XML 215 R208.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.8.0.1

Financial instruments and risk management - Summary of financial instruments carried at fair value (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions | Dec. 31, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2016
--- | --- | ---
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Equity shares and quoted funds | $ 136 | $ 156
Other investments, including loans | 1,152 | 454
Trade and other receivables | 5,167 | 4,802
Fair value [member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Equity shares and quoted funds | 136 | 156
Other investments, including loans | 1,152 | 454
Trade and other receivables | 2,985 | 3,047
Financial assets | 4,273 | 3,657
Forward contracts and option contracts, not designated as hedges (f) (Section B) | 4,009 | 3,666
Derivatives related to net debt (Section B) | (177) | (408)
Fair value [member] | Level 1 [member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Equity shares and quoted funds | 88 | 94
Other investments, including loans | 1,037 | 363
Financial assets | 1,125 | 457
Forward contracts and option contracts, not designated as hedges (f) (Section B) | 1,125 | 457
Fair value [member] | Level 2 [member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Trade and other receivables | 90 | 143
Financial assets | 90 | 143
Forward contracts and option contracts, not designated as hedges (f) (Section B) | (76) | (256)
Derivatives related to net debt (Section B) | (177) | (408)
Fair value [member] | Level 3 [member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Equity shares and quoted funds | 3 | 3
Other investments, including loans | 88 | 68
Financial assets | 91 | 71
Forward contracts and option contracts, not designated as hedges (f) (Section B) | (7) | 479
Fair value [member] | Forward contracts and option contracts [member] | Derivatives not designated as hedges [member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Forward contracts and option contracts, not designated as hedges (f) (Section B) | (87) | 416
Fair value [member] | Forward contracts and option contracts [member] | Level 2 [member] | Derivatives not designated as hedges [member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Forward contracts and option contracts, not designated as hedges (f) (Section B) | 11 | 8
Fair value [member] | Forward contracts and option contracts [member] | Level 3 [member] | Derivatives not designated as hedges [member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Forward contracts and option contracts, not designated as hedges (f) (Section B) | (98) | 408
Fair value [member] | Forward contract [Member] | Derivatives designated as hedges [member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Forward contracts and option contracts, not designated as hedges (f) (Section B) |  | 1
Fair value [member] | Forward contract [Member] | Level 2 [member] | Derivatives designated as hedges [member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Forward contracts and option contracts, not designated as hedges (f) (Section B) |  | 1
Not held at fair value [member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Equity shares and quoted funds | 45 | 59
Other investments, including loans | 27 | 23
Trade and other receivables | 2,895 | 2,904
Financial assets | 2,967 | 2,986
Forward contracts and option contracts, not designated as hedges (f) (Section B) | $ 2,967 | $ 2,986

X
- Definition Line items represent concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes of the table. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | ifrs-full_DisclosureOfFinancialInstrumentsLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | ifrs-full_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The fair value of financial assets. [Refer: At fair value [member]; Financial assets] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IFRS -Number 7 -IssueDate 2016-01-13 -Paragraph 25 -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=7&date=2016-03-30&anchor=para_25&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2016-03-31 + Details
Name: | ifrs-full_FinancialAssetsAtFairValue
Namespace Prefix: | ifrs-full_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The amount of trade receivables and other receivables. [Refer: Trade receivables; Other receivables] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2016-01-13 -Paragraph 54 -Subparagraph h -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=1&date=2016-03-30&anchor=para_54_h&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2016-03-31 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2016-01-13 -Paragraph 78 -Subparagraph b -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=1&date=2016-03-30&anchor=para_78_b&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2016-03-31 + Details
Name: | ifrs-full_TradeAndOtherReceivables
Namespace Prefix: | ifrs-full_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Derivative financial assets at fair value. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | rio_DerivativeFinancialAssetsAtFairValue
Namespace Prefix: | rio_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Derivative financial liabilities related to net debt at fair value. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | rio_DerivativeFinancialLiabilitiesRelatedToNetDebtAtFairValue
Namespace Prefix: | rio_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The combined total of the non-current and current portions of equity shares and quoted funds classified as other financial assets. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | rio_EquitySharesAndQuotedFunds
Namespace Prefix: | rio_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Other investments, including loans. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | rio_OtherInvestmentsIncludingLoans
Namespace Prefix: | rio_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_MeasurementAxis=ifrs-full_AtFairValueMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_LevelsOfFairValueHierarchyAxis=ifrs-full_Level1OfFairValueHierarchyMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_LevelsOfFairValueHierarchyAxis=ifrs-full_Level2OfFairValueHierarchyMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_LevelsOfFairValueHierarchyAxis=ifrs-full_Level3OfFairValueHierarchyMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_ClassesOfFinancialAssetsAxis=rio_ForwardContractsAndOptionContractsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_HedgingInstrumentsAxis=rio_DerivativesNotDesignatedAsHedgesMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_ClassesOfFinancialAssetsAxis=ifrs-full_ForwardContractMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_HedgingInstrumentsAxis=rio_DerivativesDesignatedAsHedgesMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_MeasurementAxis=rio_NotHeldAtFairValueMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |