XML 338 R135.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.10.0.1

Dividends - Additional information (Detail) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions |  | 1 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | ---
Mar. 01, 2019 | Feb. 28, 2019 USD ($) $ / shares | Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) $ / shares shares | Dec. 31, 2018 £ / shares shares | Dec. 31, 2018 $ / shares shares | Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares shares | Dec. 31, 2017 £ / shares shares | Dec. 31, 2017 $ / shares shares | Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) $ / shares shares | Dec. 31, 2016 £ / shares shares | Dec. 31, 2016 $ / shares shares | Dec. 31, 2015 $ / shares
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Final dividend per share | $ / shares |  |  |  |  |  | $ 1.8 |  |  | $ 1.25 |  |  | $ 1.075
Interim dividend per share | $ / shares |  |  | $ 1.27 |  |  | $ 1.1 |  |  | $ 0.45 |  |  |
Rio Tinto Limited shares were held by Rio Tinto plc | shares |  |  | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Final Dividends [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Dividends per share: proposed in the announcement of the results for the year | $ / shares |  |  | $ 1.80 |  |  | $ 1.80 |  |  | $ 1.25 |  |  |
Special Dividends [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Dividends per share: proposed in the announcement of the results for the year | $ / shares |  |  | $ 2.43 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Potential ordinary share transactions [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Dividends payment proposed in the announcement of the results for the year | $ |  | $ 7,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Dividends payment date | Apr. 18, 2019 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Dividends record date | Mar. 08, 2019 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Potential ordinary share transactions [Member] | Final Dividends [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Dividends per share: proposed in the announcement of the results for the year | $ / shares |  | $ 1.80 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Potential ordinary share transactions [Member] | Special Dividends [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Dividends per share: proposed in the announcement of the results for the year | $ / shares |  | $ 2.43 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Rio Tinto plc [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Final dividend per share | £ / shares |  |  |  | £ 1.2943 |  |  | £ 1.0056 |  |  | £ 0.7421 |  |
Interim dividend per share | £ / shares |  |  |  | £ 0.9682 |  |  | £ 0.8313 |  |  | £ 0.3380 |  |
Rio Tinto plc [member] | Ordinary shares [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of share excluded from previous year final dividend calculation | shares |  |  | 132,294 | 132,294 | 132,294 | 277,946 | 277,946 | 277,946 | 428,529 | 428,529 | 428,529 |
Number of share excluded from interim dividend calculation | shares |  |  | 314,529 | 314,529 | 314,529 | 173,297 | 173,297 | 173,297 | 217,661 | 217,661 | 217,661 |
Rio Tinto plc [member] | American depository receipts [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of share excluded from previous year final dividend calculation | shares |  |  | 22,824 | 22,824 | 22,824 | 22,021 | 22,021 | 22,021 | 13,881 | 13,881 | 13,881 |
Number of share excluded from interim dividend calculation | shares |  |  | 36,321 | 36,321 | 36,321 | 24,377 | 24,377 | 24,377 | 31,604 | 31,604 | 31,604 |
Rio Tinto Limited [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Final dividend per share | $ / shares |  |  |  |  | $ 2.2853 |  |  | $ 1.6362 |  |  | $ 1.5189 |
Interim dividend per share | $ / shares |  |  |  |  | $ 1.7084 |  |  | $ 1.3772 |  |  | $ 0.5913 |
Number of share excluded from previous year final dividend calculation | shares |  |  | 130,129 | 130,129 | 130,129 | 214,278 | 214,278 | 214,278 | 681,818 | 681,818 | 681,818 |
Number of share excluded from interim dividend calculation | shares |  |  | 251,394 | 251,394 | 251,394 | 274,899 | 274,899 | 274,899 | 152,834 | 152,834 | 152,834 |
Rio Tinto Limited shares were held by Rio Tinto plc | shares |  |  | 1,416,728 | 1,416,728 | 1,416,728 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Retained profits and reserves distributed as dividends | $ |  |  | $ 6,178 |  |  | $ 8,542 |  |  | $ 11,577 |  |  |

X
