.00 |  |  |  | £ 29.70 |
Weighted average fair value at grant date, non-vested shares, awarded | 32.50 |  | 20.62 |  |  |  |  |
Weighted average fair value at grant date, non-vested shares, forfeited | 29.46 |  | 23.02 |  |  |  |  |
Weighted average fair value at grant date, non-vested shares, cancelled | 25.82 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Weighted average fair value at grant date, non-vested shares, vested | £ 30.41 |  | £ 28.72 |  |  |  |  |
Share Incentive Plans | Rio Tinto Limited [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Terms And Conditions Of Sharebased Payment Arrangement [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of non-vested shares at beginning balance | 2,933,237 |  | 2,986,080 |  | 2,933,237 | 2,986,080 | 2,993,396 | 2,993,396
Number of non-vested shares, awarded | 1,156,078 | 1,156,078 | 1,405,348 | 1,405,348 |  |  |  |
Number of non-vested shares, forfeited | 127,905 | 127,905 | 164,020 | 164,020 |  |  |  |
Number of non-vested shares, Cancelled | (95,203) | (95,203) |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of non-vested shares, vested | 985,813 | 985,813 | 1,248,644 | 1,248,644 |  |  |  |
Weighted average fair value at grant date, non-vested shares at beginning balance | $ |  |  |  |  | $ 54.15 | $ 53.32 |  | $ 58.09
Weighted average fair value at grant date, non-vested shares, awarded | $ |  | $ 61.05 |  | $ 45.27 |  |  |  |
Weighted average fair value at grant date, non-vested shares, forfeited | $ |  | 53.61 |  | $ 54.48 |  |  |  |
Weighted average fair value at grant date, non-vested shares, cancelled | $ |  | $ 51.18 |  |  |  |  |  |
Weighted average fair value at grant date, non-vested shares, vested | $ |  |  |  |  | $ 60.06 | $ 55.54 |  |
Management share plans [member] | Rio Tinto plc [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Terms And Conditions Of Sharebased Payment Arrangement [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of non-vested shares at beginning balance | 1,897,318 |  | 1,668,590 |  | 1,897,318 | 1,668,590 |  |
Weighted average fair value at grant date, non-vested shares at beginning balance | £ 27.99 |  | £ 25.79 |  |  |  |  |
Number of vested awards settled in shares during the year (including dividend shares applied on vesting) | 653,776 | 653,776 | 758,776 | 758,776 |  |  |  |
Weighted average share price, Vested awards settled in shares during the year (including dividend shares applied on vesting) | £ 35.33 |  | £ 20.07 |  |  |  |  |
Management share plans [member] | Rio Tinto Limited [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Terms And Conditions Of Sharebased Payment Arrangement [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of non-vested shares at beginning balance | 1,617,838 |  | 1,530,814 |  | 1,617,838 | 1,530,814 |  |
Weighted average fair value at grant date, non-vested shares at beginning balance | $ |  |  |  |  | $ 55.42 | $ 53.88 |  |
Number of vested awards settled in shares during the year (including dividend shares applied on vesting) | 577,083 | 577,083 | 701,965 | 701,965 |  |  |  |
Weighted average share price, Vested awards settled in shares during the year (including dividend shares applied on vesting) | $ |  | $ 67.93 |  | $ 43.93 |  |  |  |
Bonus deferral plans [member] | Rio Tinto plc [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Terms And Conditions Of Sharebased Payment Arrangement [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of non-vested shares at beginning balance | 281,994 |  | 312,767 |  | 281,994 | 312,767 |  |
Weighted average fair value at grant date, non-vested shares at beginning balance | £ 25.53 |  | £ 23.24 |  |  |  |  |
Number of vested awards settled in shares during the year (including dividend shares applied on vesting) | 170,036 | 170,036 | 112,623 | 112,623 |  |  |  |
Weighted average share price, Vested awards settled in shares during the year (including dividend shares applied on vesting) | £ 34.44 |  | £ 30.36 |  |  |  |  |
Bonus deferral plans [member] | Rio Tinto Limited [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Terms And Conditions Of Sharebased Payment Arrangement [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of non-vested shares at beginning balance | 153,966 |  | 148,158 |  | 153,966 | 148,158 |  |
Weighted average fair value at grant date, non-vested shares at beginning balance | $ |  |  |  |  | $ 52.83 | $ 50.25 |  |
Number of vested awards settled in shares during the year (including dividend shares applied on vesting) | 88,644 | 88,644 | 113,407 | 113,407 |  |  |  |
Weighted average share price, Vested awards settled in shares during the year (including dividend shares applied on vesting) | $ |  | $ 69.98 |  | $ 56.78 |  |  |  |
Global employee share plans [member] | Rio Tinto plc [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Terms And Conditions Of Sharebased Payment Arrangement [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of non-vested shares at beginning balance | 1,196,937 |  | 1,223,144 |  | 1,196,937 | 1,223,144 |  |
Weighted average fair value at grant date, non-vested shares at beginning balance | £ 26.42 |  | £ 26.90 |  |  |  |  |
Number of vested awards settled in shares during the year (including dividend shares applied on vesting) | 382,585 | 382,585 | 344,072 | 344,072 |  |  |  |
Weighted average share price, Vested awards settled in shares during the year (including dividend shares applied on vesting) | £ 33.56 |  | £ 24.33 |  |  |  |  |
Global employee share plans [member] | Rio Tinto Limited [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Terms And Conditions Of Sharebased Payment Arrangement [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of non-vested shares at beginning balance | 1,161,433 |  | 1,307,108 |  | 1,161,433 | 1,307,108 |  |
Weighted average fair value at grant date, non-vested shares at beginning balance | $ |  |  |  |  | $ 52.54 | $ 53.03 |  |
Number of vested awards settled in shares during the year (including dividend shares applied on vesting) | 466,308 | 466,308 | 332,010 | 332,010 |  |  |  |
Weighted average share price, Vested awards settled in shares during the year (including dividend shares applied on vesting) | $ |  | $ 65.10 |  | $ 48.69 |  |  |  |
UK share plan [member] | Rio Tinto plc [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure Of Terms And Conditions Of Sharebased Payment Arrangement [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of non-vested shares at beginning balance | 96,843 |  | 101,465 |  | 96,843 | 101,465 |  |
Weighted average fair value at grant date, non-vested shares at beginning balance | £ 27.14 |  | £ 27.00 |  |  |  |  |
Number of vested awards settled in shares during the year (including dividend shares applied on vesting) | 11,120 | 11,120 | 21,082 | 21,082 |  |  |  |
Weighted average share price, Vested awards settled in shares during the year (including dividend shares applied on vesting) | £ 34.56 |  | £ 21.92 |  |  |  |  |

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