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Dividends - Summary of dividends per share (Detail) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2018 $ / shares | Dec. 31, 2018 £ / shares | Dec. 31, 2018 $ / shares | Dec. 31, 2017 $ / shares | Dec. 31, 2017 £ / shares | Dec. 31, 2017 $ / shares | Dec. 31, 2016 $ / shares | Dec. 31, 2016 £ / shares | Dec. 31, 2016 $ / shares | Dec. 31, 2015 $ / shares
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Previous year final dividend per share |  |  |  | $ 1.8 |  |  | $ 1.25 |  |  | $ 1.075
Interim dividend per share | $ 1.27 |  |  | $ 1.1 |  |  | $ 0.45 |  |  |
Rio Tinto plc [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Previous year final dividend per share | £ / shares |  | £ 1.2943 |  |  | £ 1.0056 |  |  | £ 0.7421 |  |
Interim dividend per share | £ / shares |  | £ 0.9682 |  |  | £ 0.8313 |  |  | £ 0.3380 |  |
Rio Tinto Limited [member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Disclosure of Dividends [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Previous year final dividend per share |  |  | $ 2.2853 |  |  | $ 1.6362 |  |  | $ 1.5189 |
Interim dividend per share |  |  | $ 1.7084 |  |  | $ 1.3772 |  |  | $ 0.5913 |

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