- Definition The amount of dividends proposed or declared after the reporting period but before financial statements are authorised for issue. Such dividends are not recognised as a liability at the end of the reporting period because no obligation exists at that time. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2017-01-01 -Paragraph 137 -Subparagraph a -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=1&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_137_a&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2017-03-09 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 10 -IssueDate 2017-01-01 -Paragraph 13 -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=10&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_13&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2017-03-09 + Details
Name: | ifrs-full_DividendsProposedOrDeclaredBeforeFinancialStatementsAuthorisedForIssueButNotRecognisedAsDistributionToOwners
Namespace Prefix: | ifrs-full_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The amount, per share, of dividends proposed or declared before financial statements were authorised for issue but not recognised as distribution to owners. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2017-01-01 -Paragraph 137 -Subparagraph a -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=1&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_137_a&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2017-03-09 + Details
Name: | ifrs-full_DividendsProposedOrDeclaredBeforeFinancialStatementsAuthorisedForIssueButNotRecognisedAsDistributionToOwnersPerShare
Namespace Prefix: | ifrs-full_
Data Type: | num:perShareItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The number of shares in the entity held by the entity or by its subsidiaries or associates. [Refer: Associates [member]; Subsidiaries [member]] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef -Name IAS -Number 1 -IssueDate 2017-01-01 -Paragraph 79 -Subparagraph a -Clause vi -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IAS&num=1&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_79_a_vi&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2017-03-09 + Details
Name: | ifrs-full_SharesInEntityHeldByEntityOrByItsSubsidiariesOrAssociates
Namespace Prefix: | ifrs-full_
Data Type: | xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | rio_DisclosureOfDividendsLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | rio_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Dividends Payable, Date of Record Day Month and Year + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | rio_DividendsPayableDateOfRecordDayMonthAndYear1
Namespace Prefix: | rio_
Data Type: | xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Dividends Payable, Date to be Paid, Day Month and Year + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | rio_DividendsPayableDateToBePaidDayMonthAndYear
Namespace Prefix: | rio_
Data Type: | xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The amount of dividendsper share relating to the current year, recognised as distributions to owners of the parent. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | rio_DividendsPerShareAsDistributionsToOwnersOfParentRelatingToCurrentYear
Namespace Prefix: | rio_
Data Type: | num:perShareItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The amount of dividends per share relating to prior years, recognised as distributions to owners of the parent. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | rio_DividendsPerShareAsDistributionsToOwnersOfParentRelatingToPriorYears
Namespace Prefix: | rio_
Data Type: | num:perShareItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Number of share excluded from final dividend calculation. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | rio_NumberOfShareExcludedFromFinalDividendCalculation
Namespace Prefix: | rio_
Data Type: | xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Number of share excluded from interim dividend calculation. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | rio_NumberOfShareExcludedFromInterimDividendCalculation
Namespace Prefix: | rio_
Data Type: | xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Retained Profits and Reserves Distributed as Dividends after Deducting Franking Credits + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | rio_RetainedProfitsAndReservesDistributedAsDividendsAfterDeductingFrankingCredits
Namespace Prefix: | rio_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | rio_DividendTypeAxis=rio_FinalDividendsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | rio_DividendTypeAxis=rio_SpecialDividendsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_NonadjustingEventsAfterReportingPeriodAxis=ifrs-full_PotentialOrdinaryShareTransactionsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | dei_LegalEntityAxis=rio_RioTintoPlcMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_ClassesOfShareCapitalAxis=ifrs-full_OrdinarySharesMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | ifrs-full_ClassesOfShareCapitalAxis=rio_AmericanDepositoryReceiptsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | dei_LegalEntityAxis=rio_RioTintoLimitedMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |