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Average number of employees - Additional information (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017
Number And Average Number Of Employees [Abstract]
Per cent of employees of subsidiary companies	100.00%

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- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	ifrs-full_NumberAndAverageNumberOfEmployeesAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	ifrs-full_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

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- Definition

Percentage of employees of subsidiary companies.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rio_PercentageOfEmployeesOfSubsidiaryCompanies
Namespace Prefix:	rio_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration