XML 406 R203.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.10.0.1

Financial instruments and risk management - Summary of derivative financial instruments (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions | Dec. 31, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2017
--- | --- | ---
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Total net derivative instruments | $ 54 | $ (264)
Derivative financial assets | 556 | 267
Derivative financial liabilities | (502) | (531)
Non-current derivative financial instruments | 468 | 238
Current derivative financial instruments | 88 | 29
Current liabilities | (95) | (50)
Non-current liabilities | (407) | (481)
Total net derivative instruments | 54 | (264)
Derivatives designated as hedges [member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Derivative financial assets | 124 | 99
Derivative financial liabilities | (404) | (276)
Derivatives not designated as hedges [member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Derivative financial assets | 432 | 168
Derivative financial liabilities | (98) | (255)
Interest rate swaps [member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Derivative financial assets | 70 | 99
Interest rate swaps [member] | Derivatives designated as hedges [member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Derivative financial assets | 70 | 99
Derivative financial liabilities | (137) | (127)
Cross currency interest rate swaps [member] | Derivatives designated as hedges [member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Derivative financial liabilities | (221) | (149)
Aluminium Embedded Derivatives | Derivatives designated as hedges [member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Derivative financial assets | 54 |
Derivative financial liabilities | (46) |
Aluminium Embedded Derivatives | Derivatives not designated as hedges [member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Derivative financial assets | 346 | 140
Derivative financial liabilities |  | (238)
Currency Forward Contracts Options And Swaps | Derivatives not designated as hedges [member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Derivative financial assets |  | 7
Derivative financial liabilities | (68) | (2)
Aluminium forward contracts [member] | Derivatives not designated as hedges [member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Derivative financial assets | 26 | 21
Derivative financial liabilities | (19) | (9)
Other embedded derivatives [member] | Derivatives not designated as hedges [member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Derivative financial assets | 6 |
Derivative financial liabilities |  | (5)
Other commodity contracts [member] | Derivatives not designated as hedges [member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Derivative financial assets | 54 |
Derivative financial liabilities | (11) | (1)
Due within 1 year [member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Derivative financial assets | 88 | 29
Derivative financial liabilities | (95) | (50)
Between 1 and 5 years [Member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Derivative financial assets | 153 | 31
Derivative financial liabilities | (205) | (233)
More than 5 years [member] |  |
Disclosure Of Financial Instruments [Line Items] |  |
Derivative financial assets | 315 | 207
Derivative financial liabilities | $ (202) | $ (248)

X
- Definition The amount of current derivative financial assets. [Refer: Derivative financial assets] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2017-01-01 -Paragraph 55 -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=1&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_55&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2017-03-09 + Details
Name: | ifrs-full_CurrentDerivativeFinancialAssets
Namespace Prefix: | ifrs-full_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The amount of current derivative financial liabilities. [Refer: Derivative financial liabilities] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2017-01-01 -Paragraph 55 -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=1&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_55&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2017-03-09 + Details
Name: | ifrs-full_CurrentDerivativeFinancialLiabilities
Namespace Prefix: | ifrs-full_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The amount of financial assets classified as derivative instruments. [Refer: Financial assets; Derivatives [member]] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2017-01-01 -Paragraph 55 -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=1&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_55&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2017-03-09 + Details
Name: | ifrs-full_DerivativeFinancialAssets
Namespace Prefix: | ifrs-full_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The amount of financial liabilities classified as derivative instruments. [Refer: Financial assets; Derivatives [member]] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2017-01-01 -Paragraph 55 -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=1&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_55&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2017-03-09 + Details
Name: | ifrs-full_DerivativeFinancialLiabilities
Namespace Prefix: | ifrs-full_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

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 amount of non-current derivative financial assets. [Refer: Derivative financial assets] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2017-01-01 -Paragraph 55 -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=1&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_55&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2017-03-09 + Details
Name: | ifrs-full_NoncurrentDerivativeFinancialAssets
Namespace Prefix: | ifrs-full_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition The amount of non-current derivative financial liabilities. [Refer: Derivative financial liabilities] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2017-01-01 -Paragraph 55 -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=1&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_55&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2017-03-09 + Details
Name: | ifrs-full_NoncurrentDerivativeFinancialLiabilities
Namespace Prefix: | ifrs-full_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Net derivative instruments. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | rio_NetDerivativeInstruments
Namespace Prefix: | rio_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Net derivative instruments reconciled to balance sheet + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | rio_NetDerivativeInstrumentsReconciledToBalanceSheet
Namespace Prefix: | rio_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_MaturityAxis=ifrs-full_NotLaterThanOneYearMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_MaturityAxis=ifrs-full_LaterThanOneYearAndNotLaterThanFiveYearsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_MaturityAxis=ifrs-full_LaterThanFiveYearsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